South Pointe Hospital

This letter is in response to a complaint filed with your office by [redacted]. The complaint was sent to the Financial Ombudsman department to review and respond back to you.  We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience the patient experienced in trying to resolve this matter.According to...

the complaint filed my Ms. [redacted], she is disputing the cost of $1200.00 for her  visit to the South Point emergency room on 10/05/15.A thorough review of the above referenced account was performed. Ms. [redacted] was seen and examined by a resident Dr. [redacted]; the chief complaint was itchy feet, rash, tongue swelling and lip swelling. The patient was treated and given medication and instructed to see her primary physician in the next three days.The patient was also personally examined by Dr [redacted] which she agreed with the resident’s treatment plans.The cost for the facility for Ms [redacted] level of visit was $757.00 and the physician fee was $517.00. We billed Ms [redacted] insurance; The patient has a large deductible and owes the balance of $1200.00. The reason our cost may be higher than a community hospital is as follows:Cleveland Clinic Health System is an academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education.  Cleveland Clinic charges may be less expensive that local community hospitals, but we also understand and acknowledge that some of our charges may be higher than local community hospitals due to the specialized nature and in-depth research of the medical care.We currently offer payments plans ranging from 6-12 months. Any balances over $1,000 can be set up for 12 months, balances under $1,000 are for 6 months. We also have a loan program with no interest. If the patient would like to set up a payment plan she can contact our Customer Service department at 216-445-6249 or 1-866-621-6385.Again we apologize for any inconvenience or difficulty the patient may have experienced in trying to resolve this issue. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.Respectfully,  Financial OmbudsmanRevenue Cycle Management, CCHSCc: [redacted].