If I could give zero stars to MinuteClinic I would. I took my toddler to the MinuteClinic because he had recent onset flu-like symptoms and I didn't want to wait at a real urgent care or ED. The NP at the MinuteClinic told me my kid didn't need a flu test, but after my insistence (I am a physician myself and was sure he had the flu), the NP finally gave in. The flu test was indeed positive for the influenza B strain and it was early enough in my son's course for him to benefit from Tamiflu. They took my insurance and had me pay my copay. Everything seemed okay, right?
3 weeks later I get a bill of $170 despite my insurance, including an incorrect double charge for the rapid flu test. I figure, not a problem, I will call billing and get this straightened out. Here is where MinuteClinic needs to be investigated by the media and legislators, because it is impossible to reach a human being on their only customer service line at 1-866-389-2727. I waited 2 hours, only to be hung up. The next day, I call again, and immediately the transfer to billing goes straight to voicemail (!). I leave a message and was never called back. I try again the next week and the same thing happens. I can't for the life of me reach a human being despite asking for billing, customer service, supervisor, etc etc.
Worst still is two months later, I get a third-party collections notice for this bill. It too has the same number for me to call to resolve the bill 1-866-389-2727. I still can't reach a human being to this day. I can only gather that this is done intentionally so that when patients receive a collections bill and cannot reach any human to resolve legitimate issues with the bill, we then are forced to pay the bill in full so as not to hurt our credit scores. Even trying to pay the bill took 1 hour of waiting on the phone. This is a disgrace and should be illegal.
Never again will I go to or recommend any of my patients to go to MinuteClinic for the convenience. You will pay for it later in the sheer frustration of being unable to resolve a legitimate billing issue with a real human being and taken to collections anyway. read more