Leslie
If I could give this office zero stars, I would, not because of the doctor, but because of the biller/office manager (who refused to disclose her name) and the front desk staff. In September, I specifically called to ask whether my insurance was accepted for an endoscopy. I was told yes and that my responsibility would be a $125 copay, which had to be paid in cash. I paid that amount as instructed and relied on the office’s insurance verification when deciding to proceed with the procedure. Four months later, in January, the biller/manager called to say that my insurance “doesn’t cover” the procedure and that I now owe the full cost. She threatened to send the bill to collections if I didn’t pay, stating that it would negatively impact my credit. I was shocked. Had I been told upfront in September that I would be responsible for the full cost, I would not have proceeded with the endoscopy. Being notified of this issue four months after the procedure is unacceptable. What makes this worse is that, because they are apparently unable to collect from the insurance company, they are now demanding that I contact my insurer on their behalf. If insurance still doesn’t pay, they expect me to cover the full amount. That makes no sense and is not how medical billing should work. At no point did the office provide written notice or documentation explaining this billing change. During this call, the biller/office manager hung up on me. When I called back, she refused to answer. I attempted to reconnect eight times; she never picked up, several calls were actively rejected (showing as cancelled in call history), or I was placed on hold until the call automatically disconnected. The lack of professionalism is unbelievable. I attempted to resolve this directly with the office but was unable to have a productive conversation. I am sharing this so other patients are aware. Please get written confirmation of coverage and costs before agreeing to any procedure here. This experience has been extremely stressful and frustrating, and I don’t understand how this behavior is acceptable in a medical office. — Update: statement from the responder isn’t true as they never ever told me “verification is not a guarantee of payment”. Had they told me that, I’d have made a different decision.