This location is excellent when UC Berkeley is not in session, because the staffing is appropriate for the patient load. When school is back, all of the timing for appointments is off and it's because they are running as tight as possible on staff. If you have come in for a 9 AM appointment, that's when the door opens, you will be seen after that. Still, with that in mind I have not had any issues with receiving appropriate and adequate care for my health concerns. All staff and clinicians have been more than kind, courteous, and respectful. Carbon is great in a pinch for urgent care. The downside is that their app doesn't communicate with Epic, which a lot of larger primary care providers (like Sutter and UCSF) do use. read more

I had a drug screen scheduled at carbon health which was pre-registered through my employer, to which I came to the site at Berkeley on Telegraph to. I didn't wait long, maybe around 5-10 minutes for someone to come to the front desk. I presented my confirmation email holding information for my registration number, account number and bar code. Front desk staff Angie said that I would have to pay out of pocket because she's not familiar with the email I presented to her. She stated they only accept two different entities that schedule drug screens. The instructions I received directed me to Carbon Health, while the screening itself was being managed through Vertical Screen. When I arrived, I attempted to explain the situation to the front desk receptionist. It became apparent that my explanation wasn't being fully understood, so I referenced the different entities listed in my email and specifically identified Vertical Screen as the third-party provider. When I mentioned, "It's through Vertical Screen," I was met with a confused "What?" in a noticeably dismissive tone. After repeating myself, the receptionist looked at her computer and simply responded, "K." Unfortunately, this interaction felt unprofessional and unwelcoming. I also spoke with the same receptionist over the phone the day prior to schedule my appointment and experienced a similarly indifferent and discourteous tone. During my wait to be called by a provider for my drug screening, she also answered a phone call, requested to put the patient on hold, and went on her phone for 5 minutes prior to picking up the call -- a greater representation of unprofessionalism in the workplace. I understand that front desk staff often handle a high volume of patients, non-members, and third-party vendors, and that challenging days happen. However, professionalism and courtesy should remain a priority, regardless of the circumstances. As someone who works in healthcare administration for large healthcare organizations where patient experience and service are heavily emphasized, I was disappointed by the lack of basic customer service. My experience with the receptionist significantly impacted my overall impression of this location. I hope management takes this feedback as an opportunity to reinforce the importance of respectful and professional communication with all patients and visitors. read more

I received no benefit for the consultation I paid for at Carbon Health at 2920 Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley. I paid $225.00 dollars for consultation. The "phlebotomist" told me blood tests would cost $160. dollars. She then poked my arm 4 times to draw two small vials of blood. This was the worst blood draw I've ever had. Afterward Labcorp sent me a bill for $872.55 for the blood tests. These are the tests I was told would cost $160. dollars. I've asked Carbon Health several times to refund my $225. and they have refused. Carbon Health's management is at fault for this. They haven't hired or trained their staff properly. read more

I was sick for a week and went into this clinic to get diagnosed. They told me it's probably a viral infection but took a swab of my throat and said they would call with results. They called but didn't leave a vm with the results. I called back and they couldn't give me the result bc only one person knew how to retrieve the result and they were not in the office. They left another vm but didn't explain the result. I called back, nobody answered the phone for 15 mins. I called back again - now it's 1 week after I went to the clinic and I'm feeling better. They said I'm supposed to take some antibiotics now. I said I'm feeling better so do I still need to take the antibiotics. They said they didn't know and I would have to wait several hours for the doctor to call me. What use is a clinic if they are so slow to get back to you that you get well on your own? read more

Lack of communication!!! I periodically went here for my medical condition but was never told it was not in my medical group. Then approximately a year later I was billed over 1000K for my visits. beyond my control. I tried fighting it with my insurance carrier only to be told it past its grace period. Now Carbon Health is withdrawing funds from account directly and I can't stop it, Please AVOID CARBON HEALTH HORRIBLE COMMUNICATION!!!!!!! read more

Disappointing does not begin to describe my feelings about Carbon Health. The communication is absolutely terrible. I think it's fair to say the business is unprofessional at best and a scam at worst. Last year, I was given the first dose of a vaccine during my initial visit (a routine physical exam with Dr. Kwan Chun). I was instructed to return a month later for the second dose and a few months after that for the third and final dose. We set appointments for these visits. The week before the final dose was to be administered, Carbon Health reached out to let me know they no were no longer carrying the vaccine. This seemed not only odd and inconvenient, but also very unprofessional. They suggested I try CVS Pharmacy. I did that, but that turned into another mess, as CVS had different doses of the vaccine. Bloodwork related to the physical exam was miscoded as diagnostic rather than preventive, which led to a months-long back-and-forth dispute with Quest Diagnostics. The Carbon Health billing department has a habit of not answering the phone (or on the rare occasion that they do, leaving the caller on hold) or replying to emails. After many attempts, I finally reached someone, who claimed that the billing issue was really related to Quest Diagnostics - in direct contrast to what my insurance company had claimed. Let's say that's true, though (which it may or may not be)...why did Carbon Health refuse to respond to a single email or voicemail? They also ignored attempts my insurance company made to reach them. The last straw was when my graduate school needed some medical forms to be completed by my doctor. I tried dropping them off in person, but the Carbon Health front desk person would not take them. They insisted that I'd first have to contact my physician through the Carbon Health app (that did not work properly) and then send the forms digitally. This seemed silly to me, but I did not think it was worth my time or energy to fight it. In spite of the fact that my physical exam had been less than six months earlier, Dr. Chun wanted me to make an appointment. This was such a blatant case of trying to run up a bill rather than actually help a patient. I have since found a new physician and would not recommend Carbon Health under any circumstances read more

Unfortunately they keep you WAITING. I've been here 35 minutes since I checked in "on time" for my appointment and have yet to be seen by the doctor Very nice doctors but the timing needs to get much better. read more

1st time at this location and they were the Absolute Best! I went for Occupational Health and they were so patient with me. I was dehydrated & my blood wouldn't flow. I went back 3 times! I'm now family. read more

I went into Carbon health because I was having a constant cough. I saw the PA Bryan Sojimoto. He barely spent any time with me. He'd completely misdiagnosed my issue and he refused to treat me properly. I had to go to another urgent care to get proper treatment. I'll never go back to carbon health again if that's the quality of medical care one receives. What a waste of a copayment. read more

Went for a PCR Covid test and was told results take 2-3 days. It's been 6 days and haven't heard a thing. Impossible to reach them except to go in person and wait in line. read more

They make you do an appointment only for not adhering to it. It's a drug test. Have more staff or run a better operation so the urgent care and the drug testing are not intermingled. If you need a drug test - don't choose this group. Not just in Berkeley that ran 20 min behind but also in general. read more

Bizarre and dangerous experience. I came in for an in-grown toenail. The clinician glanced at it and said she didn't know if they had the "tool" to do that but she would look for it. She left the room and returned 15 minutes later. She said they might have it and looked very nervous. I asked her if she knew how to deal with an ingrown toenail and she said no. I asked if she'd ever treated one before and she said "not here." So she was going to do a procedure that she couldn't do. When I left a minute later, I told the office manager that they should not bill insurance as absolutely nothing was done, the clinician was out of the office the whole time. She said she would bill them. I believe that is insurance fraud. Keep away from this place like the plague. The clinicians are obviously brand new, very nervous and not competent. This was after waiting for an hour past my appointment time! read more

A terrible experience after learning I had shingles, which is a totally unexpected diagnosis since I am young. The NP was super rude and dismissive and didn't want to answer questions, she instead directed me to an article on google. When she finally came back to take questions, her answers about the contagiousness of the condition were not consistent with the article she told me to read. She was in a total rush to move on, and it was unsatisfactory care. I would never recommend Carbon Health after this - if I was supposed to rely on the internet then why am I paying to come to a clinic. Front desk and medical assistant were polite and helpful read more

They were very kind. They got me in immediately and were able to give me medicine for a bad sore throat on the spot so I would not have to go to Walgreens. read more

I went as a walk-in with no appointment, and was able to be seen quite quickly. It was a weekday around midday. The office is clean and modern, and the doctor was welcoming and did a thorough exam. Best thing of all about this place is how helpful they were in all our interactions. I interacted with 3 different front desk people before, during, and after my appointment. They not only answered the phone within 2 min (a true miracle in this day and age!!) but they were always willing to go the extra mile to help me with my questions and subsequent referrals. Compared to the soul crushing experience of trying to speak to a human AND get info at other healthcare facilities, this place is a total breath of fresh air! read more

Very poor service. At 5:30 I needed an urgent care walk-in. This one appeared to be the best rated nearby. I called. No answer. So I drove there. Upon arrival, I waited 10 minutes to talk to the receptionist. Then she told me they're not taking walk-ins today. I would not have posted this if they had simply picked up the phone or provided the information through some other means before I got here. read more

For an urgent care who prioritizes appointments over walk-ins, one would think they would have staff to compensate for patients who are unable to make appointments online. If you're a walk-in, expect to wait 2 hours or more to see anyone. If you need a MRI or x-ray, don't bother coming here because this location isn't equipped with it. If you expect to pick up a prescription at this location as they advertise, don't bother. I've seen more staff at this location eating and gossiping than following up with patients. read more

The MOST unprofessional, unpleasant health care experience ever! If I could give zero stars I would. HIPA, what?! The front desk gals are so rude and talk endlesslyyyyy about patients IN FRONT OF OTHER PATIENTS (they are IN the waiting room with patients--gently separated by a partition for droplet protection--who are waiting to be seen). They complain about patients' bad attitudes (this is health care ladies, you're seeing/hearing from people often because something is wrong....no one WANTS to be here, especially not with you). They give play by plays of exchanges and conversations with patients. Just sitting here for 10 mins I've loudly heard full patient names, their phone numbers, DOBs and stories about previous exchanges, what they're here for, what they were here for last time and their "diagnosed" personality defects. Outrageous! (Albeit entertaining.) This review is for front desk personnel not the MAs who see patients. They were just fine. Got the job done in a quick and professional manner. read more

Carbon Health - Face of Carbon Health chitty chatting about the incredulous patients they deal with, with attitude problems, old age, and health problems. - Urgent Care Near Me - Berkeley, California

I was seen by PA Aurora. She was very nice and easy to talk to. Didn't rush me and answered all of my questions. The wait was an hour for a scheduled appointment, however given that the staff were so friendly the wait wasn't that bad. :) -update on billing: I was billed $125 automatically to my debit card for an unknown reason. I wrote an email to their billing department and never heard back. Waited a few months too.. I called my insurance to see why / what I was charged for and my insurance representative told me that this is incorrect as the visit was paid for in full by insurance. My insurance representative called their billing department and I had my money reimbursed in less than 3 business days. Not sure why I was billed for something that was paid for in full by my insurance. Always double check! Removed stars for the billing incorrectly read more

Terrible experience. Several rounds of layoffs. The last round - entire team offshored. Dept turned to shambles. They expect 1 to do the work of 4. There are compliance issues. They do not care about people. read more

I needed a quick same-day PCR lab test to attend a wedding and Carbon Health came in clutch. While not cheap, I booked online 1 day in advance and arrived 5 minutes early for my appointment. They were right on time and got my test done in minutes. Results were emailed within the hour. Smooth Sailing here! read more

Let's start with the fact that the nice young lady working the desk was trying to charge me $225 dollars plus the $70 that the service I was getting which was a tb test.She was kind enough to try to allow me to pay with my insurance which I knew they didn't accept insurance for just a tb test and tried to tell her. After going back and forth respectfully and me asking her to lookin into the information she was giving me we finally got some resolve. I was in fact correct. After that she didn't charge me and told me I'd be seen shortly (now my appointment was for 330 I was there at 3 mind you) I knew i was supposed to be charged but at this point I was over trying to tell her how to do her job. If I his was the case they should hire me. At 315 the nurse who eventually took my tb test came to front and told the young lady I needed to pay. Already prepared I walk to counter and pay. takes all of 3 min. I sat in an empty waiting area until 350 for something that took 4 min. In conclusion the service was awful. And how customer care is something that is rare. I'll never return to this location. read more

I have gone to carbon health a few times but I will never go back. I originally thought the app was nice for scheduling. They never follow their timing however. I have always had to wait for a long time regardless. In general I have not felt like I was treated respectfully here. The last time I was there was in December for a rolled ankle. After waiting for a long time, I was told - only after going back into the room - that their x ray machine was down. During my appointment they gaslit me into saying I didn't need an X-ray, etc. I followed the instructions they gave me but my ankle never healed correctly. I'm writing this from my vacation where I just re rolled that ankle walking down stairs. I wouldn't recommend going here. Sutter urgent care is better in this area. read more

Absolute horrible. They ordered a test and used the wrong billing code. Insurance denied it because it came through as an experimental treatment. Quest reached back out to Quest to correct the code. Carbon did not respond (insurance paid them so they don't care) and now my kid is in collections. They need to be shut down. read more

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE AND THEFT - DO NOT COME HERE TLDR; This Carbon Health Office lied about the service they provided me and stole $200. Avoid this location at all costs! I paid $200 for an appointment to get a COVID-19 and Flu test. At my appointment, I was swabbed and told I would receive my test results for Flu within 8-10 minutes and for COVID-19 within 6-8 hours. However, I never received my results that day. When I called the next morning to ask about my results, I was informed that the practitioner never ran my test results. Furthermore, the practitioner lied and said they told me (during my appointment) that they were not going to run the test results. The practitioner never told me this, and it's frankly astounding that they lied about their actions to cover up their mistake of failing to run my test results. The only reason I paid $200 for my appointment at Carbon Health was to get tested for Flu and COVID-19. I did not receive test results for either, so my money was essentially stolen. Additionally, I have an immunocompromised partner, so getting these test results as soon as possible was critical for us to make informed decisions about how to keep him safe. The failure to provide my test results after swabbing me is bad enough - lying about it is even worse and absolutely unconscionable. So please, do yourself a favor and avoid this Carbon Health location at all costs!!! The care is terrible, the service is bad, and they are only interested in exploiting you for as much money as possible, not in getting you the care you actually need. A health provider that employs practitioners who lie should not be operating at all. read more

Was scared to come here after seeing so many bad reviews but I didn't have a choice because this was the only clinic with last minute primary care appts available. I had a great experience with Carbon Health Berkeley. Parking was ample, the office itself was very clean, the woman working at the front desk was so kind and helpful, I only waited about a minute, and the nurse and doctor (Dr. Kwan Chin) were very nice and also helpful. The new-patient-insurance process was very easy. I was in and out pretty quickly and would not hesitate to come back again. Medical appointments and processes tend to make me very anxious so I am so grateful that everybody was so kind and informative and that literally nothing went wrong. read more

Out of town guests sometimes mean out-of-this-world mishaps, and that's how I ended up in Urgent Care on a Sunday night. Thankfully it was Carbon; they have a Keurig and some tablet computers and WiFi and a nice waiting area. They took my visitors' out-of-state health insurance, which was ideal, and for reference, I heard the desk workers tell a person at the desk that the base price of a visit (uninsured) is $195. The wait was perhaps five minutes until my guests were called into the treatment area, and I spent a comfortable hour in the waiting room. My guests were satisfied with the medical treatment they received, and I was satisfied with the comfortable seating, WiFi, drinks, and quiet atmosphere of Carbon. The desk staff was professional and I liked the ambiance much better than that of a crowded ER, or a languishing urgent care office. I think my downside comment is that it's mostly physicians assistants and not nurse practitioners/doctors. Which doesn't make sense because this is a boutique practice. So keep an eye out for that. It didn't affect our visit. I'll try to find out just how much the visit ended up costing (once the claims have been processed), and report back. I think I will definitely be back in the future if/when I have my own medical snafu. read more

This place is awful. They make multiple appts at the same time, then the person at the front desk cannot explain why they are in the order they are in. They have zero consideration for your time. They cannot be trusted in anything they tell you. They don't answer the phone when you call. I did not think that any place can be as bad as quest. Well, carbon managed to set the bar even lower. read more

Don't waste your time like my wife and I have at this place. I waited to be seen that was pretty quick, I sat in a room for 2 1/2 hrs and they really did nothing and I had an appointment . Today my wife came in 4:30pm as a drop in and believe me I get it being a drop in were the only ones here and finally she gets seen at 7:15 pm and they closed at 6:30pm. Think twice. read more

We experienced medical malpractice at this location. For your own sake, AVOID AT ALL COSTS! My partner booked an appointment to get a COVID-19 and Flu test. They swabbed her and said she'd receive test results by the end of the day, but the results never came. When we called the next morning, they said the practitioner didn't run her test results. The practitioner also lied and said they told my partner that they were not going to run the test results - they told her no such thing! Finally, they refused to offer a refund for the $200 appointment despite us not getting the test results. I'm extremely disappointed that Carbon Health employs practitioners who lie about the care they provide to customers. I'm further disappointed that they refuse to make such a basic mistake right by providing us a refund. It's clear they don't care about patients and only about maximizing profit. Please, DO NOT COME HERE. Read the most recent reviews here on Yelp, they're all 1-star reviews that include stories of astounding malpractice and poor service. I wish we had read those reviews before coming here :( read more

Doctors are unhelpful and not personable. Long wait times and blatant disregard for patient wellbeing. Any decent provider would inform their patient when they make an appointment that they're no longer in network. Without warning charged $500 for a 2 minute conversation. The visit was just to ask about a potential concern and no treatment was involved whatsoever. My insurance used to be in network with Carbon, and when I made the appointment and checked in at the office no one informed me that the network has changed. Now I'm out $500 due to poor communication. read more

The technicians here seem to be ok, but the billing department is pure trash. Stay away! They charged me the full amount without even providing a bill, on something that is definitely covered by my medical insurance, which they have. Also, their support is trash as there is no way to even call them directly. Send an email and pray. read more

We made an appointment because my son needed an x-ray. Got there 15 minutes early. We had to wait for over 1:40 minutes. Seriously? In this day and age, or least they could do with the technology available is to let us know it would be this late? Unbelievable. If I could give no stars I would. read more

Important to note that appointments are not actually appointments. They're registrations apparently. A "slight wait" of 2 hours even when you have a "registration" ... read more

My husband had an unexpected health issue that brought him here. He didn't have an appointment but only waited for about 20min, which was great. Once in, we had to wait much longer (45min to an hour at least) before we got all our questions answered (there was a lot of waiting for the PA to come and go). Overall, however, everyone was friendly and helpful, which is why I'm giving 2 stars instead of 1. However, taking away 3 stars because one of the nurses who came to take my husband's blood (for some tests) absolutely destroyed his veins. When she first walked in she seemed a bit confused about how to set things up. Turns out she's usually based out of San Jose so for some reason this was throwing her off? She awkwardly put a rolled up piece of cloth under my husband's arm, I assumed to elevate it, but it barely did anything so I asked her if she wanted me to raise the chair (as if I worked there...surprised she didn't think of it herself). While she was drawing blood, I noticed she was really rough and pressing down hard on the needle, she also moved the needle around a lot (even bumping into it as she was reaching over it to grab a tube). My husband is polite so didn't say anything but afterwards he told me it was painful the way she handled the needle. Sure enough, his arm started bruising the same day. The photo I attached shows his arm just 3 days later. It is swollen and painful. My husband has gotten blood drawn many times before and this has never happened to him (it's not like he has extra sensitive vessels). To be fair, this nurse mentioned she's usually down in San Jose so hopefully she won't always be at the Berkeley location. read more

Carbon Health - Horrible bruising as a result of an inexperienced and careless nurse - Urgent Care Near Me - Berkeley, California

Honestly pretty good experience. I got exposed to Covid 4 days ago and needed a rapid test. Everyone was super friendly and they allowed me to wait outside to avoid anymore exposures in the waiting room. The on-site doctor was backed up so I did my appointment with a virtual doctor but that's fine with me. She was still helpful and friendly, and it meant I got out of there quicker. The only downside was they were behind on appointments so I got seen about 30 minutes after my scheduled time. I would still recommend them though. read more

Absolutely ridiculous mismanagement. Had an appointment for 10:10, got here 10am and waited in line for half an hour. When I get to the desk they tell me my 10 minute grace period has ended and I need to reschedule... are you kidding me LOL. You literally can't make this up. Complete mismanagement and disregard for patients time. Wasted an hour total and I'm going home without anything. Will definitely never be back. read more

Terrible experience. Came in for a PCR test and left w a $500 bill!! There were no signs anywhere about being charged this much nor was the amount on their website - I truly thought these tests were still free but any signage at all would have helped me understand what I was getting into. One 20-second nose swab later, a PA came in but wasn't able to offer any meaningful advice (me: "is paxlovid helpful in reducing risk for long Covid?" Him: "oh I don't know. I've been asked that before. I should look it up."). Then comes the email that shows I owe $500, which they automatically deduct less than a day later without responding to my immediate requests for clarification/assistance. The company still hasn't responded to any request for help or remediation. Shameful. read more

Carbon Health - $500 for a 20-second nose swab - Urgent Care Near Me - Berkeley, California

I read the terrible reviews in advance and came in expecting the worst, but overall I was pleasantly surprised. Even with an appointment, the wait time was long (1 hour) but they have free wifi. I'd suggest just thinking of your appointment time as a suggestion but be prepared to wait (I brought my laptop and just worked so didn't feel like I was wasting my time). All of the staff were polite and friendly (front desk, medical assistant, NP). NP was super approachable and listened to my concerns, was able to efficiently offer a diagnosis, gave easy-to-understand advice on how to treat my condition, answered my questions, and proactively wrote me a prescription in case my condition didn't improve in the next few days. The front desk quickly called in my prescription and I got a pharmacy notification that it was ready within an hour of leaving the clinic. And the parking situation wasn't bad either -- I easily found free street parking nearby (mid-week, mid-afternoon). I would definitely return again. read more

My daughter was turned away today at 6:34pm after ubering there quite sick. The website says 7:00, the voice system information for hours? 7:00. At 6:34, they said no and upon politely asking for flexibility, having arrived 4 mins after this undocumented cut-off time, they were insistent. She is now ubering back and we will find someplace that actually provides health Care! If this is indicative of their service i recommend you give it a hard pass! read more