California Department of Public Health

Dear Good Peeps of the CDPH,
Please get some kind of online correspondence system like an agency of this century.
I’ve submitted my payment info to you now TWICE by mail (And one-​eth by sea?). And you have yet to bill my insurance, adjust my bill or speak to me on the phone. Which is the only method I can contact you by.

Yes, indeed, this payment was 60 days overdue. Either because you don’t know how to process claims, don’t check your mail or have declined to contact me back despite numerous phone calls.
I’m not even pregnant anymore and I’m still being billed by you!
Edit: Today I got a final notice that «Action is being taken» against me despite the fact that I caved and paid this bill by credit card (and submitted the statement to UHC for reimbursement) 2 months ago (when they should have processed payment through my insurance, which was supplied to them THREE TIMES).
FINAL NOTICE/​ACTION ON WHAT!!! I paid this bill MONTHS AGO GUYS. AND I HAVE THE STATEMENT TO PROVE IT.

Jesus.
Next time I’m pregnant I’m not screening for DS through this disaster of a screening program. No way, no how.
Maybe your experience is more seamless if you’re on Medicaid. But, as someone with private insurance who ended up self-​paying just to make the bill go away (since they never used my repeatedly supplied insurance information), only to not have that make the bill go away, this agency’s billing practices are a true disaster.

My last child was born in December of 2014, so I had my last Genetic Screening like six months before that. Never received a bill from CDPH and then THIS YEAR, over a year and a half after the testing, we had $ 162 intercepted out of our State taxes! I’ve tried and tried to get through — even using the magical number that works for some people and so far, no luck. Left a message today, so we’ll try again tomorrow.

Followed the advice of one of the reviewers and called the (510) 412‑1502 number. I was able to pay quick and easy, I didn’t want to both with the other number since so many people had trouble. Also I don’t like how they don’t have online payment because I don’t like sending check in the mail, glad I was able to call in.

Follow the advice of one of the reviewers and call the (510) 412‑1502 number. I had a bill that was 90 days outstanding and didn’t want to mail a check in. They do not accept online payments.

First off, call 510.412.1502 for any dealings with the Dept of Public Health.
The Manager on duty when I called seems like a very nice and capable woman (she actually took my payment, after the first agent I reached said «that person» wasn’t working today).
She said they are changing to a different call center in July, which has its own staff, which they don’t have enough of because they are under funded. Paying online apparently costs too much because of the security requirements of their system.
All I can say is the results are unacceptable, and whoever sits at the top of the CDPH needs to address what are clearly systemic issues. Clearly the «Inside the box» solutions are NOT the answer guys!

Like another reviewer suggested, calling this number worked for me: 510−412−1502. (A big THANK YOU to that reviewer!) Somebody always picked up, and always attempted to transfer me to a live person to help me pay my bill. I never even bothered calling the number listed on the bill itself.
Like other reviewers, they originally didn’t bill my insurance so I was originally billed the total amount of $ 207. I called the number above to provide them with my insurance info, and later I checked with my insurance company to make sure the claim went through, which it eventually did. My issue was that I never received an updated bill from CA Dept of Public Health with my new amount due. They said they would mail me an updated bill with the new amount, but I waited weeks and they never did. Eventually I just paid off my bill (by calling the number above again) without receiving the updated bill, but I made sure the amount was correct and that it matched what my insurance company said I owed.
They were even able to send me an «itemized bill» after I paid off the bill to prove that everything is paid off on my end.

Accounting mail box is always full. No one attending the phones during the morning during office hours. They need to fire the office manager and basically all the lazy employees at that place.
I couldn’t pay my bill even if I wanted to.

Have been trying to pay a Prenatal Screen Program bill for the last 3 months. It is now 60 days overdue, and I have yet to speak to a live person when I call during their office hours. I’m also yet to even speak to a person in general after leaving my contact information on their voicemail. I suppose I could pay the bill by snail mail, but then I receive no confirmation that they received my payment and I don’t feel comfortable sending my full credit card information out through mail.
You’d think that I’m trying to pay THEM, that they’d want my money right and answer the damn phone? Seems not.
Another thing – the voicemail message that you DO hear when you call is impossible to understand! Like some girl is saying the message in a room that echos. How are we supposed to understand what buttons to press if we can’t understand the message?!

UPdated: So finally I saw the transaction of $ 207.00 from Ca dept of public health posted on my insurance account. my nightmare ended.

I received several mails from the prenatal screening program billing as well. I called them to give my insurance details and even sent them a copy through the mail. The representative told me to just disregard the notice since they usually receive those files two months after because of departments mixed up. Seriously? this is CDPH!
Anyway, I called back again today because I received another letter, a THREATENED letter with the bill stating that if I dont pay they will report to FRANCHISE TAX BOARD. Like what??!
I spoke to this lady and she said they billed my PAPP-​A and HCG Bill in my husband’s name since he is the provider and I am only a member. The insurance company never paid them. If I am the insurance too, the services rendered that they are charging was not done to my husband, it was done to me. So I am not sure how they bill it.
Now, she said she will send again the bill with my name on. gosh! After 5 or 6 bills, they just thought of sending one now because I called?. Oh my.
I hope they can change this system. Very unrealiable and very hard to reach. Their Toll-​Free number does not work anymore. I had to look up their direct number to get in contact.

The WORST. Like other reviewers, I would give 0 stars if I could. I’ve been trying to get a hold of a live agent for months. Voicemails remain unreturned. Just terrible.

Staff person I spoke with was very impatient and rude when I called regarding a genetic testing bill I had recieved. I called in response to a second notice that my «bill“was past due, but had already submitted my insurance information a month prior. No where on the bill did they state that a «bill» (which apparently was already being handled by my insurace) could be sent up to 7 times until the amount had been paid. In fact, she argued with me that my doctor (who I LOVE, and could not be more on top of preparing me for things) didnt do her job in explaining how this would work. In my experience Doctors NEVER talk about billing or insurance and I believe that a notice is unecessary if they have already sent a bill to my insurance… why harass the patient if it’s being taken care of? Or, why not make a note on the notice saying that the insurance had been contacted and to disregard until furhter notice? Not sure about any of you but I pay attention to my bills and want to make sure I dont have any late bills… especially when it comes to insurance.
The staffer not only called me by wrong name, and blamed the fact that she «was doing a lot of things all at once» (not my propblem), but was pretty rude when I voiced my concern.
Not thrilled with the customer service after being on hold for nearly 10 minutes. All she needed to say was that she understood it was confusing and to ignore the notices as the insurance had been billed… end of story.
Yikes! Better training or more help migt solve some of the obvious problems they have.

This place is still horrible, but I“m updating my review to hopefully provide a solution to everyone else that is dealing with these guys.
So I received ANOTHER bill a few days ago and I tried calling again this morning… no luck. I was on hold FOREVER.
So I decided to call my insurance company and see if they would take care of it on their end, and they will! She said that they’ve dealt with this company several times and several attempts have been made to have the bill sent directly from them to the insurance company, but no luck. So, all I have to do is submit a claims form to my insurance company (found on their website) and fax the form and the bill to them, and they’ll take care of it for me. No member responsibility whatsoever for this bill.
I hope this helps someone else in my situation — this is just ridiculous that this has been going on so long — for me, since July.

If there was a zero star option… i would have picked that. Received a bill in th email and tried calling to give them my insurance information. When calling the automated answering service talks about how busy they are and how if no one answers in 10 min you will get sent to VM and they wil lreturn the call within 10 days. Did that. and not surprisingly… never got a call back. Called about 4 different times with the same outcome. Finally sent in payment and insurance info. Found out today that my insurance covered the costs… so now they’ve been paid twice and i need to get ahold of someone about refunding my money. But without being able to speak with a representative and knowing full well they won’t return my call… i’m basically out $ 200.

I have received several bills from these jerks and I keep sending my insurance information but I keep getting another bill! I finally decided to research this company and I have read all the negative reviews on Unilocal.I was shocked to read all these reviews and now I’m seeing what a scam the company is. I just won’t make the effort to reply to them anymore. I tried calling them and just get a buay signal. I started getting bills from them 2 months ago. Each time I’d mail the bill back with my insurance information and I get the bill mailed back to me. The most recent bill I got was yesterday and it waa a final notice. I’ll just ignore them. …don’t know what else to do.

Agree with all of the «0 star» reviews here. This egregious, worthless bureaucracy continues to send me bills while ignoring all my attempts to provide them with my insurance information (which is supposed to be automatic, by the way). When you call them, they insist that you hold for 10 minutes before you can even leave a message which they then ignore.
This department is a public sector bureaucracy nightmare at its worst: a giant waste of everyone’s time, effort, tax dollars and patience.

Defiantly 0 stars is the correct rating for them.
Got a bill, tried to contact them– IMPOSSIBLE!
Tried to give them my insurance information — IMPOSSIBLE!
Tried to leave a massage– IMPOSSIBLE!
If you can avoid using Prenatal Screening Program services– you should!

I dont know what idiots they have working in their billing department but Im LIVID. I was pregnant and received genetic testing. I received a bill shortly after so I called and provided them with my insurance info then i mailed a copy then I called again, then i received a collection notice so I called AGAIN! guess whos tax refund check was collected? MINE you POS this is inexcusable. And this is a government establishment?! my taxes are paying for idiots to do nothing. BS!
Update: Ive contacted 7 on your side as well as the governer. *fingers crossed they respond*

Disclaimer: I have no complains regarding CDPH’s core functions but their customer service and all means of communications deserve negative rating.
Received a bill saying it’s 30 days overdue. Of course, it’s not possible to pay it online, verify its correctness and print the receipt. It turned out that the insurance already payed 90% of the bill so basically they double-​charged me. Of course, FSA administrator does not like this and demands the receipt and explanation of benefits.
Now, it’s practically impossible to reach them via phone as the connection just drops after few beeps. I’ve been calling them for a week now at different times. Sent an email 2 weeks ago with no response.
Terrible…

I had genetic testing done in April 2011. Received a bill and a request for insurance information. Filled it out and mailed it back. A few months later, I received another bill, and they told me they got no response from my insurance. I called my insurance and they said they received no claim. I called these people back and they said they would take care of it…
FAST FORWARD to Feb 2013(!) and i see part of my tax refund is intercepted by them. I call and tell them they were supposed to bill my insurance. Now I’m pissed. They said they did (my insurance still says no) and now it is past the statute of limitations in CA. They attempt to collect from my insurance and my insurance says i owe them nothing, United HealthCare (my Insurance) owes them nothing, and they have to write it off (per their contractual agreement with the insurance). This place REFUSES to give me my money back. I even had someone from my insurance company call them and talk to them. The jerk who works there was completely rude to the rep from my insurance. My insurance is now trying to refund me directly, but what an ordeal!
BEWARE OF THIS STUPID PLACE!