Do not use for primary care. It is a bait and switch.
I…read morescheduled an annual physical. The first two times I scheduled with Julie Passon at the Wilsonville clinic. Both times, in an email the day before, I had confirmations with an entirely different provider, a man Christian. I had to cancel those because all I wanted was a Pap smear, which I did not want a man to do so. I had to make 3 separate appointments before I got an appointment with a female provider, causing a delay of 2 months.
When I arrived for actual healthcare, a Pap smear, physical, or both, I made it clear that I was there for that, but my priority was a Pap smear. I was not given paperwork to fill out my history in the office myself, or beforehand. I told them I was a cash pay patient, had a crowd sharing healthcare plan (CrowdHealth). I made it very clear that I had no insurance and asked what the visit would cost. I told them I wanted to pay before I left and also wanted to know what the cost would be. They said they didn't know, it would depend on what the PA decided to do. The lady at the front desk said there were three different cost possibilities starting at $175, but up to just a few hundred dollars.
My wait in the lobby was very brief, because I was right on time, and then an MA weighed me and did my vitals, then placed me in a room. I thought it was strange that she left without telling me to get undressed.
After a few minutes, PA Kelly King entered the room. She was very nice. She sat down and informed me that she needed to get a history, and that we would talk about getting an exam later.
What? That's literally what I made the appointment for. an exam.I am an ER nurse and I know very well how easy it is to enter data. I placed peoples histories and medication list in the chart for my job, but even a I placed peoples histories and medication list in the chart for my job, but even an MA can do that.
Since when is it impossible to do an exam on the patient when doing their history? Anytime somebody is getting a physical there's going to be a history taken as well. I could've filled out my own history, family history and medications. That is all she spent time on, asking about these 3. No exam. That is data entry and not something a PA needs to do while a patient in the room. I did not book a data entry appointment. PA King said mid appointment she would not address any other health concerns within an annual physical this appointment. She said I would have to come back. What an idiotic process.
I had recent blood work 4 months ago with LabCorp that I tried to show her. She did not want to see it. I offered to send these records of my recent labs to the office, and she said the front desk would take care of it afterward. When escorted out to the front desk, they wanted me to sign a release of records, even though I said I could print them and bring them in.
I waited 25 min in the lobby while the reception staff said they still could not tell me the cost of my visit, because PA King had not entered the diagnostic codes, then that the bill was very high and I should wait and go home until they fix it. I explained before, and after I wanted same day cost & to pay.
Then this morning I got an email that my bill was $726, all to be questioned by a PA about information I could've literally entered myself online.
My Pap smear was converted to a data entry visit. What other industry do they absolutely refuse to tell you what something is going to cost beforehand, or afterward?
In what other industry do you book an appointment for a product A, then get given product B, then they still won't tell you the cost? Healthcare is a total scam. This is coming from an experienced nurse, someone who's practiced medicine for 31 years as an ER nurse. In what insane world should a PA be able to charge $726 for 15 minutes worth of data entry basic work? That's $2904 per hour for just one PA out of several in that clinic. This was a scam, and I did not get the product that I directly asked for at the front desk, made appt. for, nor any transparency in the cost.
