Horrible experience, drove over 45 miles for an appt 8 weeks in advance and Thomas Yang said we dont have any records, so sorry...schedule another appt and see of any records come in. He is very arrogant and talked about his $500K machine most of the time. Please save time and read reviews... Not Veteran friendly! read more

Ok look, if you're looking for pills.. you're not going to get them in Washington. But that doesn't mean he can't help you. They have different meds that are long lasting and safer. They provide quality care for a ton of different issues. They get you in fast and I've not waited long at all. read more

So my husband's rheumatoid arthritis pain can be cured by electronic stimulation, the pain is in his head. My husband's leg and knee pain from being crushed can be cured with electronic stimulation. My husbands neck pain and shoulder pain can be cured with the little magic box? But god forbid that my husband be given back his pain pills. I hope someday they understand what real pain is and no one will give them any relief or help except for their magic box of brain stimulation. read more

this place refused my insurance and insisted i pay cash. once i paid the $600 fee, they asked me to walk a few steps, told me to keep doing what i'm doing and sent me on my way. when i asked about medication, they said "we don't prescribe medication here. if you want you can make another appointment to see about alternative treatments". unethical refusal of treatment is discriminatory and illegal. additionally, it puts the patient under duress while scamming patients into thinking they will receive treatment there. i'd avoid at all cost. i had 2 doctors refer me here specifically to get opioid prescriptions, but apparently they're willing to take your money under false pretenses but not willing to treat you. shady predatory practice of opioid dealing. whatever you need to do to make money, i guess. not trying to be racist, although i am korean. american, and this business is owned by koreans, who've not been unknowingly denying patients because they think we're all scammers. it's a simple business model. increase demand, while reducing supply. the model is such that only those that give the lowest probability of monetary loss are considered "good" candidates. unfortunately, this business, like most pin management scams, are a strictly for profit model. it's an emerging industry for obvious reasons as people grow older. it's obvious that the demand for pain management is so great they sit and pick and choose whatever will reduce their potential liability, while maximizing profit. you think you're so clever you have us fooled. have a little respect for your potential customers, and who you are and who you rep. pure disrespect, with priority on profit. how classically korean. soulless sellout for cash. how remedial. sad that you're missing out on 90% of what makes life worth living. i'm honestly sorry to hear you shame others because they disagree with your massive priority to money. what is money? do you even know? do you know that it gets debased that roughly 20% a year? Your money you're savings your fucking hoarding like a dumb bitch is fucking losing value. You know everything I can't tell you shit you just fucking keep on with your bad ass self. But don't tell, my friends, my Homies people who I care about which is everyone involved in financial difficulties that I'm fucking wrong and you're right. Explain yourself let's hear your stupid fucking logic. In fact that's an oxymoron. There is no such thing as stupid logic logic is logic and you, my friend do not understand what it is or cannot even come back. Or, let right here right now. read more

These are anesthesiologists looking only to treat with drugs. They are not interested in looking for the source of pain but only in distributing meds that are not covered by insurance. They are a money generating machine with no concern for their patients. Please do yourself a favor and seek treatment elsewhere. I did and I am pain free. These so called Dr's are criminals in my opinion. read more

I'm virtually pain free due to the expertise and care by doctors Yang, Mambalam, and everyone at the WCPM. Thankfully they accept Triwest through Veterans Choice and I didn't have to wait months to be seen in Seattle. I found everyone pleasant and professional. The folks at the Bellevue Center did everything they could to make sure I was comfortable before, during, and after my radio frequency ablations. I've had ablations done in the past in other states and I can honestly say the WCPM is number one in regards to expertise, patient care, and friendliness. I recommended the WCPM to my doctor at the VA and to anyone who's in pain. read more

Waited over 1 month to be seen in the Bellevue office. Requested the Bellevue office. I went to the Bellevue office on the day of my appointment only to find they had moved to Factoria. I wasn't able to drive to Factoria in time for my appointment. Correction, I was able to drive to the location in Factoria but they don't have any signs outside the Emergency Clinic they are squatting in. They have a vinyl banner but it has a different business name on it. They have a sandwich board facing the Taco Time next door. I called from the parking lot and they could understand why I couldn't find the building. Mainly, because it's not marked. So I was told that because I was 10 minutes late, Couldn't be seen for the intake appointment. I explained the difficulties encountered and was not told anything at the time. Well, they have finally spoken with a $125 charge for missing my appointment in the Bellevue office. The say Factoria is Bellevue. You know, right across the street from Factoria mall... On the bill..."Facility: WACPM - Factoria" I had been seen by this same doctor a couple years ago for trigger point injections. It was just the intake where you are grilled about whether you are seeking opioids. Trigger point injections inject saline and maybe some steroids. After the cursory examination I was sent away for another day to do the trigger point injections. Cost of that exam? Over $700! Treatment received? Nothing. I have asked my medical provider to stop recommending this clinic. People in pain are desperate to not be in pain. Some are at their wits end and others are just trying to live a more normal life. This clinic is a joke. read more

I had a terrible experience with this practice. Although they were apparently out of network with my insurance, they said nothing about it, but instead took my insurance card and charged me my regular co-pay. I later received a bill for two office visits that were 100% my responsibility to pay (over $300 a piece). Dr. Hong was nice on the first visit, but my second visit with him was a complete rip-off. I drove over a half hour out of my way to the Everett clinic and arrived on time only to be made to wait 40 minutes. When he finally took me back, he came in with two interns and gave me less than 10 minutes, barely listening to me nor addressing my concerns. Instead of taking over my pain prescription from my GP, he insisted on a pricey nerve block procedure booked 3 weeks out before he would do so, which was completely inappropriate to my situation and left me relying on my GP for a medication refill in the meantime. Even their after-hours doctor was cold and unhelpful when I called for advice. There are better practices than this for your money and time. If you're thinking of going here, beware. read more

If i could give them a zero i totally would. I went into my first appt and we agreed on a treatment plan.. comes time for my refill and he not only decreased my medication (without consulting me) but changed it completely and didn't properly ween me off of my Morphine. I talked to 3 MA's there and every single one gave me a different answer. Dr. Hong doesn't want to properly treat their patients and never consults their patient either. To make matters worse they prescribed me medicine THAT I CAN BE ALLERGIC TO and didn't warn me. So not only did they take me completely off of Morphine and put me on something I DIDN"T AGREE TO but they gave me something that could potentially can have a bad reaction to. I tried to get Dr. Hong to call me to explain himself and his "master plan" but i cannot get them to communicate. If i were to give any advise is to record or get everything in writing. read more

Though the doctor I have seen is smart and compassionate, there is a huge problem with this practice. They simply do not answer their phones or call patient back for literally days on end. I have had medication reactions and questions about medications, and I simply could not get hold of them. I do not recommend this practice. read more

If I could I would give a ZERO I would! This place charges you if you can't show up - ok fine but I had called ahead of time & we had a viable reason and they want to charge us a $50 a fee. Funny thing is I never have SIGNED any documents or even walked thru the doors before and they want to charge me for a 1st appointment. This company is money hungry and will charge frivallous fees for not even being a patient. STAY AWAY! read more

I honestly do NOT know how this place is in business...wait...yes I do! They trick patients who have little to zero medical knowledge and con them into expensive injections and procedures. The worse doctor was Dr. Mambalam...he is by far THE rudest, most conceited, selfish so-called "Doctor" I've ever came across. Mind you, I'm a nurse, so I have many advantages over someone who isn't, and honestly, he believes that no other doctor is better than him. Also, don't you DARE bring up what other doctors have done for you, he will take that as a slap in the face. It shocked me that not only as a doctor but as a so called man, he couldn't take advice from another MD who has been doing this for 20+ and Dr Mambalam isn't even close to that tier. He may have only 10 years...tops. Maybe. All in all, don't fall for the fancy website, persuasive writing, new technology they offer. From a nurse to a reader, these doctors make money from expensive spinal implants and other "high-end" procedures. They don't make much money from treating pain the conventional and conservative way. They don't believe in using medications as a BRIDGE between procedures to help you keep your normal way of life. They are all about MONEY. Please take your precious life and it's priceless value to another Doctor that sees you as priceless and as a human being. P.S. I am SO happy with my new pain management doctor that I found! He has over 30 years in pain management experience AND amazing bed-side manner. It would behove of Dr. Mambalam to learn to value humans for who they are and not just a dollar sign. read more

I went to this fraudulent place over three years ago. It was the worst experience of my life. Dr. Mambalam is a pathetic human being who is rude and interested in money. He did not listen and almost found excitement knowing I was in pain and he was going to do absolutely nothing about it, unless I purchased a pain pump for $20,000, which was not covered by insurance. Do not believe this place will help you. I found a fantastic pain clinic and have been getting tremendous results from them without a $20,000 pain pump. Please do not bother, because God knows they will do everything in their power to not be of assistance to you or your pain needs. Plus, they charge $3000 to test your urine, which is every visit, even if you are not prescribed medication. read more

I had an appt on may 18th but had to cancel on the morning of may 17th after both my kids tested positive for COVID on the evening of the 16th from at home test. (we were notified they had been in close contact at school) When I called in to cancel I was informed that it would be best not to come in and it would not be issue. Now in august after moving across the country to GA, I get a pre-collection notification for $100 because of missed appointment. When I called the office, all they could say was they need proof of positive test or pay the money read more

I have a 0 rating for Washington center for pain management. 2005 I was involved in a logging accident which at first glance I would be out 2 to 3 months and then be able to get back to our normal routine. That did not work out as planned but somehow I was lucky enough to find a good Dr. I can't print his name but he did give me the fullest diagnosis. And he told me the truth and that I had to find a great pain specialist that would be respectful and fair that I was diagnosed with the most painful disease known to mankind CRPS. I had never heard of it before but the excruciating pain at least had a name! I saw Dr Hong on my first visit and he also told me it was CRPS after many spinal injections and even a spinal chord stimulator implant I've been in constant debilitating pain since. I really liked and respected mr Hong really believed in him actually but then there was no way I could see Dr Hong the practice got to big and had to see a man that told me that if it was his office he would just send me home and he could not help me! Anybody remember Dr "f" ? Then maybe you had the same problem .I really thought that Dr Hong was the man but when it comes right down to all important and even life giving pain management I was deeply disappointed. 2023 and still in uncontrolled pain . read more

Terrible service. Waited on the line for hour and 21 mins. After all this time I found out that I couldn't go to them because I had been "rude" to them the one time I went there. They had told me their opening time; however, no one arrived for 20 to 30 mins. I left several messages for "Billing" and they never returned my call. Bella was nice. I'm afraid in my opinion that they don't care about their patients AT ALL. They obviously need more help, but it apears they don't give a you know what on how their customers are served. I'd try to find elsewhere to go if I were another patient. read more

I moved here from San Diego a few years ago. I've been on pain medications for over 20 years and was approved for a morphine pump. Since I was relocating here I didn't want to have surgery down there. My pain is horrific. Everytime my rheumatologist get to me a medication that helps so that I am only 75 percent disabled Washington Center for pain management wants to lower my dosage. I'm still not at therapeutic level up here. I no longer play bridge, travel, or participate in daily life. Washington's 2011 laws which were initiated by Dr. Cahana (UW) have set back adequate care for patients. Despite best practices for patients, Washington Center for pain management follows along like sheep read more

I would give this place zero stars if I could. I don't usually do this, but DO NOT GO TO THIS PRACTICE. Let me rephrase: I highly HIGHLY recommend that you do not go to this practice. I need to find a new pain clinic because my previous doctor is not a pain specialist by profession and the new state laws are scaring him. I found the Washington Center for Pain Management because they have massive online presence. I called and scheduled an appointment and was told that there was a fee if I had to cancel or reschedule with less than 48 hours notice. Hmm, that's a little more aggressive than the usual 24 hours, I thought, but sure. I agreed. I was scheduled to see them tomorrow. Earlier today I started looking around for alternatives because I want to choose a pain specialist carefully; I want a doctor to partner with my other specialists, etc. While looking around online I came across these shockingly terrible (and very detailed) reports of terrible experiences with this practice. Aside from what sounds like unethical medical practices it sounds as if the billing department may be committing financial fraud?! So I called them to cancel even though I know there will be a fee. How much? $100.(!) Yep. They are insisting - quite angrily - that I now owe them $100 for a 24-hour cancellation. (!) They told me that they would be willing to waive the fee if I rescheduled for a later appointment. . . BUT only if I immediately give them my credit card number right this minute so that if I cancel again they can charge me a $150 'fee'. Um, WHAT? I told them that I regularly see many many doctors and none require 48 hour notice, and absolutely zero doctors I see have EVER seen has asked for anything close to $100. So I said: "If you think that I am giving my credit card number to people in an office where I have never been who are already trying to bill me exorbitantly for no services at all then you're out of your mind and is a $100 cancellation fee even legal? No one disclosed that the cancellation fee was that high." They were unrepentant. I was honest when I said, "Listen, I was hoping to have an exploratory meeting with your main doctor to see if he would be the right doctor for me. Since my auto-immune disorder is unpredictable there will often be times when I'm okay one day but really not the next; based on what you are telling me I can't afford to come to your practice. I frequently cannot predict the days when I cannot move no matter how many pain drugs I am on and I'm a disabled person with a very limited income." Then they hung up the phone on me. So, THAT. Based on the other reviews here I had no confidence that they wouldn't go ahead and bill me for their exorbitant cancellation fee. It's just shockingly unethical. If I can figure out which medical boards, licensing authorities, and insurance commissioners to report them to, I will ASAP. I know it is really difficult to find a pain specialist ever since our stupid state regs were enacted but DO NOT GO HERE. They only see $$$ when they see you, and sometime even when they do not even see you! read more

My husband went to Dr. Zhu for his back, had some injections done that only lasted 2 weeks. In the past when my husband has had spinal injections done with other doctors, the results last 3-5 months. Didn't get the impression the Doctor was as skilled as many of his peers in other groups. My main complaint would be their billing department, it deserves negative stars. We had to pay upfront before our appointments even though we have insurance and they take our insurance. This seemed fishy, but we went along with it. Now, months later they are sending us bills for co-pay amounts, never admitting they already took a balance from us. They owe US money from taking too much money from us upfront, yet are trying to pretend they didn't do that. Luckily for me I save every receipt, every statement from the insurance company so I have a paper trail of them trying to rip us off. The women in their billing department are horrible... they have so much attitude when they don't even know what they are talking about. I'm just going to sic Premara on them for insurance fraud, but I would not ever come here again just because their billing department is so damn difficult. I know if you are having chronic pain you might be willing to put up with these jokers but know they are going to try to rip you off for as much money as they can. Seek help elsewhere! read more

Please note this review is for medical providers Kristine Skinner and Peter Pang and Dr. Hong. I did see a couple other providers there who I WOULD NOT recommend but I choose not to focus on the negative. I was under their care for about a year. Having chronic pain is the most challenging life situation and often times it can't be managed like one would like, but I have to say the providers (that I mentioned) were attentive, highly skilled/educated and tried their best to understand. As with most people, I was scared to death of being a member of the opioid crisis but at the same time needed relief. They made sure to keep my pain meds just where they needed to be to keep me safe as well as address the pain. Never was I made to feel like a "pill popper" or "addict". I had many personal, familial challenges while under their care and they remained supportive. If your a new patient, here are a few things to keep in mind. You may have to jump through hoops to see a provider. Do it. But only if you go with those providers. If you somehow get other providers, there will no doubt be an unlimited amount of hoops to jump. You will be left feeling discouraged and demeaned. Second, make sure you show up at the scheduled check in time. They have many patients and I've experienced having to reschedule. It's a pain in the ass. Third, the providers I mentioned are friendly and caring but firm. Don't ask for a refill before your refill date because they won't do it, per your contract. I made the mistake of taking more of my prescription due to a flare up and learned the hard way. Oh, and don't travel with your pills. I had several drop into my purse and dissolved one way or another. No matter what, they won't refill. The only reason I am no longer a patient is because my insurance changed and they don't take it. For a few months I paid out of pocket but then could no longer afford. Good luck to you and hope you stay positive through this painful season of your life! :) read more

beware they over charge medicare 550 dollars for a office consultation 10 min appointment they dont want to help you they want your money only .find and other company , horrible money driven staff there indian doctor mambalam this man is the worst doctor and deserves to be in jail dont go here find any other company only wants to implant a device that does not work on evryone and deffintly dont ask for meds they want you to only use there device only frank read more

I went to the Edmonds location and got established with Dr Zhu as a pain med consult as requested by my family care physician for chronic migraine headaches and back pain. He said he would be willing to transfer a pain contract (for migraine headaches and back pain) from my family Dr. I was interested because that my Dr was in Federal way and I live close to Edmonds, rather than deal with traffic. He reported to my physician that the medications I was taking was ok except for an anxiety medicine. My physician stopped prescribing it per request of this clinic, keeping pain meds in place. At Dr. Zhu's advice about transferring to WCPM for management of my pain: I followed up with his psycologist, a very polite and smart man, who told me at the appt I was fine to transfer to Dr Zhu. 3rd appt I was told by Dr. Zhu that they do not treat migraine headaches. He could have told me at the 1st appt but instead he made more money for the company by adding visits. Cheating this patient, and medicare as well. I would advise to keep away from this clinic. I left this place feeling beaten down, shunned. The last appointment there was about 10 minutes face to face with this Dr. who billed $321.16 as a level 3 office visit to say he would not treat me. There are other pain clinics that actually care and have compassion in this area. If you want to waste your money for nothing this is your place to go. Scandalous, AND SCARY! Rather than treat me with meds this Dr wants to cauterize nerves inside the neck without tests to verify it beneficial, after condoning the treatment I have received for decades, with the current pain med therapy by my referring family care physician. read more

I had an appointment for a consultation at 8:30 AM. It was amazing for how early it was that they left me waiting for 30 minutes. I had to ask reception what was going on... Prior to the appointment (which I waited months for), They made me fill out tons of paperwork asking about family history, my limitations, and so on. Someone from the office even called to remind me that it to be submitted, and I went out of my way to complete it and submit ahead of time (one form took 30 minutes to finish. I came in with questions to address & was seen by a resident vs the doctor I signed up for. Nobody let me the know when advance. It was obvious that my paperwork wasn't reviewed whatsoever. The website boasts about all these solutions they offer, but none of that came to fruition, nor did we talk about any of the issues I wanted to discuss. I felt it was a waste of time. Oh well... Next. read more

I was referred by my NP. I called to make sure they accepted my insurance and they said "yes we have a contract with Premera". What they failed to tell me is that it g was an out of network contract. I ended up paying almost $500 out of pocket for the ONE AND ONLY visit I had. They charged me $352 for the 10 min appt with the weird doctor who tried to push a certain companies products on me and $500 for the quick urine drug screen. They then sent that urine to another company who charged $2316 for whatever it is they do. $2316!! for a urine drug test! Do not go here! read more

I have moved back to CA since this review and will be having surgery to correct my neck problems. My bill for my office visit to my neurosurgeon was $280. My bill for my office visit to this place was $718!!!!!!! THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS. I have insurance to pay for this bill, but they are clearly overbilling to try and get the largest payments possible. It's doctors like this that are ruining our healthcare system with their exhorbitant fees. read more

First visit was very good impression. Friendly, attentive to my needs. Sounds like they have good starter plan to manage my pain now and future options. Hope it's good start to healing process. read more

Was told over the phone that total cost for office visit would be $100 which I paid at the time of the visit. 60 days later I receive a bill for $289 in addition to the $100 I already paid. To make things even worse...The talked me into an" inexpensive" urine screen to qualify for pain medication. 2 months down the road, another bill for $1275.00 for urine screen. These people are criminals and are the reason health care in America is so screwed up. Save you time and money and visit a homopathic DR in your area. read more

My boyfriend ruptured his L4-5 disc, very severe situation. Dr. Hong managed it with 3 epidural steroid injections and a caudal injection. Medications and physical therapy were prescribed as well. The goal was avoiding surgery. He was in bed for 2 weeks and then on crutches, off work for 3 months. But it got better, he went hunting last fall, avoided surgery and is pretty much back to normal. It did take time but the management of this was superb by Dr. Hong.Many Thanks!! read more

So when I started coming here I saw a great doctor who got me back on my feet. I had severe abdominal pain and severe lower back pain. I ended up having to have back surgery. The doctor I was seeing who was an amazing doctor decided to move to Texas and I got pushed onto his P.A. who is still a good guy but their doctor who did my last procedure messed something up in my back and now I'm having to miss work and trying to get my life back together and they are not doing anything to help. They are just telling me to wait and see if my last procedure takes effect and it has been two weeks now. read more

Expect to wait multiple hours for your appointments at this chain of clinics. They seem to regularly schedule their appointments too close together, thus leaving their paients waiting well past their appointments times. read more

I wish I could find a lawyer to sue them. I was told a pain pump was the best solution for bad knees. I received my pre-op pack 2 days after my surgery. I had horrible headaches from spinal leakage for 4 days but never received a call back. I could only lay in bed and try not to move my head, the 4 days. It took everything I had on 4th day to get out of bed and get to their Everett clinic and ask for help. My son had to drive. They told me to take caffeine and had me lay down in a back room. Later I found out they had prescribed a caffeine prescription but insurance denied it right after surgery. So call me back and let me know. I can get it over the counter. Anyways I had the pump 3 years and during this time I continually tell them it isn't working . No relief whatsoever. After 2 years I went in and told dr. M I wanted it out. He brushed me off and said it was working fine.I asked to try a different medication eventually. They agreed surprisingly. I had been on morphine for 2 years and MIND YOU, I had never received a bill for the medicine. They switched me to Diluted. It never worked.... I asked to have it turned off in January this year and was told they couldn't because I'd stop breathing. I walked out of that appointment. I had kept asking throughout the years with the pump what my micro dose was comparable to the Morphine scale but was always told it was complex and very hard to figure out. I finally had enough. It was time for a pump refill and they were pushing hard for it. They said pump wasn't really working for me but they had to slowly taper me off. I told them I wasn't getting it refilled and I wanted a answer on on my dose . The last day I went in and had it turned off, I asked the dr. a answer on my dose. He hemmed and hawed for 2-3 minutes and said it really hard to figure out. Finally, he said "3". I said "3 what"? 3 pills was his answer. This was so far below my oral dose , they took me off of, for this pump debacle. They tried telling me I really needed to get a shock stimulation unit put in my back instead. That would work. I declined and asked him to just turn it off. I said, I had been told I would stop breathing if it was turned off. He said " no as a matter of fact, you are on such a low dose, you shouldn't even go thru withdrawals. 3 Years on pump and no withdrawals? I guess all the years complaining it wasn't working, were the truth. They didn't even offer to keep seeing me, even after being a 7 year patient. Just let me walk out. The awesome kicker........ when I was switched to Diluted, it was out of network. I just found out last week I have a 10000 dollar bill with a place out of Mississippi....... I had my pump removed a month ago through a different doctor. I asked if I could have it ? I wanted to smash the hell out of it, for the last 3 years but was told no. Legal reasons. Medtronic, who manufactures the pump has a bogus ambassador that calls you and tells you how awesome the pump is. Hes had one since the 90's but changes them out ever 6-7 years. He told me u can keep them like he has. He has his,in his garage and calls them, his hockey pucks. Someone lied there. read more

If you can find ANY OTHER PLACE to go for your spine or pain needs - RUN to it! This is the worst run (Dis)organization I have seen since ProOrtho (another place to AVOID). The worst hell you will go through is dealing with their dysfunctional back office. They do NOT work with people on the bill but will hold you hostage in a sense by not allowing you to see your WCPM doctor if you owe ANYTHING. Also CHECK every bill you get from them because I was billed for things I was told I would NOT be billed for. MONEY IS ALL THEY CARE ABOUT above and beyond the physical care and suffering of human beings. i felt misleaded when I went there to look into the Spinal Implant. After they got me interested they then told me I HAD to undergo a mandatory (RIPOFF) mental health eval with of course, their Behavioral Med Dr. BEFORE I cld even do the TRIAL to see if the implant even works for me. I told him we were dead in the water then because I had no mental health coverage of which this wld be billed, nor cld I afford it either way. So he told me that they would do it as a courtesy and NOT bill me. I don't know if that is due to caring or if that is a sign of how well Boston Medical (Implant maker) pays WCPM for ea implant sold. After the mental health evan I DID rec'v a bill from WCPM for nearly $400!!!!!! Then I had to pay for another office visit to go through essentially a sales pitch (& later numerous sales calls from Boston Medical, maker of the implant used by WCPM - and then an appt w Dr. Mambalam to discuss how they would implant the device in my spine physically. This is what angered me the most, it was only after enduring all the above hoops, lies and rip off billing that the Dr. M informed me that for most patients the implant procedure is simple and non-surgical (as far as not needing a surgeon being put under anesthesia), but in my case a surgeon would need to put me under and remove bone from part of my flipping spine in order to just fit the wire leads in due to my stenosis. This is something they HAD to have known from the moment they got my MRI records months prior. Not only is this an added and expensive factor, but this is something he SHOULD have told me upfront! Before I even went thru all the psychology & Boston Medical crap as well as extra office visits, etc. I have already had 3 major spine surgeries w more in the future so there was no way I was going to let someone chip away more of my spine/bone espec for what is essentially a BANDAID (implant), not something to actually correct any of my spine issues. No surgeon or WCPM dr. ever tells you how all of this bone/tissue removal was going to affect your spine/pain 10, 20, 30 yrs down the road. read more

My wife has been a patient there recently, and we haven't been impressed. On the initial visit, they prescribed a nerve block and a compounded cream. When the specialized pharmacy called about the cream, it turned out to contain a large number of high-dose pain killers, and having it specially compounded would run several thousand dollars. We decided to pass. For the nerve block, they scheduled her in an (affiliated) surgery center that was out of network for our insurance. Why in the surgery center? Because they decided that she was needle-phobic and needed sedation. We protested that she hadn't requested sedation, and they removed the surgery center appointment. When we arrived, we were directed to the surgery center anyway, because that's where the doctor was doing everything. (To their credit, the surgery center didn't bill us, just the doctor.) They want part of their money up front, then they process insurance and bill you for the balance. Annoying, but whatever. On a subsequent visit we paid both the balance from the nerve block and first visit, plus what they wanted us to pre-pay for the current visit. But after processing insurance on that visit, they applied that payment to the newest charge first (the new, unbilled visit) then said we hadn't fully paid for the initial visit and therefore owed a finance charge for carrying a balance. When we protested that, they said that "if we paid our balance immediately," they could waive the finance charge "this time." They haven't done much for my wife's pain level beyond referring her elsewhere for physical therapy, and what we've seen of their billing practices verge on predatory. If you have other options, try them first. read more

Terrible this place treats you like a criminal and Dr Mambalam is a complete curt person. They are over billers and they seem fraudulent anyhow I told them to piss off no pun intended. Guy here with fused spine mri all documentation makes 6 figures to pay to be treated like a crack head. Found a new Dr that rules truly cares F these guys. read more

Do not make an appointment with these people. I went to the Everett Office and Dr. M is nothing but a bully. I spent less than 10 minutes with the guy and made me feel like a criminal. He gave information about the medication I was on that I was not aware of. I had read all the info provided but it had been years. So I came home, reread the info and discovered he was telling me a pack of lies. He should not be practicing medicine. On top of that, I got a bill for $700. Ten minutes for $700; what a rip-off. I will never go there again and neither should you. read more

My first visit with Dr. Zhu in Tukwila was OK, but he said a couple of things that made me think he was suspicious of chronic pain and mocking chronic pain sufferers. He made recommendations and gave me a list of prerequisite tests, which I followed dutifully so he could take over my care. One of those prereq's was to meet with a WCPM therapist for a psych eval. I went and was informed a new, visiting therapist from a clinic down south was training in Bellevue and would evaluate me instead. The appointment went well, I was totally honest, she said it sounds like I have a good grip on my issues and don't have any addiction problems, etc. Then the usual psychologist (a man) came in after an hour, reviewed my info, and started asking the same questions I'd already answered fully! After 10 or 15 minutes of talking to him (he had a confrontational demeanor from the start), I apologized profusely, and kindly said I had to leave because I had another appointment, and hadn't expected this appointment to take so long. Well, apparently that was the wrong thing to do, and the male psychologist didn't send back a favorable report to Dr. Zhu based on my 10 minutes of him grilling me on the same topics I'd conversed on with the woman he was training. Dr. Zhu informed me of this as he was leaving my appointment. I was totally dumbfounded, because I am a very self-aware, mentally stable person. I asked what I was supposed to do, and he shrugged and suggested finding another pain doctor. He didn't offer an explanation, dismissed my attempt to explained what happened at the end of the psych eval, didn't offer any alternatives, like seeing their therapist again or tapering off my medication. The nurse suggested that the issue might actually be with my new, legal, medically authorized trial of medical marijuana. Maybe I shouldn't have told them that, but I want to be completely honest and have a good relationship with my doctors! I'm pretty sure things would have gone somewhat differently if I had seen Dr. Hong. But even before today's appointment, I was considering seeking pain management elsewhere. Like Sarah, I also got the impression that WCPM was all about maximizing profits and there was something off with Dr. Zhu. They're all about lots of appointments, expensive tests and procedures, and far less enthusiastic about affordable alternatives here. And I get it's a big operation, but I don't care for the big answering service they use to take all calls (including appointments). My lesson from all of this is to follow my instincts about doctors and clinics. I didn't get a good feeling from the start with WCPM, and my experiences have confirmed that. I suspect they attract some doctors who more interested in lining their pockets than helping people with chronic pain, and it seems like Dr. Zhu might be one of them, unfortunately. If you want to give WCPM a shot, go ahead, but steer clear of Dr. Zhu and do your research on specific doctors and request one you feel might be a good fit ahead of time. read more

They were running over an hour and half behind. The doctor checked me out for no more than 20 mins, and made me feel like I shouldn't have even come in. I filled out their stupid survey for a starbucks gift card. The gift card they sent me wasn't even activated. read more

Dr. M was rude. they try to rattle you, to see if you are a druggie or not. Soooo many hoops to jump through. have to go see their therapist first, then see Dr. again, still not knowing if I will receive medication. the Dr. doesn't give medication, you have to come back again to see the Physicians Assistant. what a racket!! will take forever to get medication. will run out by then. hard to get local appts, because they are only at that location once or twice a week. read more

I was set up with this facility because of a WC Claim and my PCP was retiring and could no longer prescribe my meds. The intent on going here was to seek further options for pain management. I went 1.5 years with the intent to have a Pain Stimulator implant. After jumping through all the hoops, my physician, Dr Paterno, left the company. Washington Pain Management did not inform me that my residing physician had left 4 months prior to being scheduled for surgery. They had me seeing Dustin Reed PA at the Puyallup clinic. My WC claim needed to be closed to have the stimulator. It was closed in September 2017 as planned. My surgery was scheduled, my private Medicare insurance was provided to this facility in March of 2017 when it became effective. My complaint, because Dr Paterno left the facility, my insurance no longer covered me. I now have bills from Washington Pain Management and LabCorp that go unpaid (my responsibility they say) for their mistake in continuing to provide services to me without my knowledge of the physician leaving. It was the surgery coordinator who AFTER my surgery was scheduled, called and informed me that the physician hadn't been there for several months and my insurance would no longer cover me there. When asked where do I go now? The office / billing staff said they didn't know, not their problem. My insurance co was able to provide me with a facility that would be covered, but starting over at square one. My bills and situation, ALL being submitted to Washington State Insurance Commission for complaint. Beware, even when things are set, facilities do have employee turnover which can pull the rug out on their plans. Highly frustrating! read more

I would run from here as fast as you can!!!! I found that I wouldn't let that put things in my spine and shoot steroids in my knees and shoot them in my back and now oh to my surprise I failed a ua??? I have been going to this place for almost 3 year's and never had a bad ua!!! They had the nerve to call and ask me if I still wanted injections??? read more