Saint Agnes Medical Center- make sure you qualify financially before surgery
Saint Agnes Medical Center
1303 E. Herndon Ave.
Fresno, CA 93720
(559) 450-3000
2018 December I had to have a surgery. While I was waiting in the check in line I was informed that there may be a certain amount of money that I had to pay.
I had been told I met my deductible now I was finding out just hours before surgery that in all likelihood I havent.
Knowing what a bad position I was in personally I told them to go ahead and cancel the surgery because I couldn't pay anything extra.
They reassured me and told me not to worry about it because St Agnes would work with me and if they had a charity program.
They made notes and said someone would call and work with me. Time went on and no one called me. I contacted them several times and left messages for someone to call me back to work with me.
Months went by and finally I got a bill and I was able to contact somebody. I wrote an email and explained my situation that I'm now displaced living with family members and pretty much lost everything and was separated from my spouse.
I needed someone to work with me on the remaining 20% of the bill. i They talked with me at length and said I didn't qualify for help because amongst other things I was not legally separated. They emailed me an application which contained a list of documents to provide.
I also had to apply for various programs which I agreed to do. The hardest part was going from being separated to being legally separated.
This is expensive even when you have a paralegal.paying money to prove you don't have money.
It all took a year to do. In the meantime was the debt collection department. During this time I also wrote tthem about my circumstance.....no answer...
Finally!!!! I had everything and sent it in.
I received a letter back; because all my qualifiers were not in place during the dates of service help was declined. "But we know it may take a while for you to pay this."
Take away- if you are displaced and trying to get on your feet and need surgery: talk to financial aid before hand.
If you were told your deductible was met then find out it actually wasn't, don't have surgery if you cannot pay the deductible.
Do not believe it if someone tells you they will work with you later after surgery. You will have to continually try to chase someone down to talk to you..
Make them sit down and do it first....in writing.
If they offer you a package to complete to qualify for help and tell you to gather all these documents to submit before they will help you; nope, not going to happen... unless you have those documents already they are not going to help you.
Someone may have meant well telling you this but they are misinformed. No one cares what someone else told you.
The hospital has hoops you must jump through they have to apply for various programs to prove your situation, after the fact it will not count no matter who advised you differently.
Proveable low income is not enough. Some of my favorite doctors work here and I will keep seeing them because I love them.
I wanted to write this review for anyone in a strange turn around point in their lives ....don't take chances based on what someone tells you.