ComplaintsforPearl Vision

• Initial Complaint

  07/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  I went to Pearl Vision in Parma on 1/16/2023 and had a routine eye exam and ordered glasses. When I was in the office the person in the first room asked me if I'd like a photo of the inside of my eye. Which I did and it was paid by insurance. I went into another room with the doctor who asked me to read the bottom line on the chart, which I was able to. He asked if I ever considered contacts and I said I had them before. He asked me if I'll like to sample a new pair with a bifocal built in, sure I will. I liked them and once he told me my insurance would only pay $200.00, I chose just to get the glasses. I get a bill from Pearl Vision in March 2023, telling me I owed $205.72. Not sure why since I already paid my share before I even left the office the day of my exam of $214.99 on 1/16/2023. So I called the office asked to speak with the billing manager and was told he's out of the office, the lady told me she will take my information and have him call me back. I waited 2 days and heard nothing, I call back and again he's out of the office, waited 2 more days and decided to go up to Pearle Vision in person. The manager wasn't there, I showed the doctor all my paperwork (the one who had seen me for my initial appointment) he agreed with me and said he will have the billing manager return my call. He finally called me back and told me he billed my medical for the eye exam since I had a medical issue. I told him no I didn't, it was a routine exam. I called my insurance and was told he rebilled to the medical plan, the same code. This man never calls me back, talks over me while trying to speak and does absolutely nothing. I would never go to an optometrist for a medical problem. I want this billed as a routine exam to Spectrum, not a medical claim to United Healthcare. Attached is a copy of my eye exam Rx, no diagnosis listed saying this is a medical claim. I'm sick of these bills and this manager not returning my calls or billing correctly.

  Business response

  08/08/2023

  Walid N***** gave verbal response to BBB staff member (**):

  We are still working on this, as we speak.  I contacted her and while I was talking with her, she hung up on me. She said “I’m done with you” while I was trying to explain to her the nature of her visit.  She came in on Jan. 16 for an eye exam.  The doctor discovered that she has cataracts and she was examined for contact lenses. When the doctors discover that someone has cataracts, floater, glaucoma, anything that has to do with the health of your eyes other than the prescription itself.  Anything related to the health of your eyes, it has to go against your medical insurance.  It becomes a medical visit. The doctor tells his patients that this will go on your medical insurance and you will be responsible for the amount if you have not met the deductible.  People may not know if they met the deductible, some may not even know what it is.  The bill went to her insurance, her insurance covered a certain amount and she had not met her deductible yet.  So, that is where she owes the amount of $174. She could not understand why the doctor has to bill medically.  The doctor won’t know you have cataracts until he looks inside of your eyes. His job as a doctor, his duty is to report it to your insurance and that is part of the medical work.  When they discover something, it will be indicated and it will go on your insurance.  We are going back and forth and she is refusing to pay what she owes.  I just talked with my billing department to revisit this claim and we are going to bill again to her insurance the part of the claim that she is responsible for, but refusing the pay. You come in, you want my service but you don’t want to pay me.

  Customer response

  08/23/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  Walid claims I have cataracts, well that is an out right lie.  I was never told by the doctor I had cataracts.  If the doctor told me that, I would have followed up with an optometrist to have my eyes checked.  
  Secondly he says I was rude and hung up on him and told him things I never once said to him.
  I spoke with that man twice, both times I was waiting for his response.  He assured me he would take care of the matter.  Which he has not.  
  I had a routine eye exam, if he would just bill the OV for a routine exam and not drag this on for 8 months now.  He keeps billing my medical insurance for a routine eye exam, instead of billing my vision insurance.  If he doesn’t know how to fix a claim that was billed wrong, he shouldn’t be a billing manager.  

  
  Regards,
  
  ******* ******
  
  
  
  
   

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩