[HELP] 1-800-Get-Thin Scammers!
Moonlitedi
Posts: 94 Member
I had a weight-loss surgery done back in April through a company called 1800-Get-Thin. I was assigned a rep which assured me it would be IN-NETWORK and my insurance would cover most of it and all I would have to pay pay out of pocket would be $2500, which I paid a few weeks before the surgery using my sterling card. I have the receipt for that payment. Which they approved. Now I am receiving bills from the hospital I went to Tri City Regional Medical Center Office totaling over $90k.
I called the hospital's billing department November 21 regarding these charges and they told me they have never been In-network and had to pay. I was in shock to hear this now after making it VERY VERY clear that I only wanted it if it was IN-NETWORK . I told them that Sherri Lee was my Patient care Specialist. The agent on the line grunted, and said they had problems with her and she was no longer working with them. I feel that this company did a bait and switch on me. She originally said it would be at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose with Dr. Alfred Johnson, but later found out it would be in LA at Tri City Hospital with Dr. Au Lee.
They have now sent me to collections and at a loss to what to do. I'm calling a lawyer tomorrow. I'm freaking out here.
I called the hospital's billing department November 21 regarding these charges and they told me they have never been In-network and had to pay. I was in shock to hear this now after making it VERY VERY clear that I only wanted it if it was IN-NETWORK . I told them that Sherri Lee was my Patient care Specialist. The agent on the line grunted, and said they had problems with her and she was no longer working with them. I feel that this company did a bait and switch on me. She originally said it would be at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose with Dr. Alfred Johnson, but later found out it would be in LA at Tri City Hospital with Dr. Au Lee.
They have now sent me to collections and at a loss to what to do. I'm calling a lawyer tomorrow. I'm freaking out here.
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I don't even know what to say about this. I am so sorry that you were scammed this way. I would definitely seek legal counsel. I am on SSI Disability and have TX Medicaid and had to seek out a Center of Excellence for my surgery. There was no doctor in my network, so I had to fight with the insurance company for a year to get mine paid for. Took three denials to get it done, but it was worth it. I did, however, have a pre-op appointment the end of May 2012 for a surgery scheduled for June 7th that the hospital wants me to pay for. I was told after the pre-op that my surgery wasn't approved, yet they went ahead and did all the lab work, etc. anyway before they told me the "bad" news. Two months later the surgery was approved and I had to repeat a portion of the lab work. They still expect me to pay for their negligence. Had I known it wasn't approved I wouldn't have driven two hours and had that lab work done. I told them I'm not paying them a penny.0
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First I would go online and do some research. 1800get thin receives horrible reviews and is already involved in several lawsuits from malpractice to wrongful death suits. I would see if there are any class action suits already started. I would definitely have legal representation and allow them to deal with the insurance as well as the hospital. Also unless you had done sort of rediculous complications there is no freaking way that it should cost ANYWHERE near 90k. I was self pay and my total cost for the surgery was $12,200 the additional testing may have cost me an addition $1500 so all together it was $13,700. Even if you stayed in the facility over night 90k is price gauging.0
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Mine was fully covered outside of a 500 dollar deductible and 550 dollar program fee. I think the hospital bill with everything included came to about 31 or 32 thousand. That was a Boston hospital. 90 thousand is crazy.0
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wow that is horrible news. I have never heard of this 1-800 thing but I sure hope you can get some help.0
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