★
In February of this year, I took my son to Fremont Sutter Health because he had a fever. The doctor recommended to test him for COVID-19, RSV, Influenza A, and Influenza B, and I agreed, because when your child is sick, you trust the provider and want the best care. At the time, I thought the test wouldn't be expensive when you could buy a test kit for Covid and FluA/B for about $20 at the pharmacy.
What I did NOT expect was the shocking billing that came afterward in March. I got two separate charges, one for the visit and another for the lab test performed under CPT 87637 -- the standard multiplex panel for COVID/Flu/RSV.
After doing my research, I learned that in my ZIP code, the 80th-percentile cost for this exact test is about $172. Sutter charged $686, exactly FOUR times that amount.
I contacted Sutter billing immediately and requested a formal code review, as I felt this had to be some kind of mistake. Instead, I was told that "nothing is wrong." That response was dismissive, unhelpful, and honestly infuriating. How can a hospital justify billing families four times the local benchmark and then act as if this is normal? I felt unheard- as if my concerns didn't matter at all.
Families deserve transparency and fair pricing -- not surprise charges that feel designed to take advantage of patients.
I hope other families understand what they may be charged before they walk through those doors.
★
We have been with PAMF for the past 15 years, but my husband's recent appointment with Dr. Joshua Kan was extremely disappointing. He is by far the worst doctor we've ever encountered. He showed a complete lack of knowledge, empathy, and understanding of basic patient needs. He didn't listen, didn't ask the right questions, and seemed completely uninterested in helping. A good doctor takes the time to understand their patient--Dr. Kan did the exact opposite.
★
I am writing this review to warn others to avoid any exam or procedure at Sutter Health. Doctor Nancy is outstanding, she is completely amazing, she is the only reason that my family and I will go to this place again, but any exam or procedure that she will send us to do, we will do in another place.
In February, my son was sick, and Dr. Nancy was not available, I called Sutter Health in Fremont, and they told me to go in person with Dr. Anand. She was very nice and promptly said that he just had an ear infection, inside her office she told me that she will do a swab test for COVID and streptococo, just because she will give him an excused letter to his school, and she wanted to have "a peace of mind". She used the same swab for everything, in less than 10 min we left her office, just with an antibiotic prescription. 2 months later, I received a bill for $496, one procedure was described "anesthesia", and the cost was $414 just for that. I was very surprise and called Sutter Health, I explained that my son never got an anesthesia, he just did some swab exam, after 15 min searching, the person told me that they will correct the code and send a new bill. 1 month later, they really sent me a new bill, same amount, but kind of very specific COVID test, $414 again. I called again, for my surprise, the person that I spoke was very rude, I tried to explain and she started laughing. So disrespectful. She said that I am refusing to pay for what I am already used. For the second time, Sutter Health is very unethical and unprofessional, and seeing all the reviews here, I can say that a lot of people is having the same issue. How can a Covid test cost $414 using an insurance, and I never allowed the doctor to do a different exam than a simple COVID, because she said that my son clearly had just an ear infection. What she did was abusing my good faith and billing me a different test very expensive, one that on Sutter Health estimate cost tool doesn't exist. I called my insurance and the estimate cost for this exam is $30 in the entire Bay Area. I escalate to my insurance, and Blue Cross Blue Shield told me that they can't control how much the provider charge, but because it was very overcharged, they couldn't pay for that.
Also, on my last appointment with my family doctor she ordered an ultrasound, because all those issues, I decided to check the price before, for my 0 surprise, on Sutter Health the cost is $652, in all the other providers is just $28 or $30 maximum.
Please don't do any exam or procedure on this place, until now I couldn't receive a solution for this exorbitant charge, I will escalate and use the law to solve this if necessary, I already talked to a lawyer and I was advised that I will be able to utilize the No Surprises Act dispute resolution process. I also sent the problem to Medical Board of California. Be aware about the bad practices and overcharge prices for Sutter Health.
