Anesthesia Associates of Kansas City Reviews

I have called them 10+ times at different times throughout the day on different theydays and always say they are closed. No hours posted on Google.

Money hunger. Threatens to send u to collections even when paying bills.

Stay away....their billing and customer service is deplorable. I ended up paying a huge sum for something that was covered 100% by my insurance due to their incorrect billing, which they refused to correct. Check with your doc to see who they will use prior to booking so you can request someone else.

Customer service reps were never friendly whenever I called simply asking for simple information about my bills from them.

I was paying every month...only 2 payments to go...I didn't know about the "4 month policy"...they turned it over to collections..I had to cancel my next payment (at my bank),and then pay the bill collector my final two payments. The rude CS Rep would not take any exceptions....I hope the collector gets a fat fee...just so AA gets less money. 2 payments and they would have been paid in full....terrible customer service!!!!

The absolute worst customer service I have ever experienced. Having them look up the definition of empathy would do them wonders.

I'll pile on here. The surgery and anesthesia were great. However, these guys will call you to get their money afterwards ASAP, never mind that bills are coming from all over the place and insurance settlements take forever. Was I later than I should have been this time when they called a few weeks after we got the bill? Maybe, but after my wife has had 13 surgeries they should know that we always pay our bills.

Called and got approved for a payment plan. Made my first payment accordingly, a week or so later, then got a delinquent account notice. Made my second payment as scheduled, then got a phone call. I explained that I was on a payment plan. The woman, who is not what I would describe as friendly, said that I was not on a payment plan because I had not made the payment the day I called to request the payment plan. I said that's not how I understood it, and she proceeded to repeat what she said, in a short somewhat rude fashion. The care providers are great - the billing/admin people appear to be lacking.

The worst customer service I EVERY talked to. The reps uneducated and do not know how to talk to people. And they are dealing with sick people.

The nerve block hurt so bad for 2 weeks after the surgery I barely felt the surgery. Had 3 people in the room when it was done. Maybe they were training? Not excited about the thought of being a guinea pig. The pain was awful! Had to get extra pain killers for the chop job on the nerve.

I would of had my baby without an epidural if it meant I could get out of having to deal with this company. Their customer service/billing department is a complete joke and the individuals are beyond rude. I called attempting to set up a payment plan and they absolutely refused to work with me. Ive emailed them and attempted to talk with a supervisor and both attempts were ignored. This company is awful and I hope hospitals stop using them.

Edit: Other negative reviewers should contact the hospital directly with their complaints regarding AAKC, perhaps if HCA receives enough complaints they will stop using them.

Stuck me in a $200 a month payment plan I thought was just an auto draft. I didn t sign any agreement to pay them $200 a month. They now refuse to work with me on monthly payments when I told them I need it lowered. When I asked if my only option was to let it go to collections she just said she couldn t help me. 9 months is the longest they would agree to spread out my payment. I explained this is one of 4 other bills I have. Heartless people

Spoke with Ruth on the phone about my bill and she was very sweet and helpful. Wonderful customer service!

Anesthesia Association of KC is a terrible company. I do not understand why HCA uses them as a supplier. My insurance company made a mistake on submittting the codes a (manual error). The audit was caught 4 months later by the insurance company. Just really feels shady from my end. Anesthesia Association of KC was really willing to get on the phone with my insurance initially. I had to basicaly call with the other party already on the phone. Basically, I was told that even though I wasn't the cause of the error that I am accountable to pay the adjusted amount. Honestly, why is the patient the one who has to work through the issue when they are in the dark. Both inssurance company and Anesthessia Association of KC new about the error. You would think that since there are 30 to 40 other people who also experienced the same error that they would try to rectify the siutation. I guess the patient is only the patient before and during the service. That's the problem with medicare they don't truly understand truly who is the customer. I am not saying that there are good people in medicare, but some times they should really own up to their mistakes.

Spoke with Cheryl in financial services/billing who was so polite and courteous. She worked with my budget and we were able to set up something that worked for both of us. I really appreciated the communication and she explained everything patiently with me. Thank you for making a stressful experience a little less stressful.

My surgery itself was fine. My insurance is an open network plan and paid the Medicare percentage portion of what they charged. All of my other doctors have accepted that amount as it is the normal contract discount percentage. My insurance company filed a claim asking them to negotiate the portion of the bill that I was responsible for. They declined. Not to mention the two times we have called the customer service was horrible. She was rude and was clear that she wasn t willing to work with us. Luckily my insurance company notified me they will proceed with legal action and encourage them one last time to settle the case. I will decline using them ever again

After reading the reviews made, I didn't expect a very satisfactory phone call when trying to ask customer service when my financial assistance packet would be received and reviewed.

But when I called, I was greeted in a very nice manner, was informed that my packet had just arrived the day prior and that everything would be looked at and they would call me back letting me know the status of my assistance.

So far great customer service on my end with no problems.

UPDATE - My financial assistance packet hasn't been reviewed roughly a month after I sent it (which I heard was pretty typical but still a little disappointing) and now I've been told through letter that if I don't pay in full within 10 days I will be sent to collections, even though I've called back 4 times to know the status of my financial assistance packet. They really do seem like nice people and I would like to resolve this as soon as possible.

2ND UPDATE - I called back and the lady (Karen) was extremely polite and understanding, and recognized my troubled situation and wrote off my entire bill for 100 dollars. Very pleased with the customer service and if I unfortunately got into a situation to have to be in business with them again, I would have no problem with it.

As with many other patients, medical services were fine but customer service after the fact is HORRENDOUS! They just want their money regardless of your circumstance. They call constantly and threaten collections even when you pay monthly. I owe 4 or 5 different doctors and facilities for my surgery and this is the ONLY one that has harassed me for money.

Starting with my procedure, I was not notified that they were about to put me under, I had explicitly expressed that I wanted to be notified when it was going to happen because I had never been under anesthesia before and was terrified, but despite my request I only knew I had been put under once I woke up. I was willing to move past this, then the bills started coming, AAKC has incorrectly billed my insurance causing a denial of payment, however, each time I speak to the insurance company I am told I am not responsible for the balance. But when I call AAKC they are extremely rude, act like I'm the one doing something wrong, then tell me they'll help me but they don't, and I just keep receiving bills. Now I'm receiving collection threats. My hope is that this is eventually resolved, but I will do everything in my power not to use their services again.

I am very satisfied and grateful for the level of care that I routinely receive from this provider in conjunction with another provider. The quality of care is consistent and top notch.

Angie Westhoff

I would hope that this company reads their reviews because they don t have any good ones. My deductible was 500.00 and I paid them 2 consecutive months and they have threatened that if the bill is not paid in fell by the 4th month, it goes to collection. I have spoke to customer service and they are rude
Might be a good idea to ask who will be providing anesthesia services prior to anythingg you may need it for. Recommend not using these people!!!

Not much I can say that anyone else hasn't said, but possibly the most incompetent billing department we've ever dealt with in our lives.

This has been by far the worst anesthesia service that I have encountered. They over charge 100 percent more then other services and when I didn't received my invoice they immediately start harassing me with collection phone calls. I would recommend a patient to start looking for a service beforehand and compare prices before finding yourself in an emergency situation like myself because I was not given an option and Menorah Hospital is in bed with Anesthesia Assoc. of KC. Please do your due deligence before allowing any hospital to put you in the situation that I found myself in and stay away from Anesthesia Assoc Of KC. You've been warned.

Services for the surgery were great. We had an issue with the secondary insurance and Leanne in billing worked with us through the arduous process. It was a coding error on the insurance side that was the problem. She was professional and worked with us as we navigated the insurance arena. Finally insurance has advised payment was issued and appreciate Leanne's patience through the process. Thank you Leanne!

The hospital I delivered at gave them the wrong information for my insurance claim but they were still able to rectify the issue! Customer service was awesome, thank you!

Had a payment plan, paid bi monthly faithfully. Never rec'd bill. Paid balance which was shown on insurance EOB in full. Just rec'd call from collections. AAKC has a billing department that is awful. Maybe that $1 billion dollar claim they almost had to pay made them shady

Hopefully you are doing your due diligence rather than getting trapped in this joke of a medical office. Jackie is by far the rudest billing person I have ever talked to. She is the complete opposite of the HCA "ICARE" standards. I'm fairly certain their office doesn't have an ounce of empathy. The epidural worked, but the burn from this billing departments continues to sting. They will not work with you, they will not allow payment plans, they have have no flex time in their expectation of the bill to be paid, and they have no compassion. It would be great if everyone could pay a bill in full as soon as they receive it, but most families work hard to live within the means they have. Avoid AAKC if at all possible. The anesthesia, epidural, etc. isn't worth your future aggravation.

If I could have used another group I would have. My doctor was great in the ER but the after care was horrid. I called to set up a payment plan as I am a med student and have no insurance. I explained the situation and was very rudely told in short that it wasn t their problem and they will send me to collections in 4 months no matter what I have done. The customer service rep acted like I was wasting her time. How are the doctors okay with this? If you have an option to go somewhere else do it.

If I could give less than 1 star I would. Never before have I encountered such horribly unprofessional people. After them forgetting to bill to insurance and bill being resubmitted through insurance they gave no time to pay before sending to collections for their mistake. Would not even listen or work with me. If you can avoid them run away as fast as possible.

My mom - who does not work and does not have insurance - had an emergency gallbladder surgery at a hospital in Overland Park and these people took care of heir anesthesia. She got hit with a $72,000 bill. HA! For someone who does not work - DOES NOT HAVE INCOME - that is ridiculously high. Heck, I have a fantastic job and I could not afford that for the life of me. Anyway, we've been applying for financial assistance to find a way of paying these bills. This has been BY FAR the worse experience. They told me 2 months ago that I could send bank statements and a letter showing why she couldn't get medicare. CHERYL received this on 8-1 yet she called me today. A month later. She was SO adamant about NOT helping us. She said we didn't send all the docs (normally you send two out of a list they provide you with) and she says she flat out rejects the request. Somehow she made an exception for us and called us. She reduced the bill yes, but still extremely high for an unemployed person. I told her I would send more documents, I explained what I was told by THEIR employee and nope. Not wanting to work. She aggressively asked me (more like threatened) if we wanted to pay in full. UM YEAH! Anyway, this has been absolutely awful. My mother who was an impeccable record, may now be sent to collections because someone didn't want to work with her.

We were trying to do the right thing from day one - and we're hit with a rude person who acts like she owns us. HORRIBLE experience. And it's sad to see that everyone else writing reviews experienced this. It's bad enough that Cheryl's name is already mentioned on a different review. Thanks for the reviewers - although knowing that this company is SO terrible to work with makes feel hopeless.

Billing department is unprofessional. Many mistakes!

The following message was just received by one of our customer service representative from a self-pay patient. "Your company is in my top 10% of preferred medical practices. My wife and I are self-pay patients and for us to be able to call, get the pricing, and the total price is really great. The anesthesiologist explained the procedure and put us at ease and the billing department is very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions."

I was very pleased with Anesthesia Assoc of KC, the doctor asked a thorough medical history of prior surgeries, was professional as well as kind. The procedure went fine, fell a sleep, woke up, no bad side effects.

Cheryl in the billing department was very pleasant to work with.

Overall a very good experience 5 star

Worst customer service I ve ever dealt with. The doctor was fine, the bill was even ok. But when we called to inquire about payments we were stonewalled. Told you have 4 months and then we send you to collections. We are a family of 4 on a VERY tight budget. We explained that we are trying to pay but 4 months is just not enough time.
It didn t matter what I offered, I was told that if we didn t pay in full by the 4 month mark they would send us to collections. The people in charge are either unaware of the awful way their customer service dept treats it s patients or just bad people. Avoid at all costs!

I called to discuss an invoice and spoke with Ruth. She was very polite and patient; going out of her way to help me resolve the issue. I appreciated her willingness to be proactive and take care of me. Thank you!

They refuse to correct their own billing error, they are billing as cosmetic when the surgery was from a medical diagnosis for medical reasons with pre-approval from insurance. No other company had trouble billing correctly from the surgery and getting paid in full. Insurance will not pay until they correct their billing error which AA of KC refuses to do. Seems like they are trying to stick me with a $2540 bill because they know they won't get that much from the insurance. Now they are threatening to report me to the credit bureaus for non-payment.

I have spoke with two associates regarding the bill from my emergency appendix removal. I was originally told to manually pay every month as I could since the $150-$170 monthly recurring payment was not doable in my situation. When I called back today because I received a delinquent letter and threatening collections, I was told by Karen that my monthly payments were not satisfactory. I am a single mother and paying three other medical bills due to this ER visit, it is hard to pay $100+ a month to one company when they all want something every month. My bill amount was too small to get financial help but was told even extending it out a month or so it would still not be satisfactory to my budget. (I do want to note Karen was polite.) The company itself is horrible and to expect someone to pay a huge bill down so quickly (4-6 months) is just not feasible. Especially when it is unexpected.

I HATE this place. Specifically in customer service. Epidural was fine. Bill was fine (after I had to file it through my insurance myself). I called to set up a payment plan and was told to just make payments when I could since I could not do the mandatory minimum payment on my account. I asked when I had to pay it and the lady in billing said "3-4 months". I asked if it was three or four because that makes a difference and she told me "Then end of November". Low and behold, I receive a bill saying my account is delinquent when I have been making payments and it is before the time she stated. I called back and she said I was wrong and that I needed to have it paid by the middle of October. I'm 100% sure I was talking to the same lady who told me the end of November. I was proactive and had called to make a payment plan, then I couldn't. I made payments on my own and they sent me a late notice threatening to send me to collections. I called and they blamed me. WORST customer service EVER.

Below you can see my original review, which at the time, was well deserved. Tammi (the office manager) apparently saw my review and urged me to call and discuss my complaint. In stark contrast to my earlier telephone encounter, Tammi had a very positive demeanor and strove to understand my issues. She admitted to some lapses in their customer service will also added some much appreciated perspective on the insurance end. While this effort doesn't negate the inexcusable experience I originally encountered, it does speak volumes (especially toward her) with taking accountability after the fact and helping make the situation right. A ONE star for the original experience and a FIVE star for Tammi's efforts = an amended THREE star review.

If I could give negative stars I would. Like some here, I had a procedure at Research Medical Center (HCA). Prior to the surgery my insurance pre-authorized the procedure and the surgeon and hospital were both in network. As is the case with many surgery centers, Research farmed out the anesthesia services to this joke of a company, which was out of network. When patients have no control, or often even knowledge, of what providers may be brought into the room it is customary for insurance companies to bill it as an in-network provider, provided the insurance submittal is properly coded and tethered to the procedure.

Within 1-2 months of the surgery I started to receive the EOBs and bills. When I saw that AAKC was billed as an out of network provider I called my insurance company to discuss. I was informed they did not properly bill the insurance, thus the claim was made to look like a separate claim (from the procedure) and was processed incorrectly. When I called AAKC to tell them they needed to resubmit the claim I encountered the most rude, unprofessional, and misinformed staff member I have ever encountered. In a condescending tone she proceeded to 'explain' how out of network providers work and that they'd be happy to accept the "cash" price for my payment. I replied, "no, that's not how it works as I've been through this exact same scenario with 2 other procedures". Once I challenged her with actually knowledge, she became even more crass. Based on my experience I have the feeling many customers have been cheated out of THOUSANDS of dollars simply because they weren't as informed as myself (therefor taken advantage of).

The sad part? When a company has this many negative reviews, reiterating the EXACT same complaints (over and extended period of time), it's likely this is the norm rather than an isolated incident. This company needs to seriously re-evaluate their ethics and how they deal with patients.

EDIT: Google, please remove the bogus 5 star review from Rachel Schollars below. She works there (as indicated by the review) and it's an obvious attempt to prop up this company's (well-deserved) low rating.

Rude and INEPT billing. Filled out online bill pay for auto-deduct, was approved and received confirmation...then was called and told that I was not approved. But I have the actual confirmation and approval and a detailed auto-deduct plan. But they claim it really wasn't approved and they don't care - specifically Cheryl. Ridiculous. Went in circles for days. REQUEST ANY COMPANY BUT THIS FOR ANY MEDICAL SERVICES. A joke.

Ruth was extremely helpful and very pleasant to work with! Thankful Anesthesia Associates of KC was willing to work with me on a monthly bill payment.