Question by Robert Mays: Florida Medical Ethics & Practices?
I see a doctor in Ocala, FL at Belleview Express Care. The facility is privately owed. I think some things are going on there. I’d like an opinion from someone with experience in these things.
1. They call you in & demand you pay the full price for “manditory office visits” ($ 121 visit fee + $ 25 drug screen + $ 20 pregnancy test.) If you do not go in and pay then they call your harmacy and place a hold on any meds you have waiting for you. They refuse to release the hold until you have the appointent and pay in full. It’s like extortion.
2. They only accept cash & place your money in an envelope with your name on it. You never get a receipt for the cash. They tell you they will see if your insurance will cover it ut they always tell you no.
3. Even though their “drug screens” are $ 25, they still send your urine out to some lab that I get a bill from EVERY VISIT for $ 192.00. When I ask them about it they tll me, “It’s protocol, you signed the contract.” There is NOTHING on the contract for anything about this.
4. The program I am on is a Suboxone program where they have to follow certain guidelines but no one else has ever done these things before.
5. They have to see you every 30 days supposedly which I go to and pay for…but for the agreed-upon “pop drug screens,” it’s not just the $ 25. I STILL have to pay $ 120 office visit, $ 25 for the inhouse screen, $ 20 for the pregnancy test and I know I’ll get another $ 190 bill soon for the mysterious “workup” Lab company based in Atlanta.
6. When I spoke to the nurse about these things she said I needed to seak with billing and when I do whomever I get just refers me back to the doc’s nurse!? I can’t get any answers!
7. Suboxone is a therapy where you cannot stop taking the meds or else you will go through severe withdrawal. They will call me in the middle of the month, demand I come in for a visit or else they wil put a hold on my meds at the pharmacy & dismiss me as a patient. What if I was out of town or couldn’t get away from work? Plus, if I get dismissed as a patient, then I would have to “restart” the program and pay another $ 400 restart fee!?
8. The doctor will only do the Suboxone patients on one day a week, Tuesday. Their hrs are from 8am till 6:30pm. I was there until 15 after MIDNIGHT. The one doc who does the Suboxone saw me as the third to the last patient for the day. They were probably there till after 1:am!?
9. AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO GO & PAY IN FULL OR YOU GET TO GO THROUGH WITHDRAWALS.
10. I spoke to the dic’s nurse and she screamed at me and said, “Well Suboxone is for people who were once addicted physicaly to opiate medication (yeah that they prescribed me) so compared to the money you would be otherwise spending on drugs, this is probably alot less.
11. I was crying and the nurse accused me of yelling at her. I didn’t yell. I was crying because she said if I didn’t show up and pay then I’d be kicked out of the program and have to come up wth another $ 400 to “restart the program,” but she added that they “were not accepting any new Suboxone patients so I’d just have to go through hellish withdrawals while I searched for another doc who prescribed it which is almost impossible to find.”

I am not asking for any secial treatment or anything but when I said “My appointment is not until a week from now. He just saw m 2 and a half weeks ago, I don’t have another $ 699 for you this month,” she said I should borrow it from someone. (I am on a fixed income. $ 699 is what the visit plus the medication (the meds are $ 92/mo.) costs me. So you can see how high they charge. Twice a month or ese I dont get my meds. I didn’t think that was vey nice. They refused to make any payment arrangements. I know privately owned places can make up their own rules but they kept saying “This is always an issue with you, payment. Didn’t you spend more than that on drugs?” I didn’t think that was nice. When I got to the appt., I talked with a TON of other people is the SAME situation. One lady said she lost her job because she had to show up for the appt. Another person said he had to get a title loan on his car he knew he could not pay. Is something going on here?

Best answer:

Answer by Betsy
I have never heard of a woman named Robert, so I am assuming you are a male. If so and if you are being tested for pregnancy, you are really being ripped off.

It does seem that the clinic is involved in some questionable practices. You should probably look for a new doctor. If you end up filing a complaint against the doctor, you will find it awkward to continue seeing him. Actually, he will probably refuse to see you.

After you have found a new doctor, you could file a complaint with the Florida Department of Health. It would be great if the ton of others in the same situation would do the same. The more people who complain, the harder it will be for the Department to ignore the complaints.

You could also go to the media. Again, it would be best to get a number of others to go with you. It makes a better story, and more people complaining will make your complaint more credible.

Add your own answer in the comments!

Question by Robert Mays: Florida Medical Ethics & Practices?
I see a doctor in Ocala, FL at Belleview Express Care. The facility is privately owed. I think some things are going on there. I’d like an opinion from someone with experience in these things.
1. They call you in & demand you pay the full price for “manditory office visits” ($ 121 visit fee + $ 25 drug screen + $ 20 pregnancy test.) If you do not go in and pay then they call your harmacy and place a hold on any meds you have waiting for you. They refuse to release the hold until you have the appointent and pay in full. It’s like extortion.
2. They only accept cash & place your money in an envelope with your name on it. You never get a receipt for the cash. They tell you they will see if your insurance will cover it ut they always tell you no.
3. Even though their “drug screens” are $ 25, they still send your urine out to some lab that I get a bill from EVERY VISIT for $ 192.00. When I ask them about it they tll me, “It’s protocol, you signed the contract.” There is NOTHING on the contract for anything about this.
4. The program I am on is a Suboxone program where they have to follow certain guidelines but no one else has ever done these things before.
5. They have to see you every 30 days supposedly which I go to and pay for…but for the agreed-upon “pop drug screens,” it’s not just the $ 25. I STILL have to pay $ 120 office visit, $ 25 for the inhouse screen, $ 20 for the pregnancy test and I know I’ll get another $ 190 bill soon for the mysterious “workup” Lab company based in Atlanta.
6. When I spoke to the nurse about these things she said I needed to seak with billing and when I do whomever I get just refers me back to the doc’s nurse!? I can’t get any answers!
7. Suboxone is a therapy where you cannot stop taking the meds or else you will go through severe withdrawal. They will call me in the middle of the month, demand I come in for a visit or else they wil put a hold on my meds at the pharmacy & dismiss me as a patient. What if I was out of town or couldn’t get away from work? Plus, if I get dismissed as a patient, then I would have to “restart” the program and pay another $ 400 restart fee!?
8. The doctor will only do the Suboxone patients on one day a week, Tuesday. Their hrs are from 8am till 6:30pm. I was there until 15 after MIDNIGHT. The one doc who does the Suboxone saw me as the third to the last patient for the day. They were probably there till after 1:am!?
9. AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO GO & PAY IN FULL OR YOU GET TO GO THROUGH WITHDRAWALS.
10. I spoke to the dic’s nurse and she screamed at me and said, “Well Suboxone is for people who were once addicted physicaly to opiate medication (yeah that they prescribed me) so compared to the money you would be otherwise spending on drugs, this is probably alot less.
11. I was crying and the nurse accused me of yelling at her. I didn’t yell. I was crying because she said if I didn’t show up and pay then I’d be kicked out of the program and have to come up wth another $ 400 to “restart the program,” but she added that they “were not accepting any new Suboxone patients so I’d just have to go through hellish withdrawals while I searched for another doc who prescribed it which is almost impossible to find.”

I am not asking for any secial treatment or anything but when I said “My appointment is not until a week from now. He just saw m 2 and a half weeks ago, I don’t have another $ 699 for you this month,” she said I should borrow it from someone. (I am on a fixed income. $ 699 is what the visit plus the medication (the meds are $ 92/mo.) costs me. So you can see how high they charge. Twice a month or ese I dont get my meds. I didn’t think that was vey nice. They refused to make any payment arrangements. I know privately owned places can make up their own rules but they kept saying “This is always an issue with you, payment. Didn’t you spend more than that on drugs?” I didn’t think that was nice. When I got to the appt., I talked with a TON of other people is the SAME situation. One lady said she lost her job because she had to show up for the appt. Another person said he had to get a title loan on his car he knew he could not pay. Is something going on here?

Best answer:

Answer by Betsy
I have never heard of a woman named Robert, so I am assuming you are a male. If so and if you are being tested for pregnancy, you are really being ripped off.

It does seem that the clinic is involved in some questionable practices. You should probably look for a new doctor. If you end up filing a complaint against the doctor, you will find it awkward to continue seeing him. Actually, he will probably refuse to see you.

After you have found a new doctor, you could file a complaint with the Florida Department of Health. It would be great if the ton of others in the same situation would do the same. The more people who complain, the harder it will be for the Department to ignore the complaints.

You could also go to the media. Again, it would be best to get a number of others to go with you. It makes a better story, and more people complaining will make your complaint more credible.

What do you think? Answer below!

Question by Robert Mays: Florida Medical Ethics & Practices?
I see a doctor in Ocala, FL at Belleview Express Care. The facility is privately owed. I think some things are going on there. I’d like an opinion from someone with experience in these things.
1. They call you in & demand you pay the full price for “manditory office visits” ($ 121 visit fee + $ 25 drug screen + $ 20 pregnancy test.) If you do not go in and pay then they call your harmacy and place a hold on any meds you have waiting for you. They refuse to release the hold until you have the appointent and pay in full. It’s like extortion.
2. They only accept cash & place your money in an envelope with your name on it. You never get a receipt for the cash. They tell you they will see if your insurance will cover it ut they always tell you no.
3. Even though their “drug screens” are $ 25, they still send your urine out to some lab that I get a bill from EVERY VISIT for $ 192.00. When I ask them about it they tll me, “It’s protocol, you signed the contract.” There is NOTHING on the contract for anything about this.
4. The program I am on is a Suboxone program where they have to follow certain guidelines but no one else has ever done these things before.
5. They have to see you every 30 days supposedly which I go to and pay for…but for the agreed-upon “pop drug screens,” it’s not just the $ 25. I STILL have to pay $ 120 office visit, $ 25 for the inhouse screen, $ 20 for the pregnancy test and I know I’ll get another $ 190 bill soon for the mysterious “workup” Lab company based in Atlanta.
6. When I spoke to the nurse about these things she said I needed to seak with billing and when I do whomever I get just refers me back to the doc’s nurse!? I can’t get any answers!
7. Suboxone is a therapy where you cannot stop taking the meds or else you will go through severe withdrawal. They will call me in the middle of the month, demand I come in for a visit or else they wil put a hold on my meds at the pharmacy & dismiss me as a patient. What if I was out of town or couldn’t get away from work? Plus, if I get dismissed as a patient, then I would have to “restart” the program and pay another $ 400 restart fee!?
8. The doctor will only do the Suboxone patients on one day a week, Tuesday. Their hrs are from 8am till 6:30pm. I was there until 15 after MIDNIGHT. The one doc who does the Suboxone saw me as the third to the last patient for the day. They were probably there till after 1:am!?
9. AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO GO & PAY IN FULL OR YOU GET TO GO THROUGH WITHDRAWALS.
10. I spoke to the dic’s nurse and she screamed at me and said, “Well Suboxone is for people who were once addicted physicaly to opiate medication (yeah that they prescribed me) so compared to the money you would be otherwise spending on drugs, this is probably alot less.
11. I was crying and the nurse accused me of yelling at her. I didn’t yell. I was crying because she said if I didn’t show up and pay then I’d be kicked out of the program and have to come up wth another $ 400 to “restart the program,” but she added that they “were not accepting any new Suboxone patients so I’d just have to go through hellish withdrawals while I searched for another doc who prescribed it which is almost impossible to find.”

I am not asking for any secial treatment or anything but when I said “My appointment is not until a week from now. He just saw m 2 and a half weeks ago, I don’t have another $ 699 for you this month,” she said I should borrow it from someone. (I am on a fixed income. $ 699 is what the visit plus the medication (the meds are $ 92/mo.) costs me. So you can see how high they charge. Twice a month or ese I dont get my meds. I didn’t think that was vey nice. They refused to make any payment arrangements. I know privately owned places can make up their own rules but they kept saying “This is always an issue with you, payment. Didn’t you spend more than that on drugs?” I didn’t think that was nice. When I got to the appt., I talked with a TON of other people is the SAME situation. One lady said she lost her job because she had to show up for the appt. Another person said he had to get a title loan on his car he knew he could not pay. Is something going on here?

Best answer:

Answer by Betsy
I have never heard of a woman named Robert, so I am assuming you are a male. If so and if you are being tested for pregnancy, you are really being ripped off.

It does seem that the clinic is involved in some questionable practices. You should probably look for a new doctor. If you end up filing a complaint against the doctor, you will find it awkward to continue seeing him. Actually, he will probably refuse to see you.

After you have found a new doctor, you could file a complaint with the Florida Department of Health. It would be great if the ton of others in the same situation would do the same. The more people who complain, the harder it will be for the Department to ignore the complaints.

You could also go to the media. Again, it would be best to get a number of others to go with you. It makes a better story, and more people complaining will make your complaint more credible.

What do you think? Answer below!