MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — A Mechanicsburg chiropractor has been accused of misleading patients into thinking their care would be covered by their insurance, according to a recent lawsuit filed by Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry.
Jason Michael Fullmer, of Central PA Spinal Health Chiropractic, LLC, is accused of violating the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, along with the Pennsylvania Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act, Henry's lawsuit said.
His misleading insurance representations often led to out-of-pocket payments from patients, who were threatened with debt collection if they did not pay, Henry claims.
“This chiropractor did a disservice to patients seeking care by either intentionally misleading them about insurance coverage or neglecting to send their claims to their insurance providers,” Henry said in a press release. “Patients were left with substantial invoices and threatened with collection actions if they did not pay up.”
The lawsuit resulted from an investigation by the Office of Attorney General’s Healthcare Section after receiving several consumer complaints.
The consumer complaints outlined that Fullmer told consumers medical insurance would cover their chiropractic services. However, the complaint states that in many cases, Fullmer neglected to even file claims with the insurer, or refused to submit necessary documentation required by the insurer to offer payment for those services.
The complaint states that though Fullmer did not submit claims to his patients’ insurance companies, he still attempted to collect large payments directly from his patients — payments for services that should have been covered, in part or in full, by the patient’s insurance, according to Henry.
Fullmer even went so far as to encourage his patients to file complaints with the Office of Attorney General against the insurance companies, as he misled consumers into believing the issues were the sole fault of the insurance providers.
Any consumers who believe they may be a victim of these practices should file a complaint with the Healthcare Section at www.attorneygeneral.gov, Henry said.
The lawsuit was filed in the Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas by Deputy Attorney General Molly K. Pohlhaus and Deputy Attorney General Tyler W. Ritchie.
