First of all I've never seen a doctor who works on a first come first serve basis. This was my first experience with the father "Dr Bill" as they called him. I went in because I was coughing and my nose was stuffy, wanted to make sure I didn't have something that needed antibiotics. I go in and one of the first things he asked is when was my last colonoscopy, then when was my last mammogram. He then tells me I have to come back and see his son to have a colonoscopy and writes me script to go across the street to a clinic they work with; I think it's my decision who I see and what procedures are done on my body. Then after telling him I'm hyper sensitive to antihistamines and on medication for cancer treatment, there was a back and forth for about a 1/2 hour where he kept telling me he was prescribing antihistamines for me and I kept telling him no I can't take them. Finally he says he's going to prescribe cough medicine. I go out to the girl at the desk and she says that I owed a $40 copay, I tell her what are you talking about, my insurance doesn't have a copay and I've reached out of pocket max on my insurance, she says there is still a $40 copay for the visit; I repeated I don't have a copay, what the heck are you talking about? She then realized she put the code in wrong. I go to the pharmacy to find out the medicine isn't covered on my insurance and has antihistamines in it! After another 45 minutes at the pharmacy they give me a replacement drug only to read on the paperwork Do Not Operate Machinery or A Car While On; Side Effects Dizziness, Drowsiness, and a Stuffy Nose among 25 other things. I call the office back and was told that they would give me paperwork to take a leave of absence from my job while on the medication, told them no way in hell! read more

The first question I ask when making a Doctors appointment is, "do you PARTICIPATE with my insurance?" NOT, do you take my insurance? Big difference! This office said yes, more than 2 weeks before a colonoscopy that they took Anthem, without checking my plan. Over one week before the procedure I met with Dr. Scott DiGiacomo who also said, "don't worry about insurance". He stated that everyone in his group would be fine including the anethesiologist. Also, I told the office staff several times that I needed a pre-authorization for one anethesia code. They responded, "don't worry". (The office billed my insurance and took a co-pay for this first visit. Also note, that if you do not pay cash for your co-pay, this office tacks on an addition charge.) On the Friday afternoon, before my Tues. procedure, they left me a voicemail. As I was out of town, I did not get the call because I was in a no-cell location. If they had bothered to text me, if they had bothered to email me, or call the emergency contact number, I could have spoke to them. So it wasn't until I was back in town, when my calls came through, (and I had started my prep for the colonoscopy), that I found out by calling them back, that they were not a participant of my insurance. They said I could proceed if I paid 50% of the cost. They also said it was up to the patient to find out if THEY/The Doctors were participants, even though they had plenty of time to check and tell me if there was a problem. I WAS NOT TOLD by the office that I was responsible for pre-approval. Again, I had asked several times about insurance and they stated it was not an issue. I reminded them that they billed my insurance for the first visit. So, how did they NOT know if they were participants or not, and if they did not know what my plan covered, why did they have me pay a co-pay up front?. The office manager back peddled, and stated more than once that they could proceed if I paid 50%. She implied that there was a mis-understanding. A Doctor's office telling patients that they take their insurance when they are not participants is not a mis-understanding. It is unethical. I stated, "but, what about the anethesia group?" She could not respond to this. Patients have insurance for a reason. Paying out of pocket, is not one of those reasons. The office manager also threw out insults on the phone stating that my plan was, "a very small plan" and "you've had this problem before." I don't even know what she met by that, I was a new patient. Anthem BCBS is massive. Now I will have to file a claim with my insurance so the insurance company knows that this Doctor's office took a co-pay without even knowing my coverage. When I receive the EOB for the visit, I'm sure it will show that I owe because the doctor is out of network. I lost 3 days of work because of this, went half way through the prep. Now, to start over again. Dr. Scott, I can send you the bill for my lost wages, prep prescription cost, co-pay, gas and tolls to/from your office. Also, I asked to speak with you, and your office manager said I could not, because you were not available. When did the patient start having to do all the leg work for a procedure. I have called other Colonoscopy offices now to get a new appointment. After telling them what happened at DiGiacomo's office, they all stated that they DO ALL THE LEG WORK, they call the insurance companies, they have to; often 2 weeks in advance to get pre-authorization. So, was this group doing a procedure without pre-authorization? Doesn't add up. This office obviously dropped the ball, wasted my time and money, and are too arrogant to admit they made mistakes. The office manager stated that there "are so many insurance plans," that the patient has to check the doctor's status, they don't have the time. That's just another way of saying that they are lazy, or understaffed, or uneducated when it comes to how insurance works. Or, all of the above. If you are a patient in need of a procedure, find the Doctor who cares enough to take care of all of your needs. You should never have to do any of the heavy lifting. A doctor is only as good as their staff. And, this one failed. In hindsight, I am now grateful that the procedure fell through after speaking with other Colon doctor offices. If they can't handle the basics, I'm glad my health is no longer in their care. read more

Someone gave me the number to make an appointment. I did and I have been a dedicated patient ever since. With the guidance of Dr Scott I lost 53 lbs and am working on losing more. The pleasant atmosphere of the office and the timely matter they see you is also appreciated. If you go here I guarantee you won't be sorry. read more