Snake Oil Salespeople.
Quacks.
Charlatans.
Rejoice. This clinic has given someone to dislike further than them.
This review is a few months in waiting, but I will get to that in a bit.
I will admit. I have taken for granted my 20/20 vision for the 28 years I have been around.. and up until recently I have had the fortune of no issues. I had a minor thing show up in the last few years so I finally got it looked at. I was referred to an eye care clinic, and this is the one I chose.
My first mistake.
You walk into this modern clinic, but first walk through a glasses store set up. I'm not one to pretend that people don't have to make money, but this initially struck me as strange.
I get settled in for my appointment, coffee dispenser, and tvs all over the waiting area.
I am put through a battery of tests... (well not the complete test battery because one of them is broken and there is only one guy in the NA who can fix it.. believe it? Neither do I) and then reseated for the 'doctor' to see me. She (Dr. Avila Cox) shows up soon there after and is pleasant.
She runs me through another couple of tests and finishes with:
"Your vision is perfect, but I'd like to see you get glasses"
also that she was.. and this was super fast talk "I'm going to get you to do two more tests after putting some drops in, one of the tests is not covered by MSI so if that's a problem."
at which point I started to get uncomfortable. No price given.. and well frankly I don't just have cash to throw around.
So I spoke up.. telling her I would have to check with my own health insurance to see if it's covered.
She accepted that and did the drops, then sitting me in another separate room to wait for the effects to sink in. I was soon thereafter sought out by another 'doctor' and brought into another room. Sat in a chair and told about what the test is I was about to undergo.
I interrupted her and asked if this was the test NOT covered by MSI. She nodded and I explained to her calmly.. that I told the other doctor that I needed to check with my personal insurance.. so I didn't want to be billed.. she escorted me back to the waiting room.
Embarrassed, hurt, and damn pissed off. I covered my eyes as best I could and went to seek out someone to vent to. Luckily I found my father. I went outside which was just painful for me to vent and get out the frustration this embarrassment and complete awkwardness. I collected myself and went it to address the doctor (Dr. Cox).
I told her I felt incredibly uncomfortable, misinformed, misled, and felt like I was cheaply being upsold about the glasses.. and then on top of it, after telling her I wasn't sure about the money aspect of things, she sent me along anyways and was just going to bill me anyways.
She was taken aback by my upfront response and was understandably back tracking.
She responded saying:
"at least I didn't take you out to the store to get fitted for glasses" and really didn't have a response for sending me to get a test they would have no doubt charged me for without my consent.
So she finished my appointment off with no more mention of upselling me, and said she would see if the specialist could do the test she charges for, to do it for free.
And so that's the reason it took so long to do this, because unfortunately offices like this one have you by the short curly ones. Your health is in their hands... because they put a 'doctors' office in behind the store.
When you have 'doctors' offices being paid by glasses companies, you cannot expect impartiality. read more