I'm truly disappointed to leave this review…read more
At the end of last year, I took my child to Dr. Wu's clinic for an annual eye exam. During the appointment, Dr. Wu mentioned that my child had some kind of mites on their eyelashes, which I believe were called "lash mites." He explained that the only treatment available was a specific eye drop that cost over $2,000, and insurance might not cover it. He also suggested an alternative treatment--blue light therapy--which they had in their clinic. Each session cost $150, and he said it would take a minimum of two sessions and a maximum of three to be effective, with one session per week. However, since he was going on vacation, he only had time for two sessions before leaving. If a third session was needed, we would have to wait two weeks until he returned.
At that moment, I thought it would be best to wait and check with my insurance to see if the eye drops were covered or at least to find out how much my co-pay would be. Dr. Wu then directed me to the front desk, where they would provide instructions on how to submit my information online once the pharmacy notified me about the medication.
This is when Mandy, the front desk staff, stepped in and said, "This medication is barely covered by insurance, and your out-of-pocket cost will be several hundred dollars--almost the same as doing three sessions of blue light therapy. Why not just start the treatment right away? If it were my son, I would do the blue light therapy immediately today." She emphasized that by the time I received a message from the pharmacy, checked with my insurance, and waited for the medication to be shipped, several days would pass, and I'd still have to pay a significant amount. She also warned that the mites could multiply in the meantime.
Initially, I planned to wait and see how much my out-of-pocket cost for the medication would be. But after hearing her strong persuasion, I decided to proceed with the blue light therapy immediately and paid $300 upfront for two sessions. A small voice in my head told me this felt a bit like a sales trap, but I dismissed my doubts because I had trusted this clinic in the past.
To my shock, the very next day, the pharmacy notified me almost immediately. After submitting my information, I was told my out-of-pocket cost for the medication was only $30.
I can't even put into words how I felt at that moment. It wasn't about the $300--it's not an astronomical amount--but it was ten times what I actually needed to pay. What disappointed me the most wasn't just the unnecessary expense but realizing that a clinic I had trusted for so long had turned into such a commercially driven business. If they had simply informed me that out-of-pocket costs vary for each patient, and that some might pay the full price while others only pay a small portion, I wouldn't have felt this way. But that day, she deliberately pressured me into their blue light therapy, and that kind of manipulation left a really bad taste in my mouth.
Even my child noticed and said, "They just want to sell things." That trust is now gone.
To be clear, I do not question Dr. Wu's medical expertise. My disappointment is with their sales-driven approach. It wasn't like this before!
Update in response to the business owner's reply:
I'd like to clarify a few points.
First, my disappointment was never about you, Dr. Wu. My issue is with the way the front desk staff persuaded me into the blue light treatment. You were not present during that conversation, so I don't expect you to know exactly what was said, but I understand why you feel the need to defend your staff. That being said, the way it was presented to me made me feel pressured into an immediate decision, which is why I felt misled.
Second, my frustration began when I found out my insurance only required a $30 co-pay for the medication the day right after the first treatment. By that time, I had already paid for two blue light sessions upfront. You mentioned that I could have canceled the second session and requested a refund, but at that point, I had already spent $150. The decision to proceed wasn't about wanting another session--it was about not wanting the first payment to go to waste.
As for your claim that my complaint is solely about the $95 follow-up fee, that's not the case. It's all connected to how the treatment was initially sold to me. At the end of the day, the total cost--$395 for two blue light sessions and one follow-up visit--is not a significant amount. But the way the treatment was presented and sold left a bad impression. That's the core issue here.
