sheilla A
It’s unfortunate that I have to write this review. From my brief interaction, Dr. Barone himself seemed like a kind and caring doctor. Unfortunately, I was never evaluated because of an extremely negative experience with one of his staff members, and I will not be returning. I was referred to this practice by my gynecologist and confirmed in advance that they accepted my insurance. When I arrived, the Black receptionist at the front desk was kind and professional as she checked me in. However, another staff member (an older white lady with glasses) handled my insurance verification. After briefly looking at my card, she came out waving it in my face and asked, “Is this from that Obama thing?” I explained that it was through my employer under Blue Cross Blue Shield, though it also listed CareFirst. Instead of calmly verifying with the provider, she dismissed it as something she’d “never seen before” and said she didn’t think they took it, without actually getting through to the insurance company. I told her I’ll call the insurance myself to verify. I asked someone what was going on… do they not have a person who can verify? I was told their billing specialist quit on them and it’s been crazy. As I patiently stayed on hold with my insurer, this staff member came out of her office four separate times. Each time, she grew more impatient and rude: • First, she asked if anyone had spoken to me yet. I told her I was still on hold. • The second time, she told me it would be $550 because “they don’t take it.” I reminded her nothing had been confirmed yet. That we should be patient. • The third time, she said they had other patients to see and I needed to leave (even though there was only one other person in the waiting room). She was waving her hand towards the door, like you have to leave. The kind receptionist reassured me it was fine to wait that they were seeing other patients so I was okay, but this staff member dismissed that and insisted otherwise. • The fourth time, she raised her voice, said I was “holding things up,” and told me I either had to pay or go. I explained that I was helping by waiting on hold with my insurer. I even asked her why are you making it seem like it’s my fault? I’ve never done this before and I can’t regulate how long the verification process is. I told her she was making me uncomfortable and that I’ll handle everything with the receptionist, but she refused to back down and insisted all communication had to go through her. Dr. Barone himself came out and kindly checked on me, which I appreciated (although he should have done this sooner because he saw the commotion). But by then, the situation had become so uncomfortable that I chose to reschedule. Unfortunately, it didn’t end there. The same staff member later changed my appointment time without asking me, then tried to charge me a $75 cancellation fee when I couldn’t make the new time. I even have her voicemail where she said they booked you at the wrong time. Huh? If that’s the case, you have to confirm with the customer before changing their appointment. When I questioned her, she became confrontational, threatened to call my gynecologist “to report me,” and told me they didn’t want me at the practice. I did let my gynecologist know about my experience. This entire experience was unprofessional, hostile, and deeply disappointing. I have been treated with respect by many other providers, but this was unlike anything I’ve ever encountered. Until this office resolves its billing issues and addresses this staff member’s behavior, I cannot recommend this practice to anyone. Sorry, Dr. Barone. You seem kind, but that lady is ruining your practice.