Texas Pain Relief Group

As a patient, I had been subjected to the signing of the opiate agreement in order to receive my treatment with TX Pain Relief Group. Inclusive of the screens, etc., etc.

My physician actually did a good job with my med's. I have peripheral neuropathy and polymositis myopathy. Muscle and Nerve disease's for my main conditions. Both have no cure and will, most likely, deteriorate until my end.

Prior diagnostic,s, very well documented be for I went to clinic for my pain. It became unbearable. A little about the matter of the opiate agreement and drug screens. I was put on Lyrica 75 mg.

and generic percocet 5-325. Anyway I did the agreement and submitted to the screens.. Of course I had two visits and screens BEFORE my insurance and I was informed of the astronomical costs $9880. screen, $6384.

DNA (not one,, DNA mention in new pat. pact??) the $345. first visit and the $478. for another drug test procedure.

Stay with me. Yes the totals are outrageous to say the least. Believe me I called and talked to Fl. billing office.

After talking to a Larissa. (She's not the only one). After I strongly voiced my displeasure to all the ,above mentioned, We had a very good and a mutually informative talk.. The end result was the Tox.

and DNA Lab work went away. The $345 went to $278.(still to much). The $478. I did not like because it was related to screens, ( a blaa, blaa, blaa explanation was given, basically another clinician handling my *** cup???

anyway my Medicare Advantage PPO handled most of this charge. The end result to this writing is that if you are a patient of TX. P. Mgt./DNA labs.

LLC/Med. Tox. Labs LLC/ all part of P.P.O.A.. You and your Ins.

Co. may and most likely be billed in this shocking manner.

DO NOT despair. A well placed phone call may HELP.

My wife went to Texas pain relief Group for her diabetic neuropathy pain managment. The Dr's there said she would have to be drug tested for the first 3 visits which is no problem with her.

She submitted her urinalysis drug test at the visit. The drug screen was sent to Medical Tox Labs in Florida. This was done every month at her monthly visit for the next 2 months, We assumed that since they said it was for the first 3 visits and then random after that that is what it would be. That is not the case the next visit in march 2017 they said time to do your drug screen....

we questioned but complied as requested. The physicians request the drug screen at every visit, and we have complied at every visit. There has never been any abnormality on any of the results. This has gone on every month since 12/2016.

In April 2017 I began receiving EOB letters from my insurance United Healthcare and bills from Medical Tox Labs for the charges not covered by Insurance. This cost is $9880.00 PER TEST. Absurd cost for a urinalysis. The following appointment in May we spoke with the physicians office about the charges, they acted like they didn't know the charge amounts.

We complied with the request to do the "Monthly Drug Screen" at this visit as well. The following month at the June visit when they requested the "Monthly Drug Screen" we said no NOT AT THEIR LAB! They said oh ok you can take it to an outside lab such as Quest or Labcorp. So we took the lab order to our local lab which is Labcorp.

My wife submitted the required urinalysis drug screening test at Labcorp and the results were sent to the physicians office. As Always the results were exactly as they should be. I got an EOB letter from my Insurance for the Labcorp Drug Screen which is the exact same drug screen as Medical Tox Labs and the "Retail Price for the Drug Screen was only around $800.00 and the negotiated cost of the drug screen was around $ 80.00 and no co-pay. We have since June refused to use the physicians lab due to the cost they are billing our insurance and now use Labcorp for the exact same test.

The cost for the test at Medical Tox Labs is absurd. The physicians office requiring the drug screen test every visit is absurd and the GROSS Negligence of the physicians office to indicate that other labs may be used is also ABSURD. TEXAS PAIN RELIEF GROUP IS AN AFFILIATE OF PHYSICIAN PARTNERS OF AMERICA, WHICH OWNS MEDICAL TOX LABS AND MEDICAL DNA LABS IN FLORIDA. THIS IS GROSS FRAUD BY NOT INFORMING THE PATIENT OF THIS, GROSS FRAUD TO CHARGE THE FEES THEY CHARGE AND AN EXTREME CONFLICT OF INTEREST WITH THE PHYSICIANS OFFICES AND THE LABS.

Practices such as this are what drives up healthcare cost in this country and there need to be laws that prevent this practice with criminal consequences. Estimated Billing for the urinalysis for 6 months to my Insurance Company is around $60,000