Nurses General Nursing
Published Oct 12, 2008
emmy41lgpn
29 Posts
Hi, all:
This is an up-date on the gastroenterologist with no answering service who did my endoscopy which resulted in my being hospitalized for G. I. bleeding requiring a blood transfusion.
I DID complain to the hospital about not being able to get in touch with him--talked to the C.E.O., who assured me that that problem had been fixed.
Well---he still has no answering service---.
I am on Medicare, in addition to private insurance.
I recieved a letter yesterday , from Medicare saying that 2 of the 3 bills he had submitted to them had been denied.
He charged $440.00 for my initial office visit before the endoscopy--this was denied because he did not do ANY physical exam.
He charged $330.00 for an OFFICE visit on the day after I was admitted to the hospital---he was not in MY hospital room on that day.The man at Medicare thought that was very funny--the mental picture of him bringing his office to the hospital.
He charged $90.00 for coming to my room on the day I was discharged and saying that the endoscopy HAD caused the bleeding, and that he was sorry.
I was really surprised, when I sent my original post about this, at how many people thought I was being "too picky", that I shouldnt have complained to the hospital, and that I should forget about it.
I am posting this only to show that this guy is NOT
the kind of Doctor that I want, or that any of you would want, for yourselves, your kids, or really, anyone, and that if patients DON'T complain, this guy, and others like him, will get rich , fat, and happy from patients who just sit back and continue to think of ALL Docs as gods who never make mistakes or break the rules.
I sicerely hope that this is taken in the spirit in which it was written.
Peace out.
Dolce, RN
861 Posts
Wow. I hope he knows you can go to prison for Medicare fraud.
Straydandelion
630 Posts
I would first call his office/send a letter after you copied it and give them some time to change their statement to medicare (some doctor's billing practice is due to the office management, the doctor having no idea). Complaining to the CEO probably helped more then anything in your case especially if the hospital has difficulty getting in touch also. Sometimes they don't, the nursing station having a separate phone number to get in touch. Sometimes asking the nurse to contact the doc for you is more helpful.
http://www.medicareinteractive.org/page2.php?topic=counselor&page=section&toc_id=78
Dolce--I'm sure he knows about Medicare fraud--both his parents are physicians---he is from Colombia,or
Columbia, however you spell it
He speaks beautiful English, and has managed to become a gastroenterologist, so I would imagine that
he knows about Medicare, yes.