MONKEY'S MAD AS HELL

AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!

What happens when you google "mad monkey"

(and he's GREEN, and I'm diggin' the tail!)

October is, yep, you guessed it, BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. I sort of forgot about it until I saw pink cleats on the Monday night football players feet.

Personally, I'm not a fan of PINKING. I am less annoyed when I hear "100% of the proceeds will go to a Breast Cancer charity of your choice."

This year, I've decided to jump on the PINK band wagon and make a direct appeal.

To those of you who would like to help me on a personal level, in a way that does NOT require a donation, only a small amount of your time and the licking of a stamp, please consider sending a letter to Dr. Andrew Salzberg.

Dr. Salzberg is guilty of charging BREAST CANCER PATIENTS $739.00 for a reconstruction consultation, and $75.00 to healthy patients who wish to consult him for breast augmentation or breast reduction.

According to New York Group for Plastic Surgery, an LLP that Dr. Salzberg works under; a consultation, whether it's for breast reconstruction, augmentation, or reduction, lasts 45 to 60 minutes, includes a review of the procedure by a non-medical member of their staff, a physical exam by Dr. Salzberg (mine lasted less than 10 minutes) and photographs which they keep.

I was recommended to Dr. Salzberg by Dr. Andrew Ashikari, a respected breast surgeon in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Dr. Ashikari accepts my insurance, and when I questioned Dr. Salzberg's office regarding insurance coverage I was told that their staff works directly with insurance companies and that typically they will approve out of network coverage because Dr. Salzberg is one of only a few doctors in my area that does direct to implants with alloderm.

This subjective rate for consultation services is wrong on many levels. To begin with, why is this not insurance fraud? Doctors will charge higher rates to reach an insurance pay out number that they deem acceptable. Because Dr. Salzberg was considered out of network by my insurance company, he charged me $739.00 for a consultation, my insurance paid him $148.00, I paid him $75.00, and he's still expecting $516.20.

Well, I'm not paying it. Not only am I not paying it, I'm going to fight it and I need your help.

Please consider sending a letter directly to Dr. Salzberg. Below is a monkey generated letter that you can copy or word in any way that you see fit.

Example of what a MAD AS HELL MONKEY letter might say....

Dr. Andrew Salzberg
New York Group for Plastic Surgery, LLP
155 White Plains Road, Suite 109
Tarrytown, NY 10591
Phone: (914) 366-6139

Dear Dr. Salzberg, 
I am writing on behalf of a Shannon Kennedy regarding a bill from your office dated 6/29/2012 in the amount of $591.20. The statement shows that your office charged $739.00 for a 60 minute new patient consultation. The statement also shows that her insurance paid $147.80, and that the balance due is $591.20.

A previous statement, dated 4/30/2012, with the same account number, shows a consultation charge of $739.00, an insurance payment in the amount of $147.80, an additional insurance payment in the amount of $0.20, and a PATIENT ACCOUNT BALANCE DUE of $75.00.

Bank statements prove that the patients ACCOUNT BALANCE of $75.00 was paid in full and yet, Ms. Kennedy continues to receive letters and phone calls from the COLLECTION BUREAU OF HUDSON VALLEY, INC. stating that she owes $516.20.

My question is two part.  First, how do you justify a change in the balance due from $75.00 to $591.20? And even more importantly, how do you justify charging a BREAST CANCER PATIENT $739.00 for a consultation when a healthy patient, who receives a consultation for breast enlargement or reduction is charged $75.00? 

I look forward to your timely reply. 

Sincerely, 

Mary Monkey

Please include your name and mailing address so that they know you are real. 

I have also contacted the following organizations: 

BREASTCANCER.ORG
THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS
NATIONAL BREAST CANCER COALITION

If you have any suggestions, any additional ways to get the word, out please let me know.

If you are a blogger, please consider posting this to your page. The more responses he gets, the stronger we get.  

If you saw Dr. Salzberg for breast reconstruction, augmentation, or reduction, please let me know if you had a negative or positive experience and what your fee was for your initial consultation.

There is power in numbers and I believe the power behind people joined in a common cause, outweighs the power of the all mighty dollar. Help prove me right. 

 photo found on pinkmonkeyfarm.com

For proof of documentation showing bills from Dr. Salzberg's office, bills from the collection agency, and payments made by me, please email me directly at runshanrun@msn.com

xoxo, MadAsHellMonkeyME

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