I live in Texas, my stepson lives in California with his mother. My husband is required to carry insurance on his son. Since he does not have access to insurance at his job I have carried my stepson on mine since he was a baby. I received a bill in the mail, not from the doctor's office, but from my stepson's mother. This bill was titled to me but was mailed to her address, which must be some kind of HIPPA violation. Had she not sent it to me I would have never known this bill existed. I called the doctor's office on Nov. 8 and asked to speak with someone about a bill and was transferred. Mind you, the two people so far who have answered my call have not said their names. I requested that my name be taken off of this bill, as I am not responsible for my stepson and I have never stepped foot into this office. I pay for the insurance and my insurance paid this bill. All that is owed is a $40 copay that my stepson's mother is responsible for. The person in charge of billing, I assume, told me repeatedly this could not be done because I am his responsible party. My question to her was how I could be his responsible party if he is not my son and I do not even live in California. I questioned who took him to this appointment and if they listed me as the responsible party. After several "holds" another person came on the line. This is now the third person that has not said their name. She was very rude and very matter-of-fact when telling me they could not take my name off this bill. When I questioned her she said because I was his responsible party. I asked her if he were to go into the office with an emergency would I be the one contacted since I was his responsible party. She told me yes I would be. I asked her how they would contact me and if she had my phone number, knowing they had no info on me being that they sent "my" bill to an address that was not mine. She hung up on me. I also do not understand how I could be made his responsible party if I was never there to sign and agree that I was responsible for him and my phone number is not even listed on his chart? I immediately called back and asked to speak with the office manager. The same girl that had just hung up on me tells me that she is the office manager so I ask to talk to someone that is higher than her. She says there is no one higher than her, she is all I get. So when asking why she hung up on me she says I was abusing her and she did not have to take it. Well the last time I checked, asking legitimate questions about a bill with no cursing or yelling, was not abuse. She continued to tell me that if I did not like being his responsible party that I needed to take him off of my insurance. Then she continued asking me WHY he was even on my insurance. Not that that is any of her business; I told her why (stated in the top of complaint). So being that she must be an attorney on the side she told me that if my husband has to provide insurance then it is court ordered that he is responsible for the amount insurance doesn't cover. This lady has never met me or my husband and she certainly does NOT know what is court ordered in our case. When asking her if she had seen my court papers to justify that comment she told me to kiss her ass, but before she hung up on me for a second time I asked if that was profesional to tell people that and she said yes it was. Today, Nov. 10, I called the office back and asked the person who answered the phone (that did not, again, say her name) what the office manager's name was. She replied there was no office manager, that Dr. Scott was the only manager there. I told her when I called two days before and asked to speak to the office manager the girl told me she was, in fact, the office manager. I asked who that was, she said she did not know. I replied that I was pretty sure it was her and asked what her name was. She asked why and I said I am going to complain to Dr. Scott and need to know what her name is. She abruptly replied that Dr. Scott would know who I was talking about and she would be in after 2pm. Now, I cannot believe, that this staff of people treat possibly older people as well as young children. My stepson is six and I don't understand how they can be so rude and hateful and care for patients at the same time. I have never had an experience like this with any kind of office or business. They are not professional nor are they friendly with their phone etiquette. I have never even been to this office and would not recommend anyone to go, in fear that they would act like this in public to their patients.
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