Complaint History & Business Rating for Southeast Missouri Hospital

Sarah S. says: I lived in Missouri from 2009 to 2015. From 2009 to 2013, I lived in Cape Girardeau. There, I was a patient at Southeast Missouri Hospital and received routine wellness care. I moved to Columbia in September of 2013 where, two years later, I received a bill from the hospital regarding a charge. I attempted multiple follow-ups with the billing office to determine the cause of the charge. I had to talk with a new rep every call(no supervisor was ever available), was never offered any explanation about my bill, and others expressed confusion about why I received it in the first place. I contacted the insurance as directed, and a rep three-way-called with me and the hospital to explain I had no financial responsibility for the bill, the hospital made a billing error, and that I should not pay. I continued trying to work with the hospital about this bill and was told I’d be contacted by a manager to review the bill and determine the appropriate course of action. NEVER did I receive a follow up phone call throughout the course of this entire issue, and I did not receive any phone call from a manager. I moved to Arkansas, and within the first few months I received calls twice a day from a number that would not leave voice messages. When I finally called them and they refused to tell me who they were until I provided information, they proceeded to inform me that I had been sent to collections, that they had to collect, and that I should know that bills are my responsibility. Let me assure you, I pay all of my bills--I always have. Let me summarize this further: two years after a ROUTINE WELLNESS visit, covered by my TWO insurances that the hospital’s OWN RECORDS indicate I had on file, I was harassed for approximately one year until turned over to collections. I called the billing office and reiterated this is not my responsibility to pay per the insurance company they told me to contact, and that I was supposed to have received a follow up call from a manager that decided they apparently had better things to do. I told them that I could only afford to pay half. The near joyful response was sick, but they said they would take this payment and match the remainder so I only had to pay HALF. They assured me this would make it all go away. Today, I saw that I had a claim from a credit collection agency regarding this issue. Four years later, and this still attacks me. I feel like the only option I have is to let the healthcare system win and take the beating on a credit score that I had hoped would one day grow strong again and allow my family to settle down in our new home. I just feel like SOMEONE needs to know about the perversion and selfishness of a facility that refuses to admit when it is wrong.

Sarah S. says: I lived in Missouri from 2009 to 2015. From 2009 to 2013, I lived in Cape Girardeau. There, I was a patient at Southeast Missouri Hospital and received routine wellness care. I moved to Columbia in September of 2013 where, two years later, I received a bill from the hospital regarding a charge. I attempted multiple follow-ups with the billing office to determine the cause of the charge. I had to talk with a new rep every call(no supervisor was ever available), was never offered any explanation about my bill, and others expressed confusion about why I received it in the first place. I contacted the insurance as directed, and a rep three-way-called with me and the hospital to explain I had no financial responsibility for the bill, the hospital made a billing error, and that I should not pay. I continued trying to work with the hospital about this bill and was told I’d be contacted by a manager to review the bill and determine the appropriate course of action. NEVER did I receive a follow up phone call throughout the course of this entire issue, and I did not receive any phone call from a manager. I moved to Arkansas, and within the first few months I received calls twice a day from a number that would not leave voice messages. When I finally called them and they refused to tell me who they were until I provided information, they proceeded to inform me that I had been sent to collections, that they had to collect, and that I should know that bills are my responsibility. Let me assure you, I pay all of my bills--I always have. Let me summarize this further: two years after a ROUTINE WELLNESS visit, covered by my TWO insurances that the hospital’s OWN RECORDS indicate I had on file, I was harassed for approximately one year until turned over to collections. I called the billing office and reiterated this is not my responsibility to pay per the insurance company they told me to contact, and that I was supposed to have received a follow up call from a manager that decided they apparently had better things to do. I told them that I could only afford to pay half. The near joyful response was sick, but they said they would take this payment and match the remainder so I only had to pay HALF. They assured me this would make it all go away. Today, I saw that I had a claim from a credit collection agency regarding this issue. Four years later, and this still attacks me. I feel like the only option I have is to let the healthcare system win and take the beating on a credit score that I had hoped would one day grow strong again and allow my family to settle down in our new home. I just feel like SOMEONE needs to know about the perversion and selfishness of a facility that refuses to admit when it is wrong.