John Hopkins Moore Clinic Is A RIP OFF!!!

[FiercenBed]

before everyone goes off the deep end over my smudging the supposed fine reputation of Johns Hopkins read my story.....

in september my hiv doc wanted me to see a dermatologist over two serious conditions. with him being in a different city i decided to tap on the computer and find an hiv dermatologist. there arnt many. low and behold johns hopkins moore clinic has a dermatologist specializing in hiv conditions. i called the appointment number and specifically said what my problem was.  I was told you cant see the dermatologist until you are evaluated by another doc. okay what ever; i make an appointment. earliest they can see me is november.

so i march myself down to this city within a city find the clinic on time fill the paper work out and wait an hour 1/2/ past the appointment time. once again; whatever. so they call my name take my blood pressure and temp. place me in a teny tiny room and this very young woman comes in. i ask her if she is an attending <a doc in training> or a fellow. shes an attending. oh great now im a doctors training dup.

she ask about when i was diagnosed, current vl cd4 meds all that gobble gook. while this is going we are constantly interrupted because shes the only person who can speak spanish and they need a translator<place is a free for all>. i clearly tell her i need to see the dermatologist. she looks at both problems and sez yep u need a dermatologist. problem is no appointment till february. i asked for some medication and she said no wait for the dermatologist. here i think iv got cancer and they want me to wait 3 months 2 c a doc. so i schedule the apt and chill till feb.

okay herez where the RIP OFF comes in. i get the explanation of benefits from insurance company they billed for $365.00 for the apt. jesus christ my very first doc billed $110 <excluding lab fees> to diagnosis hiv do the initial cd4 & vl and write the first script for meds. so i pay the bill shy of $200 w/ copay and deductible. end there right....wrong.

so feb finally comes get to see the dermatologist and he tells me since i had insurance i didnt need to do the evaluation. i could have seen him in his outpatient clinic. great i wasted $365.00.

gets better.... so the other day a nasty woman from a collection called and sez i have a $365 bill in collections from hopkins. im like no no no. i paid that bill. she states she sez that payment but therez another bill for $365. i ask her who to call and she dosnt know. so i call the clinic and they give me billing.

well i get the most arrogant nasty rude man, mr. brown, on the phone. he states the other bill is for 'hospital services' $365.  huh? thatz the bill for use of the hospital. i ask whatz the diagnosis code for that. he stated id have to call medical records. when i stated i had issues with this. he snapped id have to call patient services <contradiction of words>. iv placed 2 calls w/ no return call! basically there billing like it was an emergency room visit.

so at the end of the day John Hopkins is billing $725.00 for ONE doctors visit that I did not even have to have. i didnt even see a 'real' doc, no blood work, no script, no nothing!. there fricking me over

so if you have the misfortune of going to hopkins be sure to ask the idiots exactly what the visit is gonna cost or theyll frick you over to.

[J.R.E.]

It's too bad that  had to happen to you. We live and learn... We chalk it up to experience, and try to prevent these things from happenning in the future . Keep receipts !! Ask for detailed print-outs after procedures are done. This will usually give the codes and the charges.

Dermatologist are very expensive. Every time I go, My insurance is charged at least 600.00, per visit, for things that I need to have done. I am seldom in there for more then 20 minutes. My C0-pay is 50.00

Unfoortunately, I also have to  go at least three times a year.


Ray 

[FiercenBed]

thanx for the reply ray.......@ least i got one.

this isnt live and learn. this isnt my first time @ the rodeo. i work w/ docs; unfortunately. i know procedures, cpt codes, level I, II, III visits all that stuff. this is a clear, specific case of thievery! okay iv got hiv....bummer. but everybody from doctors, insurance companies, lab corporation, big pharm all got their hands in my pockets.

i finally heard from patient services @ hopkins. the woman sez, "so how much do you think you should pay"? that tells me right there they acknowledge overcharging. itz being reviewed by a board. great.

im involved in a level II appeal right now w/ blue cross & blue shield of north carolina for a resistance test after a virologic failure diagnosis. health & human services guidelines sez get a resistance test. i got a resistance test. their ' corporate medical policy' sez they pay for a resistance test.....but they wont pay for a test that 'involves comparison to a data base'. what the hell is a resistance test then?  'itz investigational'. itza $700 test!

between the 2 ordeals thatz $1,400 and iv got insurance. something is wrong here

i cant b the only one w/ all these problems? anyone else, please post it here.....thanx.

[milker]

Milker sez: "itz hard to read"

Milker.

[FiercenBed]

note to self:> milestone first time i type, "iv got hiv" in a post.

[J.R.E.]

thanx for the reply ray.......@ least i got one.



im involved in a level II appeal right now w/ blue cross & blue shield of north carolina for a resistance test after a virologic failure diagnosis. health & human services guidelines sez get a resistance test. i got a resistance test. their ' corporate medical policy' sez they pay for a resistance test.....but they wont pay for a test that 'involves comparison to a data base'. what the hell is a resistance test then?  'itz investigational'. itza $700 test!

between the 2 ordeals thatz $1,400 and iv got insurance. something is wrong here

i cant b the only one w/ all these problems? anyone else, please post it here.....thanx.

I wish you the best with that appeal. and you are right, resistance test are part of the health and human services guidelines. I haven't had any resistance test done yet. I was just reading something the other day about this. Continue fighting this.

It was showing the pheno test as costing around $800.00.


Good luck with that. keep us updated



Take care of yourself---------Ray