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| - As a result of our dealings with Arizona Center for Hand Surgery I have written the following open letter:
To the Administration of Scottsdale Healthcare/Honor Health:
Last June my wife, Monika McCroskey, suffered a hand injury and needed emergency medical care so we took her to the Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn facility. It was determined that she would need hand surgery and we were told "you're lucky, one of the best hand surgeons in the valley is available and can perform your surgery today". That was somewhere just after noon that day. We were told his name was Dr. Liu. We were given the initial impression that the operation would take place sometime that afternoon. Over the next few hours Monika was moved out of the emergency room and into a patient room in the hospital and eventually told that her operation would take place sometime later that evening. She was eventually wheeled into the operating room sometime around 9pm that night.
Now, we have our medical coverage with Blue Cross Blue Shield and were aware, and I confirmed it when she checked in, that Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn was an "in network facility". At no time were we informed that Dr. Liu was not an "in-network" provider.
Now I have laid out this time line to show a number of things:
First, although this was an emergency room situation, there was no immediate threat to life or her wellbeing.
Second, Dr. Liu was not just immediately "standing by" and was probably not the only option available to us.
Third, there was plenty of time for someone to inform us that Dr. Lui was not an "in-network" provider.
The surgery went well and a week or so later my wife showed up to the Arizona Center for Hand Surgery for her follow up visit with Dr. Liu. It was at that time she was informed that Liu and the Arizona Center for Hand Surgery were not a BC/BS "in-network" provider. And we have since determined, it appears, that they are not an "in-network" provider for most, if not all, major healthcare providers. At that time Monika was "assured" that it was not a big deal and that the center would "do everything in their power" to work with our healthcare provider.
Now, you know where this is going so let's cut to the chase:
BC/BS has paid their standard and customary rates for the procedure to us and we have paid them to Arizona Center for Hand Surgery. We have support an appeal to BC/BS, but to no avail, and been assured by the Center along the way that they "will work with us". The Arizona Center for Hand Surgery received the rejection of the appeal from BC/BS and immediately has issued us a letter threatening to send our account to a collection agency of we do not pay the remaining balance ($2,578.46) immediately, although they have "graciously" agreed to knock 20% off if we immediately pay it in full.
Now I have been in contact with someone in your organization regarding this and was informed that, among all of the physicians who work in our facilities, "we cannot know who is an "in-network" provider and who is not."
I get that, but what you can do is just a little research on the internet and determine which ones out there seem to be "scam artist". Because, after I did my research, it certainly appears that that is exactly what Dr. Liu and his Arizona Center for Hand Surgery are! There are over 30 reviews on the internet describing situations very similar to our situation. It appears that this is their standard operating procedure and you, Scottsdale Healthcare/Honor Health, are supporting their tactics by letting them operate in your hospitals. Shame on you!
Now I do not know what we can do to make this $2,500 charge go away, but I do know that Scottsdale Healthcare/Honor Health can try to make more of an effort to not let these types of scams go on in your facility.
Now what I can do is this: this letter will be blasted on all of the internet sites I can possibly find dealing with Scottsdale healthcare and the Arizona Center for Hand Surgery. Everyone out there needs to know what they are getting into when they show up to an emergency room and are directed toward a doctor involved with the Arizona Center for Hand Surgery.
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