Complaint Review: Preferred Family Care Physicians

In March 2014 my husband and I saw our family doctor for an office visit to renew our prescriptions. No problem. At the time we both had Anthem Blue Cross coverage.

In late August or early fall of same year I called Dr, Patel to discuss my husbands RX. Again, no problems.

After several refills later the time came that the Dr's authorization was needed to refill, no problem this is usual.

I got a call saying Dr Patel needed to see us just to show an office visit before he could do the refills, again not out of the ordinary. We said that's fine and made an appointment to see him. He said we could see any Dr there as long as we were seen. That's fine.

I made the appointment for Feb. 12th at 3:00 for the both of us. I told the girl what the appt was for and she said that was alright.

We went and signed in. She had forms for us to fill out. We did this. I turned in my forms with my identification ad insurance card to her. When I did she told me that I was not covered, that I was out of their network. She said there was a notation on my card that was different. I told her nothing was different, it was the same also the same insurance I had always had.

She said I could pay cash and then I could see the Dr. She did'nt even bother taking me aside provately. She blurted it out in front of the whole waiting room. I was mortified.

I did'nt have that much money, the visits can cost as much as $100.00 for an office visit only. I gave her back the forms and told her I could'nt do that. My husband left with me.

I called Anthem Blue Cross and explained what happened. Bonnie there told me that Dr Patel would be terminating his contract with them as of Mar 2, 2015 but that they should have seen me anyway as Anthem was contractually obligated to pay claims til then.

I called Dr Patel's office and asked to talk to the Dr. The receptionist started to argue all over again that I could'nt be seen under my insurance. I tod her what Anhem told me but she did'nt want to listen.

I again asked to leave a voice message with Dr Patel, she then said to me 'it won't do you any good to talk to Raj'. Raj is Dr Patels first name.

I insisted to leave it anyway. She transferred me finally and I left a message for him.

I told him I could'nt understandwhy he had kept refilling our RX's if we could'nt be seen under our innsurance. It had made us beleive we were covered to see him.

I also told him how rude his girls were to us. And how she had referred to him by his first name to me. Very disrespectful I thought.

The next morning,Feb 13, 2015 his nurse called me. She said she was calling for Dr Patel. She said he had changed his tax code and was'nt using Preferred Family anymore, instead using Cardiac something or other now and that meant he was out of the Blue Anthem network.

I asked her why had'nt anyone contacted us and let us know so we could find another doctor to see. She said that was'nt their job to do. Yet, they made sure we were notifed when he hired another dr to the practice.

I told her they had several opportunities to tell us and did'nt. I told her how emabarrasing the visit had been. She did'nt seem to care. I suppose it's because we were'nt being ssen since the insrance thing.

I asked he what were my husband and I suppose to do about our medications that were going to be due in a few days. That this did'nt leave time to find another doctor that fast.

The only thing she said to me was this...'I hope your day gets better'. I'm not kidding. Well, and I don't ever say this to anyone, ever, but my reply to her was...f*** you.She hung up and I did too.

Sorry for the profanity.

Now I'm worried about the meds.

My husband takes high blood pressur meds and cholesterol meds.

I take thryroid meds.

I've never been treated so badly.

I'm currently trying to get a report to the medical board to report this.

Thank you.