DR. COOKE AND HIS STAFF ARE TERRIFYINGLY HORRIBLE, UNPROFESSIONAL AND 100% OUT TO TAKE YOUR MONEY! Shockingly rude, screams, insults and laughs at you & lies to health insurance to get away with his malpractices - same with the girls on his staff - feels like you are in a fight with middle school bratty girls- UNBELIEVABLE
My husband went to Dr. Bernard Cooke in Sherman Oaks, CA (12626 Riverside Drive) for his annual checkup. It was later brought to our attention by our insurance broker that he was unjustly charged a $20 copay, as our Anthem plan covers in full annual check ups. My doctor's office also accidentally miscoded my check ups & had charged me $20 each visit. I called my doctor and was able to handle the issue with no problem & they sent a reimbursement check. In addition to mischarging my husband for his annual check up, Dr. Cooke insisted he return to his office to discuss test results, even though the results were normal and could have been mailed like my doctor does--this included tests he did not specifically inquire about or ask for, and this visit cost an additional $20 and was a complete waste of time.
For check ups I give my husband the Preventative Care Benefits sheet provided to us by our insurance broker, which lists all the tests provided for free at annual check ups. We were advised to show the sheet to the doctor & to specify that we only want the tests done that are fully covered by our insurance in order to avoid any confusion at the doctor's office & not be charged for tests we did not need or that aren't covered as preventative care.
We initially assumed that there was a misunderstanding and that Dr. Cooke's office coded his visit incorrectly. My husband called the billing office & the helpful woman there said that Dr. Cooke's office is actually in charge of the coding (my doctor doesn't do it like that), so he would have to speak with them. When he explained this to Dr. Cooke's office, both Dr. Cooke & his receptionists claimed that he had scheduled a "physical" not an annual checkup (eventually a receptionist conceded that a "physical" and "checkup" are the same thing...) and that he had been charged accordingly. Dr. Cooke was not flexible with the discussion and simply would not change anything.
I called the office & was met with COMPLETE HOSTILITY & HUMILIATION from Dr. Cooke and his staff. They repeatedly LAUGHED over the phone and said we didn't understand "how it all worked", refusing to accept the possibility of a misunderstanding on their end. Dr. Cooke and his receptionists claimed they didn't understand why a $20 refund was even important and we why we cared so much about it. The receptionist kept mockingly offering to give me $20 out of her own pocket (what???) Dr. Cooke then said "look, let me tell you how this works, okay?!" and "explained" how he didn't really make money off of annual checkups but acted as though this basic service was a 'favor' to his patients and that "doctors have to make their own money too." Dr. Cooke kept interrupting me, eventually SHOUTING over the phone various insults such as, "WERE YOU THERE? DID YOU SEE WHAT TESTS I DID ON HIM!? YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!" and tried to convince me that I didn't know what my husband had come into the office to be tested for, even though me and my husband both kept reiterating that it was for his annual check up.
I WAS HUNG UP ON 3 TIMES: twice by the receptionists and once by Dr. Cooke. When I attempted to call back, DR. COOKE WAS SCREAMING in the background as his receptionist tried to get me off the phone again, saying he was with a patient. She and the other staff were SNICKERING and she moaned "ohhhh my goooood! WHY do you even care?! I'm trying to control my anger here, Mrs. Robertson!"The ordeal left me crying and shaking. I could not believe how the office had treated us both over something that should be an EASY fix.
My husband had already stopped seeing Dr. Cooke for a multitude of reasons; he required him to come to his office to see any test results or for any referrals (Anthem confirmed that doctors chose to do that if they want), and Cooke often made side comments to him that were inappropriate and unprovoked, including SEXIST COMMENTS about the women in his office and women in general passing it off as "guy" talk . We contacted Anthem to file a complaint against Dr. Cooke but he lied and told them he came in for a referral for snoring, which was a totally separate visit he had months later. Dr. Cooke basically combated a minor inquiry with constant lies, disrespect and false information.
It is important that no one entrust their health and well-being into the hands of medical staff that run such such a corrupt office. Regardless of anything, it is unacceptable to treat patients, or anyone for that matter, with such disrespect and rude behavior and it was one of the most unsettling and shocking interactions me or my husband has ever encountered.
STAY AWAY FROM THESE LYING CROOKS! read more
