Southwest Rheumatology Associates

I visited Rheumatology Associates on Walnut Hill Lane Suite 800, earlier this year, for my back pain. I saw Dr. Lakanpal, and let him know that I had a fall a couple years ago, and I wanted to have x-​rays to find out if perhaps I had damaged my back in the fall.
Dr. Lakanpal orderd over $ 500 worth of tests including bloodwork, tests for Lupus, x-​rays, and urine analysis. I was told by his staff that these tests were just «standard» and that my bill wouldn’t be more than $ 150 or so. When I was billed almost $ 500, I was completely blindsided.
After all the testing, he told that me I was completely normal and that nothing was wrong with my back except maybe some inflammation. He prescribed me a $ 5.00 prescription for an anti inflammatory to help ease the pain which he said was a «standard prescription» and then sent me on my way. Once I received his diagnosis, I questioned why it took $ 500 worth of tests, to prescribe a fairly benign and «standard» treatment?
Here’s my complaint with this doctor and this office: I feel that Dr. Lakanpal at Rheumatology Associates ordered a lot of unnecessary tests that had nothing to do with what I originally stated was my concern. I usually have really high regard for doctors, but in this case, it was clear to me that he was just out to make money by racking up a lot of tests that ended up telling me nothing about what was causing my back pain.
I ended up going to a different doctor for a second opinion, and that doctor diagnosed me with sacrolitis and ordered physical therapy which has improved my condition dramatically. I haven’t had to take any of th e anti inflammatory meds that Lakanpal prescribed.
Bottom line: I don’t feel that Rheumatology Associates is ethical at all. I feel their doctors just order tests for the sake of making money. If you are not smart about it, ask a lot of questions and turn down some of their services and tests, you might end up incurring medical bills that are over the top.
I complained a number of times – even wrote multiple ceritifed letters to their management to refute the bill, and they never responded. Nobody ever called me back.
Rheumatology Associates gives the medical profession a bad name. You would be better off going to a doctor who actually conducts their business with integrity and isn’t just treating you as a cash cow.