I've been a patient of Dr. Sloan's for a few years now. My family and I have spent several pretty…read morepennies buying multiple pairs of glasses from the practice ($1,754 beyond insurance just for myself since 2024). I've always had good insurance and have made the most of it, but I find myself without insurance for the first time in ages, and let me tell you -- the main front office lady turned a warm conversation into a cold, belittling, and smug interaction so quickly that I am taking my cash business elsewhere and will refrain from recommending them, as I have for years to my extensive network.
This is not a knock on the quality of Dr. Sloan's care but a critique of his front office. Here's the play-by-play:
I called to inquire about an appointment for myself. I needed to see if they accepted Medi-Cal and, if not, how much the cash price would be. I am prioritizing continuation of care, as I have suffered from retinal detachments in the past and my eyes require added expertise.
At first, I was speaking with someone who was very kind and understanding. She quoted a cash price in the ballpark of $125. That was doable for me, so I proceeded to schedule an appointment. Then she ran my Medi-Cal number to see if there were any benefits, because I cannot afford new frames and wanted to replace the lenses in my existing frames. Fine. All of a sudden, the call dropped.
So I called back, and the lead front desk woman answered the phone. I asked to be reconnected with her colleague who was helping me, but she said they were all with other customers. I explained that I was the one one of them was on the line with, and she asked what it was regarding. I let her know that they were running my Medi-Cal number. She asked about different Medi-Cal plans, and I let her know that I am on straight Medi-Cal, to which she promptly and snidely replied, "We don't accept straight Medi-Cal." So I said that's fine, I can pay cash. Then she raised the price to $175, and added that it would be another $39 if I add retinal scans, and if I want contact lenses, that's another charge and another appointment all together. I hadn't even asked about contacts. . .
Now, I can't prove that she hung her colleague's phone up on me while we were talking, but now I start to suspect it.
Look - I expected to pay cash. What immediately turned me off was not even the convenient cash price increase -- it was her attitude: haughty, condescending, brusque, and entitled. (She is also usually very pushy about selling new frames. Not anything I was originally annoyed by, but something my husband hates about going there.) On top of treating me as an unwanted and unwelcome patient, she belittled her colleague as "new" and said that's why I was given incorrect information. Absolutely no decorum or emotional intelligence. She just threw the woman under the bus. The correct move would have been to say that there was a new price sheet, or something to that effect -- NOT to undermine her colleague.
I know that we've ALL experienced front desks with subpar customer service, but her immediate dismissiveness toward a good-paying patient who has brought an entire family and other good clients to their practice is beyond the pale.
For the record, I have Medi-Cal because I am recovering from cancer.
I didn't mention that on the phone, because no citizen owes anyone an explanation for their coverage -- we all pay into Medi-Cal. There are widespread layoffs occurring throughout Los Angeles. They ARE going to experience an increase in cash customers. I will not be made to feel less-than for not having insurance in this moment, and I don't want anyone in need of good care to be treated with such prejudice. I think retraining is needed -- learning to have respect not only for her colleagues but for her fellow citizens. Not to mention compassion. Compassion in healthcare seems appropriate.
We will be taking our business and recommendations elsewhere.
