being jerked around by Dr. Meji.. Athens, GA

pattychat · October 6, 2007

Has this happened to anyone else. My surgery was all set. Pre-op is tomorrow.

Dr. Mejias office called THIS morning... ONE WEEK before surgery and said that my portion (the part insurance won't pay) is due before surgery. I had to cancel and they seemed to care less. Just said "ok". The end... my dreams dashed...

Patty

update:

I went to see Dr. Mejias after my pre-op because the NICE folks at St. Mary's hospital told me do go ahead with pre-op and then talk to Dr. Mejias the next day (keeping my scheduled appointment) I did. Basically, he said they had just started this "new policy" and unfortunatley I had been caught in the middle and that is why I only got a week's notice that the part insurance didn't pay had to be paid ONE WEEK before surgery. He offered no payment plan. I paid off my gall bladder surgery that I had on July 25th. I got the bill from that surgery early August and paid it off on Oct. 4th.

A friend of mine (who happens to be an attorney) called the office for me and was told by the office manager that " I did not pay my bills".

I walked out.... not because I could not come up with the money but because no one has a right to treat another human being the way I have been treated by Dr. Mejias. I think they call it "God syndrome" when a doctor thinks he can treat people the way Dr. Mejais treated me. He said he would tell patients at the seminar (the one I attended 8 months ago) that they would have to pay the part that insurannce did not pay upfront from now on. Should I attend those seminarts to make sure he does or just hand out flyers before hand. People really need to know that this will happen with them.

WASaBubbleButt · October 6, 2007

Well, as I wrote on another thread where you posted this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pattychat

I understand having to pay upfront. If he had told me that at the initial meeting... I could have saved. I was told a WEEK before my surgery that I would have to pay the part that insurance did not pay. He (Dr. Mejias) offered NO payment plan. I paid off gall bladder surgery that I had on July 25th by Oct. 4th because they said I would have to before having my lapband. A friend of mine was upset because I was so upset and the office manager at Dr. Mejias office told her that I did not pay my bills. Isn't that slander? I paid off my ball bladder surgery within two months of getting the statement. To that the office manager said, yes, but we had to call her.

ONE WEEK before surgery is not enough notice and I felt it was unfair. The only thing I knew to do was walk out. I had even had my preopt done. Dr Mejias (athens, Ga) said he would start telling patients that they had to pay this amount upfront at the initial seminar. I think I'll go to make sure he does... hand out flyers in front of the office.

I understand your frustration because when you want a band you want it now, not in a few months. But I think it was equally your responsibility to ask the payment terms as it was the office to tell you up front. I don't enter into any financial agreement without knowing up front when the money is due, etc. That just does not make good business sense.

As for the OM telling a friend that you don't pay your bills, that's a big mega no-no and quite unprofessional. The situation should not have been discussed with a friend unless you gave permission for that to happen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, with the new info on this thread that you have started (again) about the (same) topic you explain that your friend is an attorney. That would explain why the office manager told the person information, they obviously thought it was your attorney so they can give out financial information.

Look, I realize you are frustrated beyond words and angry about what happened. But spamming the boards with it isn't going to help. *We* didn't do anything to you so writing the same thing over and over again isn't going to serve a purpose.

Cheers.

faithmd · October 6, 2007

:clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:

I am also sorry you have been caught in the middle of this new situation, but you are just simply stuck.

Move on from here and do what you have to to get the band.

I had to (chose to so insurance would pay, that is) wait 15 months to jump through insurance hoops.

Good luck, really!

marnie723 · October 6, 2007

WOW Wasa are you like the LBT police?

faithmd · October 6, 2007

I don't think she's the police of LBT, but she does have a good point. I understand the OP is frustrated. I'm sure we all do, when you want a band, you want it now. It is very unfortunate when you get caught in the middle of new office policies and then something happens like the OM saying the OP didn't pay her bills. It would make me MAD and frustrated, too.

But this has been posted once (I think actually a couple times) already and has received a response. When you've been here a while, you realize most people read threads by clicking on new posts and then all the threads come up, stuff doesn't get missed by most folks. Multiple threads really do not need to be started.

And honestly, what can we do about what has happened? Not a thing, though I really wish I could. I understand the need to vent. I do it too, but she had vented already. This truly does seem almost slamming of the doc (which I understand she may want to de based on what happened).

The flip side is that if you are responsible for any portion of the fee, you should darned well know to check on how much is due, and check often to see when it is due. And then get it in writing, or at least write down the name and date of the conversation in your notes.

Again, I wish the OP luck and hope she can soon join us in BandLand.

anonemouse · October 6, 2007

WOW Wasa are you like the LBT police?

Like Faith said, Wasa has a good point. Every single one of the OP's posts have been basically the same post. All of them. That doesn't endear her to people, as much as we may sympathize with her.

When you want someone to answer your question, you make a thread about it. You don't make identical posts in every single thread that you come across. It's considered very bad netiquette.

WASaBubbleButt · October 6, 2007

WOW Wasa are you like the LBT police?

Are you aware she has posted the same post in 9 threads? I know one was deleted so that makes 10.

I'm sorry she had this problem but spamming us isn't going to fix it. If there was something we could to do change the office policy I think most of us here would do so. But com'on, 10 threads? Same post? Can you imagine what it would be like if we ALL did that?

pattychat · October 7, 2007

sorry wasa, I'm new to lapband.com and didn't realize I would offend anyone or break any laws. I just saw several places where I thought my comments would fit in and had NO idea that I was "spamming the board". I just thought I'd have a better chance of getting a reply if I posted in several different places. I guess I have a lot to learn about this board, but since I won't be getting the band ...

and NO, my friend did NOT tell them she was an attorney. She just called to see why they would wait a week before my surgery to tell me I had to pay the full amount that insurance would not pay. They had NO idea who she was and just offered up information about my credit history.

WASaBubbleButt · October 7, 2007

sorry wasa, I'm new to lapband.com and didn't realize I would offend anyone or break any laws. I just saw several places where I thought my comments would fit in and had NO idea that I was "spamming the board". I just thought I'd have a better chance of getting a reply if I posted in several different places. I guess I have a lot to learn about this board, but since I won't be getting the band ...
and NO, my friend did NOT tell them she was an attorney. She just called to see why they would wait a week before my surgery to tell me I had to pay the full amount that insurance would not pay. They had NO idea who she was and just offered up information about my credit history.

You aren't offending anyone or breaking laws. It's just kind of a netiquette thing. It's sort of like TYPING IN ALL CAPS, IT MEANS I AM SCREAMING AT SOMEONE. It's hard to read and not a great idea.

If the person did not identify him/herself as YOUR attorney then you certainly need to follow up on that. I'd push the issue if I was you. There is no excuse for that. You can start with:

HIPAA.ORG

An MD office really shouldn't even acknowledge that you are their patient let alone discussing the type of surgery you are having. Even if your friend brought up the topic, the MD office should not be verifying this is accurate info. What if it was an ex-husband? Or anyone you didn't want to know you were having surgery? If they heard through the grapevine you were having a band placed and they wanted to know if it was true they could call your MD office and pretend to be someone else. The MD office should have known better. It requires your written permission (not verbal) to even acknowledge you were scheduled for surgery.

You can also follow up with the board of medicine for your state. I *think* you can get that link from somewhere on here:

Arizona Medical Board - Protecting the Public's Health

That is the AZ board of medicine and I believe they have web addresses for all the various state boards listed on their website.

You won't be able to do anything about the weeks notice bit, they have the right. But you can follow up on the conversation with your friend. That was out of line in soooo many ways.

Another option might be to have a *calm* chat with your doc and explain your position. You have the right to go to HIPAA and the board of medicine and file complaints with both. He might be more willing to work with you financially if he knows you have an ace up your sleeve. But you'll want to be tactful about it vs. threatening. You don't want your surgeon hating your guts. You want to put him in a position of realizing that it is in his best interest to make you a happy camper. Find a way to let HIM come up with the idea that maybe a payment plan isn't such a bad idea after all.

Don't waste time, there are deadlines for filing complaints. Miss the deadline and you are SOL.

Lindergale · October 7, 2007

I beg to differ. I think there IS something we can do. I called information (free 411) for Dr. Mejias in

Athens, GA and he is listed. He is with a group called Athens General... his number is 706.548.5488. We could call and tell him how unfair we think it is that he tells patients 7 DAYS before their surgery their payment is due. Maybe it will change things for other patients. Can you imagine going through EVERYTHING we go through to be told 7 DAYS before surgery that we have 7 days to pay all that insurance won't pay or NO surgery. I commend Patty for walking out. I'm not sure I would have been strong enough to do it. We can show our support by calling... that's the least we could do. MAYBE he will change his policy and not do this to anyone else. Yes, he may still ask OP to pay upfront but he should give MUCH more notice.

anonemouse · October 7, 2007

I beg to differ. I think there IS something we can do. I called information (free 411) for Dr. Mejias in
Athens, GA and he is listed. He is with a group called Athens General... his number is 706.548.5488. We could call and tell him how unfair we think it is that he tells patients 7 DAYS before their surgery their payment is due. Maybe it will change things for other patients. Can you imagine going through EVERYTHING we go through to be told 7 DAYS before surgery that we have 7 days to pay all that insurance won't pay or NO surgery. I commend Patty for walking out. I'm not sure I would have been strong enough to do it. We can show our support by calling... that's the least we could do. MAYBE he will change his policy and not do this to anyone else. Yes, he may still ask OP to pay upfront but he should give MUCH more notice.

Right, that will go over well. He'll really want to take on a patient that got her online friends to harass him.

WASaBubbleButt · October 7, 2007

I agree with Laurend. That sounds like an amazingly bad idea. It would sound as though the patient is trying to go to message boards to trash his rep and honestly, if I was the doc I'd be fighting back against the patient. I damn sure wouldn't be wanting to change my policy for someone doing something like that. But I might warn the other bariatric surgeons in the area about this patient. Nobody will want to see her.

The OP has already been given more appropriate methods to deal with the problem. The ball is in her court now.