San Francisco Emergency Medical Services Agency

SF Hospital
1. Once I got my 2^nd bill late August, with a number I could actually call, I called over 10 times, no one picked up, and left 3 voicemails throughout the span of 3 months.
2. The number I initially called on my bill which came in the mail, listed underneath the Business Office Contact Info, was actually the number to Healthy San Francisco, not to inquire about a bill. I feel bad for the people who are obviously forced to consider Healthy SF because a ridiculously unfair and expensive bill shows up, which they cannot even call up to inquire about.
3. In my voicemails I made it very clear I wanted to be contacted immediately, left my cell and email, and be sent my medical records
4. Meanwhile your bill system is of course still working… and getting more notices was increasingly aggravating me– of course that part of the system is down
5. Gabriela Guerrero finally picked up mid November, and then hung up on me! I called back 3 times with no response.
6. Once this happened, I left an extremely frustrated voicemail, and threatened to post this conversation on every single review site I find on the hospital. Gabby FINALLY emails me back November 16^th — This is 3 MONTHS LATER from my initial time of trying to contact anyone to ask about my bill.
«Good Morning,
You have left messages that we contact you via e-​mail… and here we are How can I help you?»
7. And here you are, 3 months later jerk! FINALLY I am referred to the Patient Advocates department, 405−206−5176, by Sheryl Goldman. This number should have been on the initial bill I was sent in the mail. Instead they play with your heads and of course cause many people who were overcharged and wanting answers to just pay anyways, because to talk to the right person is horrendous.
8. THEN medical records were ordered by Sheryl Goldman. 45 days later (outside of their 7 – 30 day mark) I get a letter saying they have been received, the bill is correct, and sorry for the hassle.
NOW– this is NOT what I had in mind:
My initial Frustration
1. I waited for 7 hours to be seen, and was there for a max of 15 mins.
2. Was seen by Kirsten Day
I came in very sick, suspecting gluten intolerance, and wanted a blood test. Kirsten Day told me «We both know this is probably gluten, just cut it out of your diet. All bread and wheat products» That was it, no extra information. No brochure, no book reference, no specialized practitioner, no website to realize EVERYTHING has gluten in it. Not even a blood test, which I had asked for multiple times.
…I learned more from a friends $ 15 dollar book than a $ 500 visit to the ER.
2. There is a charge of $ 162.00 for 1 exam/​treatment room (even though I was just talked to for 15 mins, not examined)
3. There was an additional $ 353.00 for an initial expanded exam
Extremely annoying and frustrating. The initial expanded exam is what I am demanding proof of. Why was this added to my bill, if NOTHING was even looked at on my body, no blood pressure test, etc. I was there for MAX 15 minutes.
Send over the hospitals policy for the:
1. Exam/​treatment room
2. Initial expanded exam
I expect a detailed description for both, and costs for each.
I demand this initial expanded exam charge to be dropped. If it is not, I will put this email up on every review site I can find on your hospital.
I never got my records, even though I asked for them multiple times. From The Medical Board of California, Department of Consumer Affairs, I found:
By law, a patient’s records are defined as records relating to the health history, diagnosis, or condition of a patient, or relating to treatment provided or proposed to be provided to the patient. Physicians must provide patients with copies within 15 days of receipt of the request.
I asked to see my medical records, because I knew there would be zero information on there besides me saying my stomach hurt, and not the 25+ other symptoms I was experiencing.
OVERALL— Just DON’T go here. GO to urgent care instead if you can, not the ER. Terrible experience and brought so much hell into my life. And even AFTER PAYING almost $ 500 for this, I got a letter from «Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector», and that I was a delinquent because I had not paid. Nice way to keep things straight. Wish I could have gotten my hands on my medical records which existed of nothing…

Well, they saved my life and did it with such speed and professionalism it was absolutely amazing.
Since having a terrible allergic reaction to a medication, I was subject to these «flash» asthma attacks that came on very quickly. I had one of these attacks at Safeway on a kind of stressful shopping excursion. I was very close to my airway being completely closed, and knew it and I was terrified.
My EMT was the nicest man, set me up on a breathing nebuliser in record time, held my hand all the way to the hospital and kept telling me that my color was good, my oxygen was good and I was going to be fine.
I thank God for those guys.

Unbelievable.
2 am. Wake up shaking with the chills and realize every part of your body is in excruciating pain. WTF is going on?!
Panic. Reach for the phone and call the only person you know who would be awake at this hour on a Tuesday night. They don’t answer their phone. Call Mom, she’s a nurse. She says go to the hospital. Start to cry a little, call 9−1−1.
Paramedics are there in less than five minutes. You don’t even have shoes on yet. They help you lock the door to your apartment.
You’re in the ambulance and a cute paramedic asks you about your pain while he gets your vitals. He even offers you a teddy bear to squeeze.
They know you’re new to the city and you don’t even know where you should go with your insurance, so they drive you there, free of charge.
Remember to write them a great review on Unilocal,and not just because they were ridiculously good-​looking.