After my previous general practitioner stopped being contracted with our insurance, I went on a search for a new doctor. My baby's pediatrician recommended Dr. Caroline Stratz, an internist who only treats adults. She is located on South Drive near El Camino Hospital, at the very end of the street.
Dr. Stratz also is not contracted with my insurance. In fact, she is not contracted with *any* insurance companies. However, I am still going to stay with her. I will detail my first visit to her office and my impressions:
-Walked into the office:
It is a rather small office with about 2-3 examination rooms. The reception room is smallish but very comfortable. The front desk scheduling coordinator, Gay, is extremely personable and friendly. They did not mind that I had to bring my baby girl. In fact, Gay said they "love babies", and that Dr. Stratz has 3 children of her own. Gay asked me to make myself comfortable and fill out my paperwork. She explained to me that they do not bill out to insurance companies for the patients. Instead, they print out a superbill, give a copy to the patient, and the patient has to submit a claim to the insurance company for reimbursement. Full payment to Dr. Stratz is due at the time of service.
-Interview with Dr. Stratz:
After I filled out my paperwork, I only waited for about 5 minutes. Dr. Stratz called me into her private office and we talked about any concerns I have regarding my health. She asked me many questions and wrote them all down in my chart. She then asked me if I have any questions for her. I found her to be extremely easy to talk to. Totally nice.
-Weight, BP, preliminaries:
Dr. Stratz herself took my weight and blood pressure reading. She did everything- checked my breathing, reflexes, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, etc. Everything. She was very thorough and gentle.
-Final chat:
After doing her examination, Dr. Stratz stepped out of the room so I could get changed. She came back in and did a summary of her findings.
Throughout the entire appointment, I felt very comfortable. She does not wear a white coat- just her regular clothes, so those of you who have that "white coat phobia" may feel more comfortable with her. All in all, I like her a lot. As I mentioned, you as the patient would have to submit your own insurance claim to get reimbursed, but I don't have much of a problem with that. read more