09 Aug 08 LabCorp – Not the Way to Treat a Patient!

I was out of town for a few days and a little behind on reading my emails. I’d like to share one with you that was sent to me on Tuesday (Aug. 5,2008). It is from a gentleman named James, and we’ll withhold his last name.

Two weeks ago I went to LabCorp facility in Glen Burnie, MD. After signing-in one of the window attendants told me that I had an outstanding Co-pay. I informed them that I had two insurance’s CIGNA (through my employer) and BS/BS (Federal Retired) and would they please call the billing office, receptionist informed me that they couldn’t do that and that I would have to resolve the problem.

 

When I returned home I called the LabCorp billing office and told them what happened. The billing office told me that their system didn’t allow for more then one insurance entry in their system. but that she would take care of billing the secondary insurance company and if I had any problems when I went back for my blood work to have the lab center call them.

 

This morning (Tuesday, Aug 5, 08) I went back for my blood work and again I was told that I still had an outstanding co-pay and once again I told them to call the billing office. The receptionist told me they couldn’t do that. I told the receptionist to give me a phone and that I would call them, which I did.

 

I talked to the billing office again and explained the problem. The billing clerk said she understood and put the receptionist on. The receptionist reluctantly took the phone wrote down something and left the area (with no feedback given to me). A short while later another lady sat down at the computer and did something, again NO feedback.

 

After all of this 5 additional people were taken ahead of me, so I went back to the receptionist and asked what was going on. She said that I was NEXT I sat down and another two people were taken. At this point I asked to see the office manager. She came out an I asked her what was the problem with me. She told me about the billing problem. I told her I understood but that NO one gave me any feedback and that seven people have now been taken, when I was told that I was next, before the last two people were taken.

 

I asked the manager were they punishing me for their incompetence. Once again NO response.

 

NOTE: I am also sending this to my insurance companies.

Doesn’t LabCorp get it? You can not treat people like this in the USA. There are too many other labs available for us to have to put up with this attitude from your employees. Thanks to competition I no longer go to a LabCorp center, and refuse to have a doctor draw my blood if they are sending it to LabCorp.

Message to LabCorp: You are NOT doing anyone a favor by taking their blood and analyzing it. YOU ARE GETTING PAID FOR DOING IT! 

I believe that LabCorp managers are to blame. They do not take patient treatment and care seriously. From my conversations with Robert Blanco, the incompetent manager for the Miami region, the managers look for ways to protect employee incompetence. Instead of taking complaints as constructive criticism that helps them turn the company into a better provider, they find ways to defend employee actions. That’s why James’ story is a very common occurrence at LabCorp. Sadly enough, managers perceive their role as producers of numbers for the company. Numbers as in dollars. Forget how patients are treated and if they will ever go back to LabCorp, its the quick buck that counts.