CONYERS, Ga. — A home health care business in Conyers continues to be under investigation by the state Department of Community Health.
Earlier in December, former R And E Healthcare employees said Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers they were not paid by the owner, Ella Stephenson. Today, patients say they also have problems with the landlord.
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Tameshia Dixon said she discovered discrepancies in the paperwork and in her insurance bill, which led her to file a complaint with the state. She said she started at R&E on July 5, 2024. She has copies of the admissions paperwork she signed that day. However, when Dixon requested copies of her medical records from Stephenson, she said she had received intake documents dated July 1, 2023.
Dixon began having seizures in January 2024 and was diagnosed with epilepsy shortly after. She said she hadn’t had any major medical issues before this.
However, that wasn’t the only strange thing she said she noticed.
“I have insurance through Cigna Insurance, and they have an option where you can see what’s paid and what’s not,” Dixon said. “When I started checking my insurance payments, I saw that R And E Healthcare started being billed in June, like June 15, but I wasn’t with them in June, and it was like several invoices.”
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After one of Dixon’s final hospital visits, doctors referred her to R&E. Documents show she was a patient from July to November 2024.
“A nurse visit, home health aide, physical therapy and occupational therapy are what they approved me for,” Dixon said. Dixon said she began to notice she was being billed for services she did not receive.
“I was being charged for visits on weekends,” Dixon said. However, she has a timeline, several documents and Ring doorbell video showing those visits didn’t happen.
Stephenson said she was willing to work with Dixon to settle the insurance payments.
“We’re not able to fix something we don’t know about,” Stephenson said. “If we put the wrong date, then it’s not true… We’re going to compare what we have to what the patient says. »
However, Dixon said that also doesn’t explain how the documents Stephenson sent her were different from the documents she signed and had copies of.
“It’s something she sent in the email with my medical records, first of all I wasn’t at Piedmont Henry.” Dixon said. “I was at Piedmont Newton.”
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When Stephenson was asked how this change occurred on the document, she replied, “I don’t know how Henry got her papers when she was released from Newton.” When Rogers asked if that meant she couldn’t explain it, Stephenson replied, “Without being condescending, and I don’t mean to be.” I’d like to give an intelligent answer, but I don’t know how Henry ended up in his papers.
Dixon said Stephenson should have all the documents she has because it’s Stephenson’s business. She said she handed over everything she had to the insurance company because that’s what they asked them to do. She said Stephenson also had to turn over his paperwork to the insurance company.
Dixon said that throughout the ordeal, she suffered.
“I’m not even getting the services I need right now, so it’s frustrating because I don’t want a setback,” Dixon said.
DCH did not specify the status of its investigation, but said that once the investigation was complete it would publish its findings on its website.
Channel 2 also contacted Cigna for an update on its investigation, but has not yet received a response.
Stephenson texted Rogers saying, “June dates have been set and refunded. »
However, Dixon said she checked with Cigna and sent screenshots where Cigna did not receive any documents or payments. Dixon says she is now considering legal action.
Stephenson said R And E Healthcare was going to be closed. However, she also said that she had learned from this experience and would overhaul her system and make it fully digital.
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