★
Shame on this institution. I'd made an appointment after having had a stroke. Their website indicated that they Accepted my insurance. I had to wait 5 weeks for my appointment even though my discharge instructions had indicated I should have an appointment within 10 days. I waited for the appointment and followed all instructions.
Then when I showed up at the facility they refused my appointment . The poor girl behind the counter had to explain that this was because the billing department decided it no longer liked my insurance and they wouldn't even accept cash. It is still indicated on their website that they accept my insurance
.I'm sure the doctors are qualified etc., but honestly this level of concern only about money and deception in recruiting clients is unconscionable.
★
Husband arrived on time for appointment. The checked him in, took copay and forgot about him. Left him sitting for almost an hour and when he asked about it, they said they forgot to let the doctor know he was there. And then continued to let him wait 10 more minutes, until he became so frustrated he left. If they don't care about something so simple, how can you expect to hem to care about your health??
★★
I'd give Dr Bench a 5, But because of his office manager, I can't. I just recently switched cardiologists for myself and my husband because, when Dr Bench asked if I would like him to preform my doppler in his Southampton location or his Brookhaven location, no one informed me that his Brookhaven location was NOT an office visit. Had I opted to have the test in his Southampton office, it would have been the usual $40.00 specialist copay. I opted for "his Brookhaven location" because it is closer to my home. When I received a $1300.00 bill from Brookhaven hospital, Dr. Benche's office, during their first week of excuses, said Stonybrook does their billing and they had NO control. I called Stonybrook and they said, they had NO record of Dr. Bench performing or ordering a doppler for me, but they had my office visits. When I called Brookhaven and spoke to the nasty billing lady, she told me she billed it correctly and to talk to Dr. Bench. Week 2, 3, trying to get someone on the phone at Dr. Bench's office, Stonybrook hospital was the only "human" I could get to answer the phone. Sometimes, they would 3 way a call and get his office to pick up. At this point, I was getting nasty letters from Brookhaven and Dr Bench's office manager finally took my call and told me there was some sort of error. she told me she would call Brookhaven and straighten it out. 3 more weeks went by and she never called me back and never took one of my 20 phone calls, even when I was told, she was on vacation, or on the phone or stepped out, but she was aware of the situation and would call me back. It has now been a few months and I still have a 15 minute doppler billed as an in-patient hospital visit and a $1300.00 bill
I wont get into how my husbands pacemaker went months without a check when Dr Bench ordered it back in June, because his office kept cancelling appointments on behalf MedTronic. This office didn't feel it was anything to worry about, until I called Stonybrook crying that no one would answer the phone and my husbands pacemaker was making loud noises. Someone in his office had Dr Bench's PA call us and although he was as sweet, patient and understanding as Dr Bench, and they set up a next day pacemaker check with MedTronic in their office, It was not enough to over ride the irresponsible, unprofessional, inconsiderate lies AND bills, that their office staff has imposed on us. As the subscriber to a business health insurance plan, Paying over $14,000.00 a month for insurance, not even my insurance company or broker could get in touch with his office. By the way, they too agree that that procedure should have been billed as an office visit.
It's been 4 months and the office manager still wont return my call and we have a new cardiologist and we love him and his office
Believe me, I have no reason to invest anymore time into this office. I spent months trying to speak with the office manager, and dealing with their run around. I need to put it behind us and not allow it to make us physically sick anymore. I felt the strong need to let anyone looking into this office, just beware. Dr. Bench and his PA are really great guys. I don't believe he is even aware of the office managers incompetence. Personally, I believe you should not be "just a number" when it comes to heart health and overall health and sadly, that is exactly what happened in this office because of their front end staff. And when Dr Bench tells you that you can have a procedure in his Brookhaven office, know that he does not have one there. Brookhaven said, and I quote, "I dont even know Dr Bench. He cant bill an office visit for anything because it is OUR building, it is OUR equipment and it is OUR staff, he just borrows it, so I bill procedures under OUR TAX ID, which is a HOSPITAL and his office should have told you that.
It's all so sad because we truly enjoyed and felt safe the few times we saw Dr. Bench
