Dr. Brar Gina
The Most Ridiculous Experience
I had the most ridiculous experience at this office today. I arrived for my initial appointment with Dr. Brar Gina 30 minutes early, as requested.
I waited 20 minutes until the receptionist finished with the patient before me.
Then I was given the new patient paperwork to fill out.
Upon completion of the paperwork, I was told that I needed to pay my $20 copay.
When I told the receptionist that I had met my out of pocket maximum for the year (so my insurance covers my visits at 100%).
I was told that i had to call my insurance company to confirm.
I got my insurance company on the line and the benefits agent confirmed that I have a $20 copay and that my OOP had been met for the year.
The receptionist still insisted that I pay the $20 before being seen.
She stated that she didn’t know anything about insurance, she was just doing what the billing office told her to do.
At this point, I’d been in the office for an hour. I asked for my paperwork back and left.
I’ve worked in the health care industry for almost 30 years.
I’ve worked in both doctor’s offices as well as insurance companies.
I’m well versed in how the system works.
This office did several things that made me quite happy to walk out the door without being seen.
1 – The receptionist needs to be able to multitask.
To have a new patient sitting, doing nothing, for 20 minutes is unacceptable.
Get the patient started on filling out paperwork while you finish the first patient’s chart!
2 – Don’t ask you patients to sign a form saying that they give you permission to charge their credit card when you feel it’s appropriate.
I didn’t sign that form, even before the copay bruhaha.
3 – You don’t need my social security number.
You don’t need my husband’s social security number.
Insurance companies don’t use that as identification any more.
4 – Don’t ask the patient to do your job for you.
It’s your job to get confirmation from the insurance company.
It’s ridiculous to have the patient hand you her phone with the benefit agent on the line.
And when you get that phone handed to you, take the information and accept it.
Don’t continue to refuse to believe the patient.
5 – Educate your front office staff.
I am surely not the first patient to have met their OOP max.
The receptionist needs to be taught what an OOP max is and how it differs from a deductible.
I wasted an hour and a half of my day. I’m very disappointed.
Bad Service Provides
At first, I was impressed by the intake paperwork as it seemed that Dr. Brar and her staff were thorough in gathering background information. Her staff was nice – I had no issues with them. However, Dr Brar was combative from the start.
As soon as she walked through the door, she began to loudly complain that I was withholding information on my intake form when I had clearly stated, “see attachment” under certain categories because there was no room on the form to do (i.e. medication list). As for a few of the other items, I stated that I wanted to discuss them more in detail with her in-person.
I told her that I had been to several ERs and was seeing specialists due to side effects to Isotretinoin (Accutane). She immediately intervened proclaiming what a wonderful drug Accutane is, and how it has done wonders for acne. I told her that I was not informed by my dermatologist that it was a chemotherapy drug and increased the pressure in your cerebrospinal fluid.
She then defended my dermatologist, denied that it’s a chemotherapy drug, and said that it is an immunosuppressant, instead. A simple google search would have informed Ms. Brar that Isotretinoin is indeed a chemotherapy drug and is not an immunosuppressant.