My main serious complaint is about the billing. Both their anesthesia provider as well as Go Gastro directly tried balance billing me, illegal in the state of Illinois. At the time I write this, my insurance company has sent their anesthesia provider several letters saying they can't bill me for the remaining amount they charged, but the anesthesia company refuses to comply and has sent me the same incorrect statement. GoGastro tried billing me for a surgical tray fee, which according to my insurance company is also illegal. Additionally, the bill they sent me asked me to mail them my credit card number or give it to them over the phone - so in another words no online payment. This is the 21st century - who mails in their credit card number? There must be an online option.
Dr.Konicek presumably performed the colonoscopy well and was friendly, however I was a little surprised that he asked me to remove my mask in the initial visit (he was not wearing a mask, himself) considering I wasn't there to have my face or throat looked at. I found this to be unprofessional.
Lastly, I'd called the office before the procedure to get an idea of cost. They had someone from the office call me back to answer my question. I got a callback within 2 hours, however the lady who called me back was extremely rude and irate. First she said she told me she didn't know the reason I called before because there was nothing in the notes from my call before. This speaks of disorganization. I don't think she even knew I was to have a colonoscopy. Though I was puzzled by this, I brushed it off and repeated the reason for my call (to get an estimate of the cost of the procedure and to see if it was going to be billed as screening or diagnostic). With an irate tone of voice, she replied that I have to call my insurance to find that out because it goes through my insurance. I told her that I'm aware that it goes through my insurance, but the doctor and nurses are the ones who describe the procedure to the insurance based on codes, per my insurance company. There were 10 seconds silence after I'd said this. I asked if she was still there, and she said in a very aggravated tone 'SIR, I really need you to hold until I look up this information'. I'd told her that that's fine but I didn't hear anything after I told her what I was looking for and that's why I asked if she was still there. As if I had said something offensive she responded around the lines of 'I KNOW, THAYS WHY YOU HAVE TO HOLD IN ORDER FOR ME TO LOOK THIS UP', screaming into the phone.
I was so taken aback. I told her I didn't know why she was treating me like this and I thought she was being very rude for no reason at all, and she claimed she wasn't being rude and that I was the one being rude. I was speaking a gentle tone the entire time until she started speaking like this to me for no reason at all. I asked to speak to someone else who could treat me with respect, but she said there was no one else. I asked to talk to her manager, and she said there's no manager there I could speak with. I was speechless. She gave me one of the codes I was looking for and then she hung up. Completely unprofessional. I was already feeling very anxious about the procedure and then felt more anxious after the call. I debated canceling, but I had an okay feeling about the doctor and I don't want to pay 4x as much at a hospital, I reluctantly proceeded with it. You would be flabbergasted at the way she spoke. I've never before been talked that way from any human, regardless of the context.
Based on the aforementioned, I cannot recommend this provider. read more