First "visit" in an upcoming long line for my husband who is undergoing Pulmonary Rehab. As a medical professional must say I'm not easy to impress BUT sitting in the clean comfortable "waiting area" for 2 hrs I was made very aware of the professionalism of the staffing; from the desk personnel to the therapists seen dealing with patients in a welcoming, friendly, non-intimidating, accommodating manner. Had heard from many other acquaintances the positive feedback and after this first visit I can say I agree. * If you found something useful in my review, please hit "useful" to let me know. Your feedback helps me improve my future reviews. If you love food and traveling, follow me, or better yet, let's become friends on Yelp! If you think your friends will find my review useful, please share it with them! Thank you and happy Yelping! read more

NorthStar Medical Specialists - Check-in accomodating ladies! - Weight Loss Centers Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Sleep test was inaccurate, claim I was sleeping when I clearly wasn't (sending messages on phone). Asked for a sleep aid but apparently was alsleep for 4 hours? Weird speaker and lights on while testing felt like an upgraded jail cell constantly listened and watched. Billing was a complete disaster, said insurance will cover then hit me with hundreds and hundreds in bills and fees. Everything that is a "trial" or "covered" will be coming out of your pocket at the end. Didn't bill insurance correctly and billed them for random unknown claims resulting in almost $1000 bill for me. Unless you work in health insurance good luck figuring it out. read more

Abusive and predatory billing practices. Avoid!!! Billed $220 six months later for something given to me as a sample. (isame product cost $32 online btw) On an earlier occasion, hounded me for months and sent me to collections for a discharged bill even after a court ordered them to stop billing me. Billing department feels like they get to make whatever rules they want. read more

Extremely sketchy billing practices. They billed Premera incorrectly and then tried to bill me, even though the EOB said I had no responsibility. They repeatedly billed me so I had to get Premera involved. She called them while on the phone with me and told them they could not bill me because they billed incorrectly and it was now past the timely filing date. A year later, another bill arrives. Had to get Premera involved again. Premera resolved the issue again. Do not go to this clinic. I don't think they even deserve one star. read more

I appreciate Dr. Zachary Webb, who diagnosed my sleep apnea and explained why I have it (large tongue and small jaw). HOWEVER, after a while, I was given a yearly appt. with doctors I did not know, as Dr. Webb mostly reads sleep studies, I take it. One of these appointments resulted in a female doctor sending the billing code for obstructive sleep apnea AND "psychological insomnia," as I, a chit-chatter, had talked about a period of time when I had insomnia. I WAS NOT there for her to diagnose me; it was a check-in appointment. Long story short, my insurer (Premera) left the Medicare market in WA where I live in 2025. This bill apparently got sent off long after my service (OCT '23, and it was now JAN 25.) North Star, in the meantime, had sent me to collections for a bill I had never been sent, because they kept sending it back with a "wrong code" (a counseling code needed for the "psychiatric insomnia" which I didn't even have anymore). Ii BEGGED Nort Star to rebill it without the error and a nice woman in billing did. (Mind you, this is after months of trying to figure out 1. Why they sent me to collections without as much as calling me and 2. Why it was getting rejected repeatedly. Well, finally I have a piece of paper saying I owe nothing and that Premera won't pay them because they waited too long (to send a proper request without the offending code). I need service providers who will actually mail, call or text about such a thing, not send me to an easy coast collection company (a sign that Dr. Webb is NOT from the PNW?). The staff were not knowledgeable during all of the early calls I made (I wrote to them too). Only one person in the billing department stepped up to help me and it was too late by then for them to get paid. I will never go there again. Thanks for giving me the chance to complain. read more

I had four visits with Northstar Medical Specialists for weightloss assistance. I have discontinued care with them and am providing some thoughts here so that future potential patients can have an idea of what they may be walking into. The team of care providers don't seem to communicate much with each other, and their recommendations feel very "cut and paste." This was disappointing given that the team approach is part of the appeal of the program. Also, time between appointments with a given provider is quite long, 6-8 weeks, so you're left to figure out a lot on your own. There were also some instances of...let's say "lapses in compassion" that were disconcerting, especially given that they treat fat people as a matter of course in the program. The positive is that the front desk and other support staff are stellar. They truly offer exceptional customer service. Other than that, however, I can't recommend the program based on my experience. UPDATE: I shared my concerns with the clinic manager and received a thoughtful and kind reply. I believe that the clinic will take my feedback seriously to prevent similar experiences in the future. I'm leaving my original post because it was my honest reflection based on my experience and I feel that potential patients should have a whole picture when making their decisions about where to seek care. read more

The front desk staff are not trained fully or properly. They do not make you feel welcome here when you arrive. The whole place feels like a scam or money grab. The billing department is ridiculous. They charge you for services not received or bill for more than what was done. I can't even see a breakdown of what is being charged for. I paid in full for an appointment even though I did not get the full appointment after being treated terribly by the front desk staff. After paying in full I asked to have in writing a statement saying nothing else was owed and there would be no other surprise bills. That would not be provided to me in the end. The company made me feel duped and scammed out of money and services not received. I would not recommend to others to be seen here. read more

I needed a physician to oversee my sleep apnea treatment after changing insurance and medical practices. The Peace Health clinic is not taking new patients right now, and my husband had a good experience at North Star, so I chose to seek care there. Like most medical practices there is an online portal for submission of records and communication with the practice, which is very convenient. Paperwork was emailed well in advance. The receptionist was very professional and efficient with me and those who came after. They got the data from my CPAP machine and reviewed it before PA Franklin met with me. He reviewed my medical history with me and my experience with current CPAP equipment. They had some parts in house, so he was able to replace my cracked humidifier attachment on the spot. We also discussed the pros and possible cons of a travel CPAP. They are getting an influx of new patients right now, in part because of the aforementioned Peace Health Clinic situation and are indeed scheduling a few months out...which seems to be the case for some of the other specialty clinics in town. I was able to schedule my next annual review appointment before I left the office. Overall, very pleased. read more

Dr. Webb is a wonderful sleep Dr and a neurologist. He is a very caring Dr very attentive to my needs. My sleep study was easy and very comfortable for me. My tech was kind and patient very professional. My husband went to another location in Bellingham and his experience was quite negative compared to mine. read more

All the staff are great at NorthStar. They treat You personally and really try to give you suggestions to help you. They are always encouraging. read more

I went and was there for 15 minutes, they took my family history and that was it. Wanted to schedule me for an evaluation but I had other procedures upcoming (as I am recovering from a M.S. exaserbation) and needed to wait. I told them I would each of the three times that they called to schedule (pushy), that I would contact them. Well, before I finished P.T. they had charged my insurance $230.00 for absolutely nothing! No evaluation nothing. I will never go back and I will be telling everyone that I know. A complete rip-off if you ask me. read more

Lack of urgency and poor communication results in wasted time and money. I was referred to NorthStar in July '19 because the soonest PeaceHealth could get me in for a sleep study was October '19. Due to my health, I wanted an appointment sooner. I called NorthStar and was told their wait time was around 2 weeks after the initial consultation establishing myself as a new patient. So I made an appointment for 08/02/19. I had my 08/02/19 appointment, and was told I would receive a call to schedule my sleep study (after turning down an appointment for 08/11/19 due to a previous commitment) after my insurance approves. I was told that they were scheduling appointments a few weeks out. So I should have my sleep study in a few weeks. After a few weeks, I hadn't heard from NorthStar, so I called again on 08/22/19 to get an update. I was told they were still waiting on my insurance. I called again today, 09/09/19 and was told they still hadn't heard from my insurance. They encouraged me to call and ask for an update. So I called my insurance, and was told that they faxed the pre-auth approval on 08/20/19 and gave me the pre-auth number. I called NorthStar again and gave them the pre-auth number. They still claim they never got the fax. They then proceeded to offer me an appointment in October '19, which is the same time frame I was trying to avoid with PeaceHealth!!! Due to NorthStar's lack of urgency, limited resources and poor communication, I am stuck with the same appointment date in October '19, but out an additional $400. It is unfortunate that honesty, integrity and accountability are not values demonstrated by this business. read more

This was supposed to be a place to go for sleep issues and when i walked in it had a weight loss program going on as well as a sleep clinic. The receptionist at the time was rude and snobby and had so much make-up on i think my paperwork had foundation smudges on it. Worst of all when i was called in there was no real doctor just a nurse who tried convincing me i needed a sleep study for sleep apnea when the reason for my visit were nightmares. Then she started to ask me intrusive questions about my children and their sleep troubles if any. This place is one big scam. No doctors and multiple harassing phone calls after my visit. This is not a real doctor's office. If your looking to loose weight or get some make-up tips this is the place for you. If you have real sleep issues go somewhere else please. read more

The staff are very friendly and offered exceptional customer service. Earl Franklin, PA-C is very kind and compassionate and thoroughly answered all my questions. He took time to make sure he and I understood each other. I look forward to being in their care. read more

My initial appointment was June 23rd. It is September 21st and I still have not received my findings. I was supposed to be seen two weeks ago, but after waiting 30 minutes, I was told that the provider I was to see was 90 minutes behind. I wonder why I couldn't be told this before I waited 30 minutes. The PA was supposed to call me, but never has. I was told that I have sleep apnea, but apparently the code "do no harm" doesn't count in this situation. My pcp has requested the findings four times now and was told that the doctor hadn't finished his notes from the visit I didn't wait two hours for. Very unprofessional and ill-equipped to do their jobs well. I chose this clinic because it wasn't PeaceHealth. My bad. Choose PeaceHealth in this situation. I work in a doctor's office and know what the office is capable of providing to their patients. This facility was not in the business of patient service. Why couldn't I have been told the doctor was behind before I spent 30 minutes waiting. No one else waiting was told either. I am really disappointed in this office and I will not ever recommend them. read more

My wife kicked me out of the bedroom because I snored so intensely she said I made the bed vibrate. Who me? I didn't snore. At this point I figured I'd better go find out about my snoring "issues". I did my sleep study at NorthStar a few years ago, got a CPAP, am happily reunited with wife, and sleep MUCH better. The scientific readings from my sleep study were, as they say, life changing. From looking at a printout of the results, which were fully explained to my satisfaction, it was obvious why I had frequently been waking up during the night, and how that adversely effected my quality of rest. Snoring was just a symptom of deeper issues. After getting my CPAP, from another vendor due to insurance limitations, I had a few followups at NorthStar to verify that my CPAP therapy was doing what it was supposed to. I have recently returned to NorthStar as my DME (Durable Medical Equipment) supplier because at the much larger national chain I was dealing with I was just another number. I needed a new mask. At the other place I was told it would probably take a month to get insurance approval. At NorthStar, I had it in a few days. This review is to state that in all my interactions with these guys I have been promptly and satisfactorily attended too. Appointment time have been very closely met by them, so don't you be late. There has been no feeling of being rushed or pushed. They have answered every question I had with good educational explanation. When it comes to CPAP supplies, they seem to have most of them on hand, and if not, can get them in a day or two for in house pickup. They have been very easy to work with. In short I have been treated and taken care of about as well as one could hope for. So, if it's not "as good as it gets", it's about as close to that as it gets. If I needed treatment in the other health specialties they address there, I'd certainly check with them before I went elsewhere. As a side note, if you snore or are contemplating a sleep study I would highly recommend digging around the info it these web forums: apneaboard.com and cpaptalk.com. These sites will demystify lots of issues for you, and give you the education and perhaps motivation you need to seek treatment, and navigate the complexities of this aspect of your healthcare AND relationships. If you snore and/or suspect you too have sleep issues, you likely do. read more

Be very careful with these guys. Great sleep study personnel. No RT available, so be more aware of your needs because they are not. Twice, my insurance was charged for items I did not receive. read more