Casey Health Institute

Reviews 4

DA

Daniel Simmonds

Unprofessional, vengeful and irresponsible. I became a patient at Casey Health Institute due to an integrative health Dr. Who was but is no longer working there. I was told that I need specific lab work drawn and that these labs would be covered by my insurance. When I received a large bill for these labs, I called the practice for help/explanation. TAMMY in billing was my first contact. She ushered me off to the "practice manager" BRENDA ADAMS. For 3 weeks I called and left messages with Brenda Adams. None were returned. I tried reaching Tammy in billing who was now avoiding my calls. It was only after sending an email to the practice, a paper trail that could not be deleted like an email, that I received a call back from the practice manager. She took a very short and aggressive tone with me as soon as I answered, explaining that she had been on vacation. How was I to know? Her voicemail did not say so and none of the front office staff was aware or willing to share that fact with me. Eventually I gathered the information needed to file an appeal of medical necessity for the labs with BCBS. The appeal was denied. While the test were medically necessary, CHI had failed to properly explain why. The next course of action is called a peer to peer appeal. This is when a Dr. From CHI calls a Dr. From BCBS and explains why the tests were medically necessary. This is where I am stuck. Both Brenda Adams and Tammy from billing refuse to return my calls. When I call the front desk, I am promised a call back by the end of the day. The call never happens. My window to appeal is now coming to a close, a fact that Casey Health Institute is well aware of. I have been patient and polite throughout the process offering them no reason to ignore me other than pure laziness and disregard for the reputation of the practice they work for. I even gathered all the phone numbers, fax numbers and extensions that The medical director would need to call in order to file an appeal on my behalf. An appeal that was necessary due to trusting their advice. Im disgusted. Fancy building, cool brochures, unique modalities, all supported by a lazy, unconscionable back office staff. And btw Dr Andrew Wong who is still listed as Director of integrative medicine on their website, left ages ago. POOR ETHICS, disgusting behaviour.

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ME

Melinda Buck

UPDATE: 2 Stars, down to 1. The Practice Manager just called to address my review. Although I appreciate the attempt, unfortunately she is not professional enough to handle patients who have had an unpleasant experience at Casey. After a conversation full of excuses, lies, and her "not knowing", when I told her that her lack accountability and apology were disappointing, she became obviously frustrated with her huffs and puffs so loud that you could hear them over the phone. Its clear why the administration is suffering. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ This office staff continues to be a disappointment. The doctors are good, but its so obnoxious to deal with the staff and some of the nurses, that you just want to leave the whole place. In the beginning when I moved back to the areas, I was excited to find an office with a combination of natural/homeopathic and traditional methods. I should have known from my first contact with them to go another direction when they denied my son a sick visit because he wasnt a patient. My son happened to be very sick and I knew I wanted them to be his PCP, but just hadnt scheduled a new patient visit yet. Throughout our year of being patients, my care provider left the company with no notification from them at all and there have been several times when I have needed to have something done, whether it was a sports physical or a prescription renewed, and they have been unresponsive, including not reading emails for days later (their own admittance). To top it off, when you call them to get an answer from them being unresponsive, the staff and nurses typically dont have a professional demeanor, but rather come off as you are a bother. This last example, leads to this review, when I requested a Rx refill at the pharmacy and CHI "denied" it with no reason provided. When calling to see why 4 days after my initial request, they pull up my file to tell me that I havent been to see them so they denied it. I would think that a professional office would contact me to discuss. Thats the type of office that I want my money going to. Unfortunately, not the case. I had to call them and am now in "hold" until they call me back. Still no prescription though! Pretty liable if you ask me.

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SU

Susan Laine

Just had my first appointment at Casey Health Institute (CHI) on Rt. 355 in Gaithersburg. I was also fortunate to have gotten a tour of the building and was blown away. The CHI philosophy is to take a holistic approach to the care of their patients. Much of what they refer to as integrated health services exist under their roof. They have a naturopath, chiropractor, yoga classes, massage therapy and much more. I was told that they will soon begin shared medical appointments -- a concept unique to me -- but one which I can imagine will benefit patients who have received a difficult diagnosis and for whom contact with others with the same, could be very helpful emotionally and from a treatment perspective. The physician I saw sat with me for a better part of an hour just going over my life and history. The interior design of CHI was designed with patients in mind by one of the founding physicians. I walked in and didnt want to leave. It is comforting, clean, thoughtful....very zen. I went for a physical and left more reassured than I have ever been after a visit to a physician that whatever my needs, they would be coordinated well at CHI. I am healthy, thank goodness, but the few complaints I had were addressed thoroughly and I left with a game plan for followup. CHI is accepting new patients AND taking insurance (rare around here). And CHI is in a very convenient location with parking. I am just beginning at CHI -- but I came away with the feeling that I had finally found my health home. Take some time to learn more about CHI at their website, visit and/or call them.

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LI

Linhong Zhang

If possible, I would rate CHH a -500. Avoid this place if you are interested in seeing a doctor. The place is deceptive and unresponsive to a patients needs. The first time I tried to make an appointment for a physical, I was told that I needed to wait for two months because I was a "new patient." However, I was told that if I am willing to see a nurse practitioner, I could have my physical the next day. I was also told that by seeing the nurse practitioner, I would get priority scheduling going forward at the clinic. Based on those representations, I went ahead with the physical with the nurse practitioner. A year later, I tried to schedule an appointment with one of the doctors for pains I was experiencing in my abdomen. I was told the wait for a doctor is 1 month because I am a "new patient." When I indicated to the scheduler that I had previously visited the clinic, she told me that I would be a "new patient" to the doctors at the clinic because I was previously seen only by the nurse practitioner. She then told me there was no need to see a doctor and a nurse practitioner would suffice, and that I can return to the clinic again if the nurse practitioner couldnt address my problems. Long story short, it appears that Casey tries to improve its margins by funneling patients to nurse practitioners. Based on my experience with the clinic, its my opinion that Casey has no interest in addressing a patients actual illness.

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