Lone Star Podiatry Andrew Cassidy DPM THIS FOOT "Doctor" IS A CON-ARTIST & A COMPLETE RIPOFF!! Internet
I play a lot of tennis, which tends to be hard on the feet, knees & ankles. I had a sharp pain at the base of my second toe & some pain in the upper part of my other foot. I made an appointment with "Dr." Cassidy (podiatrists are not "real" doctors) & showed up on time. When I was called back, the "doctor" came in and introduced himself as "Dr. Cassidy". (Even though he was several years younger than me.) He had an air of arrogance about him that should have told me to get up & leave the room. But I didn't. It only took about 90 seconds for me to tell him about my ailments. He immediately began to talk about what tennis shoes he thought were best and continued to do so for well over five minutes. He checked my foot & ankle (which took about a minute) and suggested an ankle support for my right ankle (which he took from a drawer & showed to me). He also recommended a shot to deaden the pain that I was experiencing at the base of my 2nd toe. Altogether, the shoe conversation, ankle wrap illustration & shot took less than 15 minutes. A couple of weeks later, I received a bill from Lone Star Podiatry for $400!!!!! He had billed my insurance company $750 for a fifteen minute appointment!! (My portion was $400.) When I analyzed the bill, I found that he'd charged me more than $50 for a flimsy little ankle wrap. And he sold the same wrap on his office web site for only $19.95. (When I brought this to his attention, he said the one I got was a different brand. 'wonder why he didn't give me the $19.95 brand??) The bill also showed a charge of $250 for the office visit. 250 bucks just for a 15-minute office visit? THat's a billing rate of $1,000 an hour!!! And lastly, he charged $450 for the shot, which he called "surgery". "Surgery"?? Who's he kidding? It was a SHOT!! I brought all of these points to his attention and he defended them all, totally unwilling to adjust the bill to a more reasonable price.
If this guy wants to be a millionaire, he should have become a REAL DOCTOR! Instead, he rips off unsuspecting people who don't know what to expect from a podiatrist. DO NOT GO TO LONE STAR PODIATRY OR TO "DR." ANDREW CASSIDY!!
7 Updates & Rebuttals
Mac
Austin,Texas,
United States of America
Dr. Cassidy addressed my concerns
#8Author of original report
Thu, December 09, 2010
When
I initially disputed the amount of Dr. Cassidys charges, Dr. Cassidy
took the time to write me a letter explaining how my insurance carrier
paid for the charges, and specifically how my deductible was determined.
I received Dr. Cassidys letter about six (6) months before I posted my
original complaints on this website. Dr. Cassidy did the right thing by writing me the letter in response to my initial complaint. I should not have made the comments I have made regarding Dr. Cassidy.
Mac
Austin,Texas,
United States of America
Removal of prior report on Dr. Andrew Cassidy & Lone Star Podiatry
#8Author of original report
Wed, August 25, 2010
I have been contacted by Dr. Cassidys attorney concerning my prior posts on this site, demanding that I remove the posts by September 1, 2010 or be sued.
I have requested that the posts be deleted, but the policies of this site prohibit the removal of any report.
Therefore, to avoid litigation, I hereby rescind my prior posts on this site concerning Dr. Andrew Cassidy and Lone Star Podiatry.
Mac
Austin,Texas,
United States of America
Removal of prior report on Dr. Andrew Cassidy & Lone Star Podiatry
#8Author of original report
Wed, August 25, 2010
I have been contacted by Dr. Cassidys attorney concerning my prior posts on this site, demanding that I remove the posts by September 1, 2010 or be sued.
However, the policies of this site prohibit the removal of any report.
Therefore, to avoid litigation, I hereby rescind my prior posts on this site concerning Dr. Andrew Cassidy and Lone Star Podiatry.
David
USARole of orthotics
#8Consumer Comment
Mon, May 17, 2010
Biomechanical issues related to the structure of your feet may have helped to cause the acute injury. He had a decent point there.
jfit
Texas,United States of America
Buyer beware - Lone Star Podiatry
#8Consumer Comment
Tue, March 09, 2010
I too had a visit with Dr. Andrew Cassidy @ Lone Star Podiatry and the experience was not a positive one. I had an acute foot injury that occurred when I rolled my ankle while running.
I went to my regular doctor and had x-rays to confirm that nothing was broken. Being somewhat impatient to get back running I decided to get a second look from a podiatrist.
Dr. Cassidy spent a short amount of time examining my foot, gave me a run down on his preferred brand of footwear for running based on my foot type, and then started the spiel on getting me into custom orthotics.
I can certainly see where custom orthotics may be useful with a chronic foot injury but trying the hard sell of orthotics for an acute injury?
I got the distinct impression that Dr. Cassidy is not interested in what was best for me. There seemed to be much more pressure to get me to purchase highly overpriced orthotics. So much so that after leaving the exam room the office staff presumed that I was going to be making an appointment for orthotics without even getting word from Cassidy.
I subsequently cancelled my follow up appointment and I will not be returning.
Mac
Austin,Texas,
United States of America
Lone Star Podiatry & Andrew Cassidy WILL RIP YOU OFF
#8Author of original report
Mon, February 22, 2010
It should be added that there are not many podiatrists to choose from in the Lake Travis area of Austin, TX. Nevertheless, DO NOT allow yourself to choose Andrew Cassidy & Lone Star Podiatry. HE IS UNBELIEVABLY GREEDY & WILL DEFINITELY OVER-CHARGE YOU & YOUR INSURANCE.
David
United States of AmericaAsk for an Estimate
#8Consumer Suggestion
Mon, December 21, 2009
First off, podiatrists have gone to school and are licensed. Graduates receive the degree of Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM).
Second, as you age you will start to meet doctors that are younger than you.
Third, if you were concerned about cost you should have asked what the cost would be before accepting a treatment, a brace, an exam. You could have then accepted or declined.
Medical treatment is expensive and people are often insulated from the cost by their insurance. When they have to actually pay themselves they realize how expensive it always is. If your insurance paid it all then would you still be complaining?