Malloree B.

Review of Advanced Diagnostics Healthcar...

When my husband and I moved to Houston about a yea...

When my husband and I moved to Houston about a year ago, we looked through countless Google reviews, searching for a PCP in our area. We decided on Dr. Do after reading reviews on various websites. Our first couple of visits went fine. The front desk staff was less than decent and my nurse told me she "knew who I belonged to" (my husband had recently visited) which may or may not be a HIPAA violation, but our experience with Dr. Do was positive. She was friendly, professional, knowledgable, and never seemed in a rush during our visits.

However, after I saw Dr. Do for an annual check-up, which my insurance covers at 100% with no co-pay, I received two medical bills in the mail. I contacted Advanced Diagnostics regarding the bills and was referred to Ms. Patricia Urbano. She suggested I speak with my insurance company. My insurance company informed me that Dr. Do performed tests not covered under the annual physical exam.

Let me be clear, Dr. Do did ask my permission to perform these tests in a "Do you want these tests," nonchalant sort of manner that made me assume the tests were routine protocol and covered in the visit, not a "Do you want these tests not covered by the visit that you really don't need because you have zero risk factors," sort of way. She also asked my permission to perform many routine parts of the exam, so I kind of assumed (silly me) that she just asked permission for everything to ensure I felt comfortable and knew what to expect.

I have since been made aware by my insurance that is the responsibility of both the doctor AND the patient to know what is and is not covered during these exams. Silly me for trusting my doctor to inform me that a test is not a routine part of the exam and could cost extra!

Okay, back to the bills. Ms. Urbano initially responded to my emails and phone calls in a relatively timely and polite manner and said she was working on the issue. However, after I received a third notice and had heard nothing back from Ms. Urbano, I sent another email requesting the issue be resolved, which Ms. Urbano said she would forward to Dr. Do. In this email I mentioned that I felt what Dr. Do did was unethical and seemed like a way to make an "extra buck" (389 bucks to be exact). All of my subsequent emails and phone calls were then ignored. How professional.

After checking my credit score yesterday, I discovered the medical bills had been reported to creditors. How frustrating! Here I am, just a young student trying to build credit, and the people of Advanced Diagnostics, who will not even communicate with me, place TWO derogatory marks (two separate bills) on my credit. Shame on you Dr. Do, Ms. Urbano, and Advanced Diagnostics.

Let this be a lesson to anyone reading, should you choose to see Dr. Do and you care about your money, ask about the cost of EVERYTHING, bring insurance documents stating what is and isn't covered, and do not expect to have any financial issues that may arise be resolved via phone or email.