Let me begin by saying, I absolutely loved meeting with Dr. Brilliant - she is amazing and really knows what she is talking about, unfortunately optometry is like any other service industry and should be treated as such. I am paying you fo a service and therefore, I should be treated with respect and courtesy. From the moment I contacted the office, I felt rushed and like my time and needs weren't very important - I felt as though I was just another patient.
The physical address of the office is actually a bit tricky and as someone new to the area and who was referred to this optometrist - I didn't realize that there were two Forest Drives and when I called for instructions, they tried to explain how to get there but I spoke with two different individuals in one phone call which was super confusing. Then when I finally arrived at the location, there were about five people on staff walking around - they expression "too many cooks" definitely applies to this office. I didn't even know who Dr. Brilliant was until seven minutes into my appointment - three other people were treating me before I realized none of them were my doctor.
Again, Dr. Brilliant was great - she was personable and helpful and had a great demeanor but an office is more than just one person and the rest of the staff made me uneasy and a little frantic. Let me give you another example, when I came back to pick up a sample (the prescription I was prescribed was $88 with insurance - that is crazy, not at all the doctor's fault but way too much for an eye drop). When I came back to the office, the staff - two behind the desk, one in front and the Doctor's assistant all came over to talk to me about the fact that I needed a referral to be seen again. My insurance does not ask me to get referrals for anything and when I mentioned that they all had an opinion. At no point did someone call my insurance to find out but instead I was bombarded with literally 4 people talking to me about what I needed to do - it was just too much and was just another example of "too many cooks".
Oh and an aside, I was supposed to also get a contact lens fitting when I returned and when I asked about why the price was so high ($108) they said it was because of the type of contacts I wear, which I understand but when I spoke to my insurance, they said I was only going to be reimbursed for $50 because that is the average cost of the service - when I brought that up to the receptionist, she literally said "insurance companies are not able to dictate to us what we charge for our services, and the price is what it is" - again - not the best response to give someone who is trying to figure out their options.
I just did not feel comfortable there and in a service industry - your patient's comfort, health, and safety should be your only priorities not the difference in cost from the insurance company and what you are charging. I felt as though their bottom line was the most important thing and that I was just another patient. Needless to say, I am taking the advice of the doctor, sticking with my prescription and then going elsewhere for a follow up. read more