Gary Sytsma

Review of PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical...

I received emergency services at Peace Health St. ...

I received emergency services at Peace Health St. Joseph Medical Center on 2/19/18. I had rib pain and arrived early morning on that day. There were only 3 other people in the E.R. waiting area, so I figured my timing was good. I had a brief physical exam and a chest x-ray done. I was diagnosed with strained chest muscles. This took about two and a half hours. The physician and staff were very nice to me. My primary complaint has to do with this hospital's billing services. I provided my health insurance information when I arrived. The billing department was notified. The billing dept. contacted me stating they did not know how to bill my insurance. I called Blue Cross/Blue Shield. They told me to tell the billing dept. at the hospital to bill the local Blue Cross/Blue Shield office. I called the hospital billing department and gave them instructions on how to submit a claim. The person I talked to in the billing dept. said she now understood how to process my claim. I found out later from my health insurance company that they never received a statement of the services I received from St. Joseph Hospital.
What I thought was already bad became even worse. I received a bill for my co-pay amount due for these services. I paid this. I later received a message from Peace Health stating that I would be referred to a collection agency if I did not pay this bill (which I had already paid). I sent a letter to the billing dept. of Peace Health protesting this proposed action. I provided them with detailed information which indicated I had paid this bill. I gave check numbers as proof. I never heard back from the Peace Health billing department again until recently. I received a bill from Peace Health indicating I was obligated to pay the entire charges of my E.R. visit at St. Joseph's Hospital. I sent a letter to the corporate office of Peace Health protesting this as well. I was ignored.
I then contacted the Wa. State Attorney General's Office, Consumer Protection Division, asking them to investigate this matter. Peace Health must have been contacted by the Attorney General's Office. Peace Health suddenly had an interest in contacting me.
It appears this matter may be resolved soon. Nevertheless I am going to continue with my request for an investigation into this corporation's practices with the Attorney General's Office. I believe the billing department at Peace Health was negligent in their duties. I believe they also displayed incompetence, as well as what appears to me to be a lack of caring based on their lack of response in consideration my concerns..
I have always been a responsible person in terms of paying my bills. Nevertheless I was subjected to over 4 months of stress as a result of these mess ups. I suppose the message behind all this is that bureaucratic systems are often inefficient. If you combine this with what appears to be corporate greed on the part of Peace Health this becomes a bad combination. I have little choice in terms of the health care services I can receive in this area. Peace Health wields much power in Whatcom County. They are able to accomplish this since they are a monopoly.
I hope I do not have to visit their facility again soon.