If I could leave ZERO Stars, I would. I have been seen at this office for years. I have put up with mental abuse from the staff, billing staff, and Administrator(s). (They come and go, but the principles of how people are treated there NEVER do). This review is based SOLELY on the office and their practices and not the amazing help I received from Dr. Rachel Augustines. I believe in alot of ways my own Doctor is a victim of how this office treats people.
I would NEVER recommend anyone needing help with grief, depression, or otherwise goto this office. For me, I dreaded sitting in their waiting rooms until being called in by my Doctor. They will emotionally break you down starting at their appointment reminder call, to walking in and ignoring you at the sliding glass window, to putting you on hold for minimums of 15 and up to 45 minutes, only to talk down to you on the phone. There is absolutely no caring of friendliness given for such an important medical specialty.
Outside of talking down to you, and using your diagnoses as a crutch to not talk to you with dignity and respect, their billing practices are down right fraudulent. For years and years I have had to fight to get money back that I paid to them and should not have. Their billing staff do not understand billing practices - and they put you, the patient in the middle of it all.
For may years, I have had a ZERO Copay and ZERO responsibilities with my Florida Blue Benefits and Mental Health. They would never listen to their eligibility systems, or me, or my proof with letters and eligibility statements created by BCBS of Florida and consistently charged me money every time. If I refused to pay this based on my benefits, they would DENY me to see my Doctor for which I had always waited months for appointments for. So I was forced into paying money I did not have to pay. After years of fighting this, I had gotten several refunds, but it was not without extreme upset.
The following is a Final Email I sent to the Administrator after seeing yet another EOB come in with a ZERO responsibility--which starts the viscous cycle of getting money back.
SO, now the EOB's are in. I truly hope that you are embarrassed as both an administrator and a professional. You indicated you joined this office to make a difference, yet you have done the opposite.
The attached EOB from my visit 6/11/2021 CLEARLY shows you what I indicated to you, and your staff by phone. The same ones who indicated I have lied about this over and over again. Additionally I am also reminding you of the EOB from 2/23/2021 which I used as recent proof of my ZERO responsibility, of which I referenced on our calls and messages in June.
Due to the incompetencies of your billing staff, and both yours and lack of your billing staff understanding benefits, I have finally made the choice to leave the one Doctor who has helped me make a change in my grief and anxiety. All because I cannot take the mental anguish you have placed on me all these years fighting about what my benefits are. You have told I am a liar. You have refused to have me see Dr. Augustines unless "I pay," You have had numerous other "billing people" confirm erroneous information. I have spend hours and hours sending you proof of everything ALL THESE YEARS.
Not everyone that comes into your offices are what you have made an inference about. It is sad, that you use our diagnoses as a crutch for your very bad billing practices when questioned.
I See now that someone has gotten the idea that you cannot handle your own billing and it has been sent out to a third party. This makes me happy to know that somehow others will not be mentally assaulted any longer. I will continue to spread the word about this practice and its unfair billing practices.
Shame on you--
John Pignone Reed read more