ComplaintsforThe Foot & Ankle Center

• Initial Complaint

  05/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I called ****************** to make an appointment and asked if he accepts my insurance and they told me yes. They took photocopies if my insurance and i asked them again if they accepted my insurance and they said yes again. When i got my bill it was $576.67. I was told i had to pay $268.29 on the bill. My insurance company tried to reach out to them and they were very rude to them. Nobody ever told me that my insurance was not accepted or that i would be billed. i would like to know why i was treated so poorly.

  Business response

  05/29/2024

  I have spoken with the patient, apologized and have resolved the matter that was complained about.  I addressed the concerns with the physician, office staff and ****** and educated on proper workflow and appropriate responses to patient's request.

  Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for this matter.

  Kindly,

  ********

• Initial Complaint

  03/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was seen at Foot and Ankle center on ***** Blvd in ********. Doctor immediately recommended ***, that was done at above facility. *** results, I was told, showed torn personal brevis. I was told I was "old" and should do conservative care for next month. My pain became much worse within days.......I went to another podiatrist immediately. I did another *** (in a hospital setting). *** showed NOT ONLY a torn peroneal brevis but a ruptured ligament also! The *** at Foot and Ankle Center was not well done, it should have shown the extent of my injuries. Particularly when preparing for surgery! **************************** spent less than 3 mins with me each visit and DID not diagnosis the problem correctly. I continue to get bills from this practice that I will not pay.

  Business response

  04/09/2024

  We are very sorry to hear about **************************** complaint.  I received an email from ************************ on 3/22 and had spoken with her on 3/25 to thoroughly discuss her concerns.  We discussed her visit, concern with *** and balance she had.  I let her know that I had spoken with ****************** and he was quite surprised with her concerns for her visit.  ****************** reviewed the *** results that was available from her *** and relayed the diagnosis that an independent radiologist read.  It is unclear as to why the ruptured ligament did not show up on the ***.  ****************** provides sincere and compassionate care for each patient and would never call a patient old. ************************ was provided with appropriate treatment for the diagnosis obtained from the ***.   As for the balance, the last statement went out on 3/22 (the same day that I received an email from ************************) and in our conversation on 3/25 I let her know that we will write off her balance.  As of now, she has a zero balance and has not received additional statements from us.  

• Initial Complaint

  09/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had called The foot and ankle center to seek help with a neuromuscular disease. The doctor I had used in the past had moved on to a different practice so they recommended ************************* to which I made an appointment for 8:30 a.m. on September 13th 2023. When I arrived from my appointment the nurse proceeded with 20 x-rays because she said she didn't know what the doctor would need. When ***************** entered, he did no examination whatsoever and only asked me what I wanted. I told him I wanted a doctor's consultation on my condition of CMT and professional advice on what bracing or orthotics I would need. The doctor googled braces and asked me which one I would like because he didn't know which one would be best. I told him I did not know because I'm not a professional so he wrote a prescription for three different things and told me to have another doctor's ****** decide. Due to his lack of professionalism or ability to provide a professional assessment, I called the ****** manager ************************* to report the doctor. ***** seemed to be very empathetic and assured me she would correct the issue with the doctor and get back to me ASAP. Instead, an hour later I received a very angry aggressive phone call from the doctor because I reported him. If I wanted a confrontation with a doctor I would have had it in the ****** but I tried to handle it professionally. After getting off the phone with the doctor I called **** back to ask why she would elicit such a harassing phone call. **** informed me that the doctor is her boss and of course he is mad because I reported him. I requested to speak with somebody in charge of the doctor and her to what she told me there is nobody above them. Seeing as I did not receive a professional consultation or any medical advice or help, I would like to make sure my insurance is not filled and a refund of my copay. I have the three different prescriptions he wrote four orthotics because he was unaware of what to do and could not admit

  Business response

  09/28/2023

  On 9/13/2023, the patient emailed and asked that I telephone regarding a visit at one of our locations this morning.  When I called, the patient was not happy with one of our medical assistants and ****************** stating that the medical  equipment given on a previous visit was not working and wanted something different.  The complaints were numerous from not needing so many xrays to stating the doctor did not physically examine the part of the body that the patient was being seen for.  After listening to the patient, I assured that I would investigate and call back.  As promised, I completed a thorough investigation speaking to the medical assistant and doctor *********** The doctor was quite surprised that there was a complaint made giving this synopsis of the visit:  xrays for both feet (9 in total-not *************************** complaint) were to be taken to assess the reason for the visit, a thorough evaluation (lasting 30 minutes) discussing the reason for the visit and a meticulous search for an appropriate medical device that would help.  The doctor asked for the patient's phone number to call and try to address the concern. 

  When the doctor called, the patient was very belligerent and  would not let the doctor get a word in.  Several minutes later, the doctor called me back to state he tried to talk to the patient, but he was loud and stated **** would be receiving a phone call.  The doctor tried to ask the need for calling **** back but no reason was given.  While speaking with the doctor, I was informed I had a phone call from the patient.  I hung up with the doctor and took the call.  The call consisted of me being yelled at by the patient, asking why I gave the doctor a number to contact the patient at because I was not supposed to talk to the doctor about the situation.  I stated that I work for the doctor and the doctor is the one I report to.  The patient asked for my supervisor in which I explained the doctor was my supervisor.  The patient continued to yell and would not let me talk from that moment on even though I tried several times.  At the end of the conversation, the patient stated there would be a report made to the BBB for not only the doctor but myself as well.  

    We followed proper protocol once the complaint was made and did everything we could to address the patient's concerns.

  Customer response

  10/10/2023

  The response is a complete manipulation of the truth from start to finish other than me getting upset for her have the "doctor" call and displace blame. Whether they saved only 9 x-rays may be the case but I stood there is that lady fumbled with them for 20 minutes. She wants even processed the **ray without putting the film in it. The lady responding to this told me she was the doctor supervisor and could definitely handle the situation, later telling me that the doctor is her boss. He did not assess my medical condition at all, only googled It in front of me after asking what I want instead of being an actual physician. The lady responding is a secretary and not a representative, she did not try to resolve anything, just displaced blame. 

   

  I since have a referral from a Mercy doctor that his exam and treatment was ridiculous. If the doctor didn't agree with my description of his "exam" then why did he call me and stat I would not be charged anything for the visit and insurance would not be processed? Or was that a lie as well?

   

  This company business is a fraudulent foot solution and only trying to collect insurance fast and easy. I have contacted the ************** on this doctor because he was so bad. I'm more than happy to submit the findings of a Mercy doctor after a thorough exam and consultation with a prosthetic specialist.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩