Unlawful Medical Office Practices

Summary

The patient was told she could pay $20 or $50 for a medical procedure but was later coerced into paying $500. The office threatened to call the police and physically prevented her from leaving until payment was made. The patient did not receive any written communication about the change in payment terms until after the procedure. She signed a document under duress, authorizing the full charge to her bank account. The patient did not report the incident to the police or any other legal authority.

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Yesterday my partner call docto office cause she loose her vision in one side and the told her to go today to da office for urgent appointment but she had to pay $* up front and she was honest when she said that she didn't have that amount, so the office manager told e her to come.with at least * or * dollar and she show up with *.. then they didn't let her go until she paid the $*, but like I said the advertising is not ok cause they charged to her bank account knowing that she Didn't had that amount and the account went negative, she didn't authorize the payment and the took the payment anyway and now her bankk is charging for the negtaive plus the amount she owed... Is that legal or ilegal?
Did your partner sign any form of agreement or consent for the doctor's office to charge her bank account?
She had to cause the was going to call the police on her after they told to bring * or * dollars, at the end of the visit the said Shae had to pay the whole $*
What state are you located in? This will help me provide the most accurate information regarding your situation.
Georgia
Did your partner receive any services from the doctor's office during her visit?
Yes, an urgent and mandatory procedure of laser, the doctor told her that she had to do the procedure today if not she was going to be fully blind
Did the doctor's office provide a detailed bill for the procedure? In Georgia, medical providers must provide an itemized bill upon request.
The doctor told the office to charge her for un eye, but yesterday the office told her that she could go with * or *
Did your partner request an itemized bill for the procedure? In Georgia, patients have the right to request an itemized bill detailing the services provided.
The issue here is that the doctor work for the office, the office doesn't work for.the doctor and I find is false advertising
Did your partner receive an itemized bill detailing the services provided and their costs?
I think today.. but the issue is they charged her knowing she didn't have the money and also the told her to bring the amount she could for today for not having income and the whole amount
Did your partner give explicit consent for the doctor's office to charge the full amount to her bank account?
She keep telling the secretary and the office manager that what they required today is not what they told her yesterday, if she knew that she had to have * she was not going to be able to get her procedure done today
Did your partner dispute the charge with her bank? In Georgia, unauthorized transactions can be disputed with the bank.
No cause she don't have to much knowledge about it and I can't do it for her and that's why I need to know if it was illegal to retain her at the office until she paid
Did the office physically prevent her from leaving or was it a verbal insistence? In Georgia, it's illegal to physically detain someone without consent or legal authority.
A verbal rude insistence and meaning to call authorities as a threat
Did your partner feel threatened or coerced into paying due to the threat of calling the authorities?
She felt threatened and forced to paid an amount she didn't have
Did your partner report this incident to any local authorities or legal bodies?
No she is depressed and more cause of it and she didn't dare to go cause she doesn't know her rights
Has your partner considered seeking help from a local legal aid organization? They can provide guidance and support in understanding her rights.
Yes but she think nothing can be done about it cause she don't have witnesses
Did your partner receive any written communication or receipt from the doctor's office regarding the payment? This could be useful in a potential dispute.
Plus I already call. A few and we have to pay just for receive an answer
Did your partner receive any written communication or receipt from the doctor's office regarding the payment?
I guess I wasn't there but her mama told me and her about what happened.. I think she have a receipt from the office
What does the receipt from the office state about the payment and services provided? In Georgia, patients have the right to an itemized bill detailing the services provided.
At the office she is being told today that it was the policy that she had to pay the whole amount but yesterday was another story to make her go to the appointment without knowing about the whole payment
Did your partner sign any document that stated she agreed to the full payment before the procedure was done?
No
Did your partner receive any written policy from the doctor's office regarding payment terms before the procedure?
No
Did your partner receive any form of written communication from the doctor's office stating the change in payment terms from the initial $* or $* to the full $*?
No until the procedure ended
Did your partner receive any services before she was informed about the full payment?
Yes and she never had any problems until today cause she don't have medical insurance
Did your partner sign any document that allowed the doctor's office to charge her bank account?
She is filling disability so she can have at least health insurance
What is the status of her disability application? It's important to know as some states provide retroactive Medicaid coverage to the date of disability application.
It's in process and recovering documents that are required to file
Did your partner provide her bank details to the doctor's office at any point? This information is crucial to understand if there was any consent given for the transaction.
Yes in the past when I was paying insurance for her to have medical assistance
Did your partner inform the doctor's office that she no longer had insurance coverage when she provided her bank details?
They knew before going to the appointment that she have no insurance and no income
Did your partner sign any document or agreement that allows the doctor's office to charge her bank account without her explicit consent each time?
In the past but I guess she had to do it today cause they were rude and made her stay at the office until she paid as a threat of calling authorities if she tried to leave the office
Did your partner sign a document under duress, agreeing to the full payment, while she was being held at the office?
I don't know that
Did your partner feel coerced into signing any documents at the doctor's office due to the threat of calling the authorities?
I think that's a possibility cause she didn't know what to do at the moment
Did your partner receive any form of written communication from the doctor's office after the procedure detailing the payment terms and the services provided?
Not until the procedure ended
What does the written communication received after the procedure state about the payment terms and services provided?
That it was the policy
Did your partner receive a copy of this policy before the procedure was conducted?
I don't think so that was told verbal by the office manager
Did your partner receive any written communication from the doctor's office stating the policy before the procedure was conducted?
No
Did your partner receive any form of written communication from the doctor's office after the procedure detailing the payment terms and the services provided?
I guess in the receipt
What does the receipt specifically state about the payment terms and services provided?
Sorry regarding the question before this I have to say no they did not give her a copy of the policy
Did the receipt detail the services provided and the cost for each service?
Yes
Did your partner sign any document that allowed the doctor's office to charge her bank account without her explicit consent?
No
Did your partner sign any document that allowed the doctor's office to charge her bank account without her explicit consent each time?
No
Did your partner sign any document under duress, agreeing to the full payment, while she was being held at the office?
I guess cause she is at home
Did your partner sign any document under duress at the doctor's office, agreeing to the full payment of $*?
She had to for feeling threatened
What was the nature of the threat made by the office staff?
She could not leave the office untill she pays for the full amount or the will contact the authorities
Did your partner sign any document under duress, agreeing to the full payment, while she was being held at the office?
I will have to say yes so you can continue to the next question
Did your partner receive a copy of the document she signed under duress?
Yes
Did your partner report this incident to the police or any other legal authority?
No cause she didn't believe they will.do something about it, we are talking about if being held at the office was legal or ilegal
Did your partner feel physically restrained or was she free to leave but stayed due to the threat of calling the authorities?
She was not free to leave, they didn't let her go
Did your partner explicitly express her intention to leave and was physically prevented from doing so by the office staff?
Not physically, but the did what they did and confused her with her rights plus she is not aware of all her rights
Did your partner receive any form of written communication from the doctor's office stating the change in payment terms from the initial $* or $* to the full $*?
No, I said they told her after the procedure
Did your partner give explicit consent for the doctor's office to charge the full amount to her bank account after the procedure?
She had to because if she didn't pay the were going to call the police
Did your partner sign any document that explicitly stated she was authorizing the full $* charge to her bank account?

In Georgia, unauthorized transactions can be disputed with the bank. It's also illegal to physically detain someone without consent or legal authority.
I don't think you are going to answer my question
Did your partner sign any document that explicitly stated she was authorizing the full $* charge to her bank account?
Is it ilegal or not to rating a patient at the doctor office regarding a payment
What exactly do you mean by "rating a patient"? Are you referring to a financial assessment or a different kind of rating?
Retaining I meant
Did the doctor's office physically prevent your partner from leaving the premises?
Yes
Did your partner report this incident to the police? In Georgia, it's illegal to physically detain someone without their consent or legal authority.