I made an appointment for my wife at this location. We have nothing great to say about this location. Her appointment was at 4:30 pm. She arrived at 4:37 pm. She had already checked in the day before online. When she arrived, she waited 10 mins for someone to come to the front desk. She was told that she had a co-pay, but it was not told to us when she booked the appt. Nor did it populate how much the co-pay was. However, she paid it with no issues given. Once fully checked in with them, she was taken to a room. She waited from 5:10 pm to 5:30 pm for the doctor, which was ridiculous for a 4:30 pm appt. During her wait, she heard the medical assistant and coworkers discussing why she was there, outside of her room. The food to her room was fully closed. That is a HIPPA violation 100%!!! When she finally had enough, she asked whet she would see the doctor. The asked and the doctor said in 5 mins. At that point, she told them to cancel her appointment because of how long she had already waited. As she was going to leave after complaining, the P.A. decided that she would deal with the matter of why my wife was there. My wife NEVER saw the actual doctor at all!! We do not reccomend this place unless you absolutely have to go here. read more

I needed a TB test to apply for a job so I came to carbon health since it was close to where I live. I made an appointment and was happy that they would get me in that same day. I was checked in and then brought back to a waiting room. After waiting for a while they came back and said they were actually out of TB test. No issues, they said it should be delivered the next day. I tried calling the next day but no one was answering the phone. I came in and they said they still didn't have any TB test. They said I could go to their other location and they would be able to fit me in for a quick drop in. I drove over there just to be told it would be an over 1 hour wait. I didn't have time for that. I came back to this location the next day. They finally had TB tests! They did the test then said I would need to come back in two days to check if it's positive or not. The lady told me to come back at 9 (because I had to be somewhere at 10:30) but she scheduled for me for 11. She said don't worry about that just come in at 9. Today I was here at 8:55. It's now 9:27 and they are saying they may not be able to see me because they are behind. I don't like to leave bad reviews but the miscommunication has happened so many times as this point that it's just unacceptable. I would not recommend coming here for anything because no one seems to talk to each other and they may be understaffed. I have been given the run around and just need someone to look at my TB test and give me the paper that I'm good to go for my job. I wish I would have gone somewhere else. read more

Let me start with this: this place has a 2.2 on Yelp with 45 reviews. That should've told me everything I needed to know. I saw Dr. Ajay Hira for an initial assessment after falling down the stairs. That one appointment was more than enough. Despite confirming with me during the appointment that he would mark my MRI referral as stat, he didn't. He also failed to submit the required clinical notes, never ordered the prerequisite X-ray, and completely neglected to send the pre-authorization--so the MRI was denied by insurance. This caused a totally preventable delay in care during an active injury. His office was equally disorganized. Emails went unanswered, paperwork fell through the cracks, and at one point I heard staff gossiping loudly just outside the exam room. It felt less like a clinic and more like a college apartment with scrubs. Dr. Hira comes across more like a bro than a medical professional--stiff, dismissive, and subtly sexist. I left that one appointment feeling unheard and condescended to, like my input didn't matter. I switched providers, and the difference was immediate. The new office submitted everything correctly within 24 hours, marked it stat, and actually followed through. Turns out it's not hard when you care about your patients and know how to do your job. If you're looking for a doctor who takes patient care seriously, this isn't the one. read more

I went to Carbon Health's Alameda site (on 5th St) for a few visits. The care was fine. But the subsequent billing experience was bad enough that I wouldn't recommend. One of my visits in 2022 was for a physical that was seemingly miscoded as an office visit instead. My insurance (Anthem) pushed it to my deductible instead of covering it as they should for a physical. When I got the bill from Carbon Health, I called their billing and they agreed to re-submit to Anthem. That was the last I heard about this bill/visit for _over a year_. Then without authorization, Carbon Health attempted to charge my then-closed HSA card for the visit. Strangely, they even sent me a receipt indicating the balance was paid. But apparently unsatisfied, they renewed their billing efforts a few months later, eventually escalating to collection threats. I again called their billing dept, who stated they had already investigated based on my call 18 months prior. And the result of that investigation was that the coding was correct. Notably, I never received any communication regarding the supposed investigation. They said the office visit coding was based on "acute issues" that were addressed at the visit, but they wouldn't provide me with any details. I followed up with an email request for that information but didn't receive a response. Another call to billing later that month and they advised me to contact my clinician instead. I called the Alameda site and the receptionist said the Dr would call me back. After a week of waiting, I called again and the receptionist assured me that the Dr would call me by the end of the day. He never did. I filed a grievance with Anthem. But predictably, that went nowhere, even after appeal. No matter. I've dumped Carbon Health at this point, especially since they no longer take Anthem. I would not recommend. read more

Inaccurate and frustrating billing practices. I was hit with surprise out-of-network bills for scheduled PCP visits because Carbon Health failed to notify me that my doctor's status had changed (in violation of CA law). Instead of correcting their failure to disclose this at check-in, they've engaged in finger-pointing with John Muir and refused to take any responsibility. Consider going somewhere else unless you're prepared to get hit with random bills years after services are provided. read more

They ask you for a credit card to keep on file even though you have insurance. Then they charge your card months later to a year later. Saying it wasn't covered. They mislabel an urgent care visit resulting in Aetna denying the claim for out of network. They were in network last year, Now they say every time before you go to urgent care you need to call them and ask in they are still in network. Pathetic medical industry ethics/greed read more

Complaint Regarding NPI 1245043546 - Tosca T. Magnus, FNP On September 17th, I scheduled an appointment for my daughter with Ms. Magnus, FNP, and she was seen on September 18th. My daughter tested positive for COVID on Tuesday, September 16th. By Wednesday, September 17th, she was already starting to feel better, so we scheduled an appointment for the next day in order to obtain a doctor's note to excuse her absences and allow her to return the following Monday, September 22nd. We brought a copy of the positive test and explained the situation. During the visit, Ms. Magnus was understanding, acknowledged that my daughter was recovering, and stated she would provide a note excusing her absences from Tuesday, September 16th through Friday, September 19th, with clearance to return to school on Monday, September 22nd. However, the note we were given did not excuse those absences, and Ms. Magnus later claimed she could not backdate it--something she never disclosed when we spoke with her in person. We attempted to follow up multiple times, but she did not respond for seven days. This caused unnecessary stress, confusion with the school, and additional hardship for our family. This experience reflects very poor service, a lack of transparency, and behavior I believe to be unethical and unprofessional. read more

TL;DR: Carbon Health will waste your time and money with a poorly equipped virtual health appointment system. I rarely post negative reviews, but I wanted to share my experience as it was fairly unpleasant and want to make sure other folks beware before deciding to become patients of Carbon Health. I had a virtual appointment with Carbon Health for the first time and received an email with a zoom link to the appointment 30 minutes beforehand, which was totally fine as I saw the email and was ready to join the call on time for my appointment. No one joined the zoom call and so I decided to call the Carbon Health front desk to see what was going on but I was sent to voicemail over and over with no response. I stayed on throughout the call but there was no one who showed up. To make matters worse I received a notice WHILE on the zoom call that I was being charged a $50 no show fee for not attending the appointment... I called their desk the next day and was told that "they had tried to call me to confirm me for my appointment" and had left voice messages (I had received no calls from Carbon Health and had no such voice messages). I mentioned as such, was given the run around that ultimately went nowhere. Now even giving Carbon Health the benefit of the doubt that they did try to contact me despite no evidence that they had tried and there was maybe a cell issue or something else that was a problem I think there are a couple of ways a professional health org could have handled this better: 1. Include information in your appointment email that you must be checked in via receiving a phone call to join the appointment. 2. Check your zoom room if unable to reach the patient to check if they are at the appointment. 3. Answer the front desk phone so that a patient waiting on their virtual appointment might be able to be seen. 4. Don't waste your patients' time when they call about a situation like this - at least schedule a followup appointment, maybe try leading with the benefit of the doubt until there is a problematic pattern. I am still seeking medical care and missing an appointment due to issues with Carbon Health's system/process and getting charged the late fee is just an insult to injury... read more

It's not an urgent care. My kid tried to be seen for a severe earache and was told they don't take walk-ins anymore. An office that doesn't accept walk-ins should be embarrassed to describe themselves as an urgent care. By any reasonable definition, they're not. The care here may be top-notch. I can't comment on that. Just know that you may not be seen even if you drag your sick self in looking for help. read more

This is a difficult review. In the end, the medical service received met expectations. The patient was seen in a reasonable amount of time, no excessive waiting. And the paperwork bureaucracy was relatively minimal. But as an overall organization, this experience was a train wreck. I called the number listed as the local office in Alameda. I reached a call center with a very helpful call taker. Apparently it's a small call center because I called back two more times and spoke to the same call taker. But this person was totally unaware of the situation at the office. I was instructed by the call taker to go to the office in Alameda and that they welcome walk-ins. I was also told that they could not take any new patient registration information over the phone, that it must all be collected at the local office. When I got to the local office I found the doors and walls plastered with signs saying no walk-ins. I also found a completely empty facility, or so I thought. read more

I am having a terrible experience with Carbon Health at Arapahoe Crossing. I called them to see if they could help me with high blood pressure. I provided the BP readings over the phone. She told me they could see me. I arrived and filled out the basic paperwork, she took my BP and (I assume she was a medtech), told me I had to pay $160 up front before I could be seen and evaluated. I reluctantly paid it. The front desk person brought me back to a room for my Evaluation and the PA or NP told me she could not treat me and that I should go to the Emergency Room instead. Here is where it gets interesting...I returned to the front desk person and requested a refund since I was not evaluated or treated. She told me she could not give my money back and to call the Office Manager. I have not only called Carbon Health Billing, as well as this Urgent Care clinic several times to receive my refund. Billing told me that the Office Manager at the clinic will call me back. A week or more later, I still have not heard from them. Additionally, I called my health insurance company and they also paid $160 to Carbon Health. All in all, $320.00 was paid to this clinic for the medtech to take my BP. This is absolutely ridiculous!!! I am truly in shock that they have such poor ethics. DO NOT use them if you are in need of Urgent Care. They are very shady!!!!! read more

Dreadful impersonal uncaring staff. Appointments mean nothing at this site. I didn't get in till an hr and half at least still waiting, after my appointment time. Go to the blanding site it cant be worse. I was too sick to leave kept hoping i would get in. Still have no idea at this moment if o am ever getting in. So i cant speak to whether the medical staff is good or not but they work in this dreadful place sooooo. read more

Made an appointment and still waited 90 minutes to be seen. Haven't kept down fluids for 24 hours and my blood pressure was low and the NP said she couldn't / didn't know how to do an IV? How can you be any type of nurse and not be able to administer an IV. They sent me home and said to take "tiny sips" of liquid as if I hadn't already tried that. Was shivering in this place for almost 2 hours total to be told to sip water and sent on my way. read more

This review is specifically for primary care with an appointment at the 5th Street location. My insurance recently changed and I had to find a new primary care physician, and Dr. Hira at Carbon Health was the ONLY option here in Alameda. I was kind of terrified there would be issues based on other reviews here, and I had such a good experience I had to write this review to counter those opinions. * Very easy to schedule * Front desk staff was welcoming and helpful * Confirmed my insurance and billed me correctly for my co-pay * Almost no wait time between checking in and seeing the care providers * Dr. Hira was professional, thorough, explained things well, made sure I didn't have any additional questions, and provided written and verbal follow-up after-care reports read more

My wife and I have had decent experiences at Carbon Health locations in Oakland and Alameda previously. This review is specifically about doctor Ajay Hira who works in Alameda. Avoid seeing him. My wife injured her ankle a few days before her annual physical which was scheduled with Dr. Hira because the doctor she's seen previously (who was great!) no longer works for Carbon. It was causing her increasing amounts of pain and was beginning to swell and bruise so it seemed clear that something was wrong. She asked him to look at it and said he seemed mildly annoyed to be asked about this during an annual physical exam. After she specifically asked for it, he agreed to put in an order for x-rays. The front desk set up an imaging appointment for that Friday. When she arrived, however, they could not perform the x-rays because apparently Dr Hira never actually put in the order. They called and his office said he was out for the week already and they couldn't do anything until he returned on Monday. Monday comes, we call, they say he'll put in the order. Tuesday passes, still nothing, we call again, same runaround. This continues all week until finally Friday we end up cancelling work meetings to rush over to the Oakland location for a same-day x-ray appointment, because someone finally managed to get him to submit the order. Shortly after the appointment, Carbon health sends the images in the app - they're labeled in medical jargon. We had to google these terms ourselves because the images came without any other context. Surprise surprise, her ankle is broken. No care or treatment plan or any other communication has come from Dr Hira or anyone else at Carbon Health. My wife has been hobbling around in pain on an untreated broken ankle for over two weeks because this doctor cannot manage to get his act together and actually provide basic care. We are about to buy a boot on Amazon because we've been totally left to our own devices. This is the kind of care you can expect from this doctor. All the other staff seemed to be competent and responsive women who are good at their jobs, but unfortunately the entire staff and Carbon Health experience is brought down by this one doctor who just can't be bothered. read more

Made an appointment online which was super nice easy for the next day. Receptionist Jada was very nice, accommodating, and friendly which made checkin a breeze. She was also very honest about how much my copay would come out to despite having insurance which I appreciated. Wait took a little bit despite having an appointment but if you're not in a rush, shouldn't be a big deal. My nurse Annabelle and Doctor? Or nurse? Not sure but named Michelle also very sweet and got me in and out as soon as possible to get me on my meds because they could tell how uncomfortable I was. All in all, definitely recommend. Friendly staff, honest, and super clean. read more

Finally decided to write this review after multiple terrible experiences at this location. I strongly recommend avoiding this place because of non-caring staff and bad billing experiences if you have insurance that is out of network. Staff Although the nursing staff is OK, I would avoid Dr. Hira. Although I've seen him on numerous occasions, every time he enters a room he says, "Hello, I'm Dr. Hira." I'll respond, "I know - we've met several times" and he'll just stare blankly. He doesn't listen, show any interest in his patients, nor does him come across as empathetic. He once told me that I should reduce the amount of meat that I eat in response to looking at my labs even though a day prior we had a discussion about me being a vegetarian Billing Beware of this place if you have an insurance plan that is not in network (e.g., Anthem). Normally, if I go to a doctor's office that is out of network, the provider will bill the insurance company and I'm responsible for what my insurance won't cover. Carbon bizarrely refuses to bill your insurance if the insurance is out of network and makes the patient pay for the entire cost out of pocket. If you want to submit the bill to insurance on your own, they make that extremely difficult because they don't provide you with the documentation that an insurance company would need to process your claim. read more

Very convenient for me as I work just down the street. Also easy to use the Target as my pharmacy. I like the quick service.

I had a very poor experience at this location. I went for a Covid test for my wife for travel, and was told we had 3 options, instant PCR, instant antigen, (both around $200), and slower RT PCR that would take a few days. I was told the RT PCR would be free with insurance, so we chose that. After waiting an hour for the test, finally got it. But the problem is I was billed $195. I did not even give my credit card, but they had saved it from a previous test from 2 years earlier, and charged it without telling me. They never even sent me a bill, or told me I was going to be charged, they just charged a credit card I had used 2 years ago with them. This is extremely shady, and I do not recommend others go, and definitely don't give them your credit card, or you'll regret it. read more

I needed to test after an exposure at work. I've been to other carbon health clinics, and usually go to the one in Oakland but this one had an opening the same day. I expected the same quick, clean care that Oakland gives because this one has about 25% of that traffic- I was wrong. I waited around for around 10 mins for my appointment during which time other parents came in to get their kids tested for covid from a classroom outbreak. The kids were allowed to run around the office touching chairs and tables which I don't understand because they could have covid. They didn't have masks. They also had a barefoot baby that would keep coming within a foot of me before the mom had to keep grabbing him back. This baby was coughing. Why would you allow children to run around an urgent care lobby? Let alone a covid care one? Never seen that. The worst part of this was that the results takes SO LONG. The nurse DID tell me 3-4 days but they always say that. It usually comes in 1-2. But nope, I missed a full 4 days of work for results. I've never had to wait this long at other carbon clinics or any other clinic for that matter in the entirety of covid. This is the longest wait in the Bay Area. My boss, coworkers, and friends were all waiting and wondering why I picked this clinic. I won't make that mistake again. read more

Office staff doesn't care about you. Which is funny if you are in the health CARE profession. I scheduled an appointment weeks ahead. Showed up on time. With my insurance details, card and digital online format. "Sorry, we can't verify your insurance, we can't see you, it's probably on our end." Please pay us and asked to be reimbursed by your insurance. Yep, that's not how it works. I can see why they only have 2.5 stars... Never again. read more

The experience at Carbon Health has been awful! Unlike other offices, once you meet your PCP, there is no way to communicate with them afterwards unless you make another virtual or in-person appointment so already it should tell you how much care you can expect being on your own after. If you set up appointments online & don't respond to their automated messages right after to confirm the appointment, be warned you may get your appointment cancelled which takes away the convenience or scheduling online to begin with. And they will not notify your appointment is cancelled until you come into the office, at which point you've already wasted precious time. I would not recommend Carbon Health to anyone, on the outskirts they seem on cutting edge but on the inside, their tech is not as seamless as they make it seem, their tech comes at the cost of thoughtful care. read more

Disorganized, unprepared, and unknowledgeable staff coupled with an ability to provide accurate information about insurance coverage. Stay far away from this group. read more

Make an appointment, wait 30 minutes for a simple shot for Vax. What a disappointment.

I came to this location after I noticed a bad reaction to a bug bite. They got me in so quickly on a Sunday afternoon and were fast and efficient. I was out of there very quick and they sent the prescription directly to a pharmacy for me. It ended up being a tick bite, I'm thankful to this place and their great medical staff. I definitely recommend this location for any urgent care needs. read more

Walked and ignored. Then front desk spent time typing and having just just wait without acknowledgement. Then told us no walk ins at end. Horrible horrible for urgent care. read more

I made a 9:30 appointment for my daughter who was having respiratory issues. We checked in at 9:30, waited 30 minutes in the waiting area before being shown to a room to wait for physician. Waited another 45 minutes before walking out in frustration. Apparently Carbon Health idea of "Urgent Care" is very different than mine. read more

I've been trying to get ahold of this clinic for 2 days to follow up on some testing my brother had done here. I've called a number of times and nobody answers the phone. I've also left messages and have received no calls back. I've had great experiences at other Carbon centers, but this has been extremely disappointing. read more

They Sent my labs to me showing a serious medical condition yet won't respond to emails, the app, or phone calls to get a prescription. This is malpractice. read more

Absolutely terrible place. Been waiting for 2months for Dr Hira to send through a referral and so far nothing. Called the office and messaged them multiple times and I am just getting the run around. I've been told it would take 48hours for the referral to be sent, and other times they say it would be sent through that night and 2MONTHS later still no referral has been sent. Just baffling the lack of competency and care at this place. read more

As others have stated, don't come here. I was given one price online, but once I showed up the price jumped quite a bit. When asked for an explanation, I was told the price of the test, does not include a diagnosis. read more

I was very impressed with the receptionist's willingness to help in a rather odd situation that was highly stressful to me. Further, she consulted with a physician or PA on-site and determined that a longer term solution was available the same day at a different, nearby facility. I proceeded to complete the online intake database including meds and health history. But when I arrived at the alternate facility, none of the data I'd input that day in Alameda was there. The clinician I ultimately saw was super helpful and understanding and together we sped through all that info *again*--a waste of both our time but oh well.. So, I've liked the assistance received, but the apparent disconnect/lack of follow through by Alameda was extremely frustrating, disappointing and a huge turnoff. read more

This place is ran by incompetent management and medical care staff. Went there for a deep cut on my finger and after being taken into a patient care room, I had to wait over one hour until I went out to the hallway and asked someone what is going on ? While sitting there, I Looked on line and saw that there are appointments available every 15 mi utes even during the time that I have been sitting g there, so the on line appointment process is just a gimmick to get people to commit to come in regardless if they have the staff to accommodate them! After another 15 minutes of wait after complaining , the same lady who said she is under training came into the room and after asking a couple of questions, said that she will put me on antiboitics and I should come back after 8 days. I explained that I have been on antibiotics and what I need is someone to cut the excess meat and fat build up at the wound location and applying a couple of stitches , she told me that they don't have anyone that can do that!! When said then please dont charge my insurance since no care was provided, she said thats not true, you have been seen !! What a rip off of medical service by people who don't have the training!! read more

The woman who answered the phone here was totally unhelpful and unprofessional. It would be great if the receptionist could answer questions regarding services and costs with definitive answers and not " I don't think so". She didn't even try to find out the answer to my question, or ask someone else or at least point me in the right direction. read more

I am pregnant and had a very painful medical issue come up and I scheduled a next day appointment at Carbon Alameda. At first everything seemed fine, there was another pregnant woman there who seemed to be treated with white glove service so everything was looking up. Then when its my turn to be called back the intake nurse repeatedly asked me the same questions in a manner I felt was overdone and offensive. Then when I got to meet with the PA she seemed very aloof and just kind of going through the motions. When I showed concern about possibly having a separate issue due to a rather poorly worded test result from a previous PA and asked PA Lee for some clarification she just quickly brushed my question aside and said they are unrelated. I still wanted to know if it's something to worry about. This is my first pregnancy and I amjust trying to be as cautious as possible. The appointment now over, and taking a total of 25 minutes I leave and told that in 2 hours I can pick up my prescription. Nothing about a text notification or any other system to inform us that the medicine is ready. When I arrived at the pharmacy they told me the prescription hadn't even been sent in yet. So I called the call center to ask for help and the woman on the phone was unhelpful and hung up on me without giving any assistance whatsoever. She just had me on hold for about 25 minutes. When I made it back to the Urgent Care the front desk worker named Angelina could tell I was unpleased and immediately took a defensive posture and was rude and caused me a great deal of anger and stress. She said that she had placed the order 30 minutes prior to our return to the Urgent Care. What Angelina didn't know was that I was still on the phone with the call center and the operator told me the order was just placed as I was on the phone. That's just a bold face lie on Angelinas part. I feel that as an Asian woman, if I was as also a white woman such as the previous pregnant woman mentioned that I would have been treated with the same type of courtesy and care. It's just something I didn't expect to encounter at a private facility using my hard earned HSA savings. read more

Had the need to visit Carbon Health in Alameda a couple days ago. Everything about it was impressive. Parking free and easy. Beautiful building and offices. Super kind and professional employees from check-in to drs. I would not hesitate to go back if necessary. read more

Horrible service I went there 10min early the receptionist was not there I was standing there for about 10min before someone from the back came out and said someone would be with us shortly and after another 10min someone walked in through the front door all rude didn't even apologize and asked me "if I had a problem" when I was just standing there and which was very rude and when I said "no" she rolled her eyes at me this was April 11th around 4:20pm read more

Friendly staff. Short wait time. Such a great experience, helped me in under an hour :)

This was a horrible experience and I highly recommend that people not patron this business. I booked a Covid test appointment for my son and myself for a Sunday evening. I called in advance to ask about results timelines and they said they are typically 2-3 days. I also asked in person when I arrived and again was told 2-3 days. After 3 days and no results, I called their information line and was then told 3-5 days was standard. On day 5 of having my son out of school purely based on testing delays, I called again was told 'they think my lab samples were lost, but they are not really sure'. I was then told someone from the location would call me to help find a rapid PCR test at another of their facilities, but received no call. Clearly they could care less that they lost my samples and went a week without any communication outside of me calling in multiple times. This was a huge inconvenience to my work and also caused me to need to scramble to find another test - more results wait times - elsewhere. They did not seem to care at all. Also, the appointment itself is clearly set up so that they can bill your insurance as a full doctors appointment, rather than just a test which I find shady in itself. It is totally unnecessary to need to speak to a doctor just to get a test. read more

I cannot extol the virtues of this urgent care center. From the receptionist to the physician's assistant to the treating physician, they were friendly, approachable, and competent. Thank you for the excellent care! read more