I attempted to establish care with Asheville Ear Nose & Throat after moving from Florida to North…read moreCarolina in 2024. I have a long history of chronic sinus disease, including three prior sinus surgeries and nasal polyp disease, so continuity of ENT care is very important to me.
In January, I contacted the practice and was told that my prior ENT records from Florida would need to be sent before I could be considered as a patient. I completed the necessary paperwork with my Florida ENT in February and then waited several weeks. When I followed up with Asheville ENT, I was told the records had not been received. After contacting my Florida ENT, I learned that the request had apparently been handled incorrectly and that the records had been requested from Asheville instead of sent to Asheville. This caused additional delay, and no one at Asheville ENT appeared to catch or question the error.
Once the records were finally sent, I was told they would need to be reviewed by an Asheville ENT physician to determine whether I was a viable patient. That review took additional weeks. In April, I was contacted and told that the physician had reviewed my records but that my history appeared to be "mostly allergies," and I was asked whether I even wanted to make an appointment. Given my history of chronic sinus issues, surgeries, and polyp disease, that response felt dismissive.
I then provided my insurance information and was told they did not accept my plan. This was especially frustrating because when I contacted the office in January, my plan was associated with Cigna network access, and I understood that Cigna-participating providers were being honored under that arrangement.
After reflecting on the entire experience, I contacted the practice manager and left a message asking for a return call. Nearly a week passed with no response. When I called again, I was placed on an extended hold, called back, and eventually spoke with the same person who had handled the referral. I explained that I was disappointed with the process and requested my records.
At that point, I was first told that she did not have my records, and then I was told that she was not legally allowed to send them to me. That was especially concerning because, under HIPAA, patients generally have a right to access copies of their own medical records and protected health information. If the practice believed there was a reason they could not release any portion of the records, I would have expected a clear explanation or written direction on how to make a proper records request -- not a blanket statement that I was not legally allowed to receive them.
When I asked to speak with the practice manager, I was only given a first name, was not provided a direct number, and the call ended abruptly.
Overall, this was a very disappointing experience. The process involved multiple delays, poor communication, confusing handling of records, no returned call from management, and an unhelpful response when I requested access to my own information. For someone trying to establish care for a chronic condition after relocating, this experience left me feeling dismissed rather than supported.
I cannot speak to the quality of the physicians' care because I never got that far. My review is based on the intake, referral, communication, insurance, and records-handling experience.
