1 Star -- Extremely disappointing and heartbreaking
My daughter had been a patient of this practice since she was one hour old. For five years, this was the pediatric practice we trusted with her care. She was not a new patient, and I was not a parent with a history of billing problems.
In five years, we never had billing issues, never had a no-call/no-show, never had a late cancellation, and I was always extremely open and responsive in my communication with the office.
That is what makes this situation so incredibly frustrating.
There was a $46.66 balance from this year that I genuinely did not know existed. There are two parents listed on her account, and neither of us knew about this balance. I was told the office called once, but there was no documentation that they actually spoke with anyone or left a voicemail. ONCE. Emails regarding the balance went into my spam folder.
At some point, I would think my history with the practice would have been a red flag in the other direction. If a parent who has always paid their bills, always communicated with the office, never missed appointments without notice, and has been responsive for five years suddenly stops responding to billing communication, wouldn't that make you wonder whether the parent simply isn't receiving the message?
And when there are two parents on the account and neither one has received or acknowledged the message, wouldn't that warrant another phone call, another form of communication, or even a simple text before deciding to dismiss a five-year-old patient?
Instead, I received certified mail dated July 8 regarding the balance, stating that I had 30 days to respond. I did not actually receive that letter until August 15. The moment I became aware of the balance, I contacted the office to address it.
And the response?
The CEO decided to dismiss my five-year-old daughter as a patient over $46.66.
Not a patient who repeatedly ignored bills.
Not a patient with a history of missed appointments.
Not a patient who refused to communicate.
A five-year-old child who had been their patient since she was one hour old.
That is the part that makes me both angry and emotional.
My daughter is worth more to me than $46.66. She is worth more than the price of a tank of gas. She is worth more than whatever administrative inconvenience was involved in making one or two additional attempts to reach her parent.
I would have paid the bill without hesitation if I had known it existed. In fact, I paid the $46.66 after they had already dismissed my daughter. That is what makes this hurt and anger me so much--this was never about me refusing to pay. I would have paid it. I DID pay it. My child was dismissed over a bill I didn't even know existed.
What hurts most is that after five years of trusting this practice with my daughter's care--from the time she was literally one hour old until the age of five--the relationship ended over $46.66, when the situation could have been resolved with a little communication and common sense.
I have since established care with a new pediatrician. When I explained exactly what happened, their office assured me that they would never drop a pediatric patient over a bill in this manner. That response really put into perspective how differently practices can choose to treat the families who trust them with their children's care.
Parents deserve better communication, compassion, and consideration when it comes to their children's healthcare.
I would strongly encourage parents to ask this office about its billing and patient-dismissal policies before choosing them for their children. I expected a pediatric practice to prioritize communication, compassion, and the continuity of care for a 5-year-old. Unfortunately, that was not my experience.
Five years. Two parents. One child. Since one hour old. Over $46.66. That's what I will remember about this practice. read more
