Bottom line: If you want to be respected, go elsewhere…read more
As a new patient, I spent 15 min on the phone making an appt and giving the staff person all of my personal and insurance info she requested. She was slow, but nice, and the call could've easily taken 1/3 of the time. She then emailed me a confirmation along with a link to a portal to re-enter that info and my medical history. When I arrived at the appt, I was given more paperwork to fill out the same info I did over the phone and online.
When I asked why I needed to fill it out after I'd already provided the info twice, I was told, "Oh. We don't use that portal anymore." I replied, "Then why not delete that account?" "I can't go into your account and delete what you put in." "I mean, why not unsubscribe from that portal and not include the link in your email confirmations?" No response. I'm now perturbed. While still standing at the counter, I start filling out the docs I was given. "You can have a seat," I was told. "It'll be a few minutes." So I sit. As soon as I do, "May I have your insurance card?" Ugh. I get up, give the card, and return to my seat.
After completing the docs, I returned them then waited at the counter with my credit card expecting to pay. "You can have a seat." So I sit. Not even 2 min later, "That'll be a $30 copay." So I get up again. I wait again to sign the charge slip and was told it'll be a min. (Note: At that time, I was in extreme physical pain due to an unrelated ailment, so walking and getting up and down was difficult, and why I had initially chosen to wait at the counter. I was getting more irritated.)
Signs on entrance doors stating masks were required seemed only for show. A man was talking on his phone with his mask off. After a year of this pandemic, we all know it's possible to talk and be heard while wearing a mask. IMO, this guy was just being spiteful. But then, also appearing spiteful, the same staff person who handed me the paperwork, also had her mask off. This is a doctor's office! We're in a pandemic of a highly infectious disease with many new variants. What kind of doctor would allow such lax, ignorant, and disrespectful behavior? Clearly not a good one because, well, who can trust science, right - especially someone who went to medical school? Needless to say, I couldn't trust anyone in this office.
I got my money back, took my paperwork, and left.