Banner Ironwood Medical Center | Queen Creek, AZ | Gantzel Rd. — Local services in Four Corners States

Please read!!! Went to banner Ironwood emergency room with extreme stomach pain which was happening over 14 hours. 45 min of waiting I was finally called back. I started to explain my pain and that it was causing me to blackout. I asked for morphine to help ease the pain. I was told I needed to give blood first which I had no problem doing just wanted the pain to stop so I could have a break from it. I was given morphine and pass out from being exhausted. I was then woken up by the billing lady asking for money. I was shocked by this and upset as I was still feeling pain in my stomach even with morphine. I told the lady find out what my problem is first and that I ‘m in no condition to talk financial. She left I fell asleep. I was woken up by the physician. She told me I have gas and that is why I have pain. I asked how is that possible I been having the pain now for 15 Hours? She replied maybe it’s taking longer to pass. Even though I knew that was not the case because she didn’t know I was texting my primary doctor at the same time I was being seen. He told me it shouldn’t take that long to pass (4-5 hours) and told me to ask for an x-ray something is wrong. Banner Physician told me that one was not needed. I replied well I’m the one paying for all this and I still have pain so I want an X-ray. She told me while I was sleeping they injected a cocktail of anti-acid so an x-ray is not needed and I was to be discharged. While leaving the room the pain started to gradually come back and I was still dry heaving. I pleaded with the nurse that I was still having the same symptoms as when I first arrived. She handed me a throw up bag and told me she hopes I feel better. After leaving the hospital and headed straight home. As soon as I got home the pain was back to 10. My doctor told me I need an x-ray something is wrong. I then had a friend drive me to Mercy Gilbert (same Day hour later). While at Mercy Gilbert and about 17 hours of pain now. First thing they said I needed was an x-ray and blood drawn. They found a blocked small intestine and that my stomach was close to ripping from pressure. I was there for 5 days pumping my stomach. So pretty much BANNER OF IRONWOOD did nothing for me but make things worse. When I filed a complaint it came back as they held the pain off for me until I was actually treated by another hospital. What a joke Now I have two separate hospital bills for the same problem. Banner is now trying to tell to pay the 800$ in fees and since I can’t pay them now due to the other hospital bills that they will start adding late fees. BANNER YOU MADE A MISTAKE SUCK IT UP AND AMIT IT. How Banner defines innovation: "Innovation at Banner is defined as the rapid identification and deployment of strategies leveraging Banner’s operating model and the science of care delivery to ensure an extraordinary patient experience, which is safe, efficient and effective." Banner’s Brand -- “Medical excellence, provided by the best people, delivering the best care” is the reputation we are building for Banner Health in the minds of our patients, families and our communities through the actions and behaviors demonstrated through every interaction with our customers. Banner states this but I didn’t see it UPDATE! I sent in a compliant to every office I could for some type of help. Health & human services, and Attorney general. Since I filed using the name Banner Ironwood, nothing could be done. Banner Ironwood emergency room is handled through a different company holding an LLC. I received a letter from their Attorney of the LLC stating that I am not a Doctor and how would I know if the care I received was incorrect or not handled properly. WOW really. My stomach could have burst open quoting my family Doctor and the Doctors at Mercy Gilbert not too sure how the Lawyer could state that. Nothing was done for me and I had to pay for services that made my condition worse, but thanks to Dignity Health I been doing well. Lesson learned Sticking to Dignity Health Only Bye for good Banner. Breathe easy...

UPDATE- Someone from Banner reached out to me and said the billing dept would be in contact with me... it has been 3 WEEKS since then and I haven't heard a word! I have also left 5 voicemails, still no response.

THIS REVIEW IS STRICTLY ABOUT BANNER'S BILLING DEPT

Ok, let me just say our experience here for the labor and delivery of our first born child was FANTASTIC. Nurses, midwife, staff- everyone was great and attentive. That is not what this review is about. I am strictly reviewing Banner's billing policies.

Let me start my saying that my husband and I do not have medical insurance. We do not qualify for any state financial assistance either. We do have a catastrophe policy in place- however it covers 0% of maternity or childbirth. We paid our midwife (MomDoc Queen Creek- fantastic care, would recommend) cash rate for my entire pregnancy and delivery- $1900. That included all prenatal visits, lab work, ultrasounds, and delivery fees. Great. We paid cash for my epidural $500ish instead of the $8k they would charge insurance. Fantastic. We paid Banner $5200 cash for my labor and delivery of our son and 48 hours in the hospital. Outstanding.

But wait... 6 months (6 MONTHS!!!) after the birth of our son we receive a bill for an additional $5300. Ok, let's add that up- $5200 already paid cash in full (assured we had a zero balance) plus $5300 gives you a grand total of $10500. They billed our catastrophe insurance after we already paid cash for a service that was not a covered benefit.

Now onto another claim- our son needed an ultrasound for an enlarged kidney. Already first time mom here, I'm horrified. Obviously, ultrasounds are not covered under our catastrophe policy. A very sweet woman that checked us into Cardon's for the ultrasound confirmed we could pay the cash rate- $230. Fantastic! We paid in full on the date of service, $0 balance owed. BUT WAIT- We received another bill for Banner!!! Just kidding, you can't pay cash rate and you owe $700 additional.

Oh, another thing. Admitted when baby is 2 days old at 10 pm for an emergency (yep, horrified first time mom). Obviously we did not have time to discuss cash payment prices. Received a bill for $5300, nope cannot give us cash rate because they have already billed our catastrophe insurance... however we were not offered the cash rate because of the emergency situation in treating our son. (Neonatologist bill additional $4100, significant cash discount from them though).

Oh yes, I have another. Admitted at 37 weeks for high blood pressure- took my blood pressure and went down, discharged in 45 min, did not see physician or midwife, only nurse. $3900.

Clearly I'm writing this as I'm frustrated. I understand that there are fair and reasonable amounts for services rendered and my husband and I are happy to pay for the upstanding quality of care myself and our newborn son received. However, we are not accepting of being offered cash discounts, paying in full when those discounts are offered, then receiving follow up statements informing us that we owe significantly more because they will not honor their cash rate offered any longer. Our son was born July 30th and I am writing this on February 8th without our statement being reconciled. I have called several times each month to try and get some resolution only to be told that if you have insurance (regardless of it you were offered and paid a cash price in full), you cannot pay cash price. I find it difficult to accept as every other health care provider has given us a cash discount. I was on the phone with Banner today for 1.5 hours, disconnected 3 separate times from different representatives. I'm not sure how this is going to play out, but I will update. In short, if you are a cash paying...

Went in with the most SEVERE and crippling headache in my life. Pain and pressure SO great, I was truly scared something was terribly wrong to the point I started to think about my two kids at home and if they’d be ok if things took a turn for the worst.

Waited over 3 hours to even be assessed. Time was not of THEIR essence. While still in the waiting room I approached the receptionist telling her something was seriously wrong. Still no one came out. An hour later I had blood tinged fluid dripping out my ear and I told the receptionist again. Waited another hour before having a hand on me to be assessed.

When I was finally seen they told me they would do some imaging work ups but that I “needed to calm down first before they could even do a CT”. I said, “OK, can I please also have something for this immense pain, if this pain subsides even a little bit, I’ll be able to breathe and calm down” (unable to even speak a full sentence without having to stop every couple seconds because the intolerable throbbing would increase every 2-3 seconds). The nurse said, “well the atavan will help bring down the pain as well.”

Around 11am/noonish, they brought in two oral doses of Atavan, I took them. Approximately 15 minutes later everything went black and I came-to, in a recliner at my home around 9am THE NEXT DAY. No recollection of ANYTHING they said or did to me. No recollection of what I even said or did to them!

They are so concerned about prescribing any pain medication, even in an emergency type setting that they put me (and themselves) in a dangerous situation. Anyone could have done anything at any point and I’d never know. Or if I was a crazy person, who knows what I could turn around and accuse them of.

Looking back on my online medical chart they chalked it up to an ear infection that perforated. Never even had a pain or twinge in that ear days leading up to this.

Filed a complaint with the hospital and inevitably contacted via letter by the CEO stating “Based on the work up that came back negative for stroke or aneurysm, it seems to be an ear infection which can be very painful.”

Never addressing the concern of which I was really trying to address and hoping their hospital would change this “standard of care” of prescribing benzodiazepines and ones much like it, OVER prescribing the lowest dose of pain medication due to the current issues with opioids… on both the patients end and prescribers end. Over providing the patient with pain relief that allows them to be conscious and COHERENT for their hospital stay.

Knowing my body and pain threshold, experiencing ear infections in my past, I personally feel that whatever was happening in my brain to cause the most excruciating all-over type of throbbing and pressure in my head… caused the pressure to become SO GREAT, that it found a way to escape through my ear drums, causing the perforation. 🤷‍♀️ But hey, what do I know about my own body?!

I am following up with a neurologist to ensure that everything is back to normal, but I just want this cautionary tale out there, in hopes it’ll help at least one person from going through this...