ENT and Allergy Associates

I don’t understand all the negative reviews. If you have insurance, you should check whether or not you’re covered and not rely on verbal assurances. It’s a brave new world as far as billing is concerned, and if you don’t pay or dispute a bill, it will go to collection after a time, as with any business.
That said, I have been a patient of Dr. Palgon for years and have always been extremely pleased. He is thorough, professional and conservative in his treatment plans. I have referred patients to him and will continue to do so. I am not a particular fan of one of his colleagues — but this doctor is also professional and thorough.

Never mind the billing issues; they actually told me that according to their tests, my hearing had improved over the course of a year, I didn’t have significant hearing loss and I didn’t need a hearing aid. WHAT? (pun intended) The audiologist was actually uncertain as to what to do with me. What a waste of time and money.
I went to another hearing specialist that gives and now, fitted with a hearing aid, I hear better than ever. Life is clearly audible and enjoyable again, no thanks to ENT.

I wish I would have looked at the Unilocal reviews before I booked my appointment on ZocDoc. I had a similar experience that numerous other reviewers on here have had about being left with a high bill for superfluous procedures.
I went to see Dr Anna Aronzon in the Financial District for some lingering side effects after scuba diving. After a short visit filled with «I’d like to look at this» «I’d like to test that» (to which I consented… who I am to question a doctor I’ve never met before?) I left with the advice of «See me in 2 weeks if you don’t feel better. And I’d like for you to see an allergist». Allergist? I never complained about allergies in my visit.
A few weeks later I received a bill for $ 500. I immediately called the billing department to negotiate a settlement to which they replied «We do not negotiate». Long story short, after a couple of phone calls, a partial payment, and two exchanged letters, I’m still on the hook for the full bill. I even had my PCP and another doctor look at the bill and they confirmed my initial suspicion: Dr Aronzon completed two tests that were necessary to diagnose my condition and one that was unnecessary for an initial diagnosis. My main gripe is that the doctor would perform unnecessary procedures just to make money. In all of my conversations with the ENT office they put the blame on the insurance company making statements like «all the insurance companies are different; we don’t know what the insurance company will cover. The insurance company did not deny the claim so you have to pay. We are just following policy» which actually is missing the whole point of my argument! I even called the insurance company to see if they would retroactively deny the claim, but they said that since the doctor performed the procedure they could not deny it. Talk about a catch-​22.
Its actually de-​humanizing trying to deal with the ENT office. I admit to raising my voice once when on the phone because they are so frustrating to deal with. They stick to the script, sound like robots, and didn’t one acknowledge my viewpoint. I felt extremely misled and I chalk this up as a $ 500 mistake.
I cannot in good conscience recommend anybody visit this doctor’s office; I know I certainly will not be a repeat customer.

Absolutely disgusted… After using them for my seasonal allergies for about 8 years, I am outraged that they sent my bill to collections… For $ 8.00!!!
After spending countless thousands of dollars, this is how they treat me? I have no idea what it’s for… I never got a call to explain
Absolutely disgraceful. I’ll never use them again

RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!! DON’T GO TO THESE DOCTORS UNLESS YOU HAVE MONEY TO BURN ON SERVICES YOU DO NOT NEED!
I am in tears because this office has decided to run tests that I didn’t need, when all was required for my ear ache was wax removal. I am now left with a bill of $ 371 after being forcibly duped by pretentiously nice Doctors, whose billing practices seem great on the books to my insurance but damn illegal to me, as I am left with a close to $ 400 payout for wax removal!!! I have called the office to no avail. Now I am in collections and the company refuses to listen to me — THIS IS SUCH AN UNFAIR PRACTICE.

Unlike the other reviews, I have not had billing problems– yet.
I see Dr. Palgon who is very thorough and answered all of my questions in detail. Positive and comforting bedside manner. He sent me for a hearing test with their audiologist who was very cold and made me feel like I was troubling her. I only made an appointment with my ENT and not with her that day for the test however they were able to accommodate for the same day. It was as if it was bothersome that she had to squeeze me in. I asked to be fitted for ear plugs as well and did understand that I probably would have to come back another time however, I wanted to get a general price for it. She persisted to say I needed an appointment. Just rubbed me the wrong way.
I told management of this and they got me an appointment with the audiologist at their 5^th avenue location the same day– and she’s a sweetheart!

Unfortunately I didn’t read the reviews before coming here. When I did my allergy assessment they added an extra test that I did not request or want, without explaining it was a separately charged test (or even what the test was for). Now I see an extra charge on my insurance bill. I am discussing this with the office management now and will update the review accordingly.
* Update — office management has told me it was «my fault» for being charged for extra services because I should have «questioned every aspect of my visit». I find it RIDICULOUS that this is their attitude towards how their patients should perceive their visits.
I am however appreciative of the response to my review. I will contact them and hope this issue can be resolved by removing the charge.
Also, there are two nurses here that I have seen. One I think her name is Jennifer and she is okay. The other one is ridiculously abrasive, rude, and rushed.

I had the same experience as others. Extremely over-​priced due to billing practices and tests sent to outside providers. They really need to be clear how they are billing your insurance company and how their outside providers will charge you for tests.
On the bright side, they usually have quite a lot of open appointments.

To my help friends–
Buyer beware! The scope of this practice seems to be limited to over-​charging their patients. I stupidly ignored other people’s reviews and decided to get my allergy shots at this office. They billed my insurance in such a way that I was paying about 5x what I should have been paying. The nurse was rude and unhelpful when I querstioned their billing practices.
I paid their inflated bills and ran back to my old doctor in the same building who was very helpful in geting me back on my shots and did not play games about the billing side of the equation. My legit doctor is costing me about $ 40 less per visit.
Here I was thinking I was done with these thieves but alas I got a call this moring from a collections agency demanding another $ 59 even though I paid my final bill.
My gripe isn’t with the quality of the Doctors in this office, but the practice seems rotten at its core.

One of the women at the front desk was exceptionally pissy on both of my visits– which is the last thing I want to deal with when I’m under the weather. My experience with the two doctors I saw was fine, not exceptional. I will say, there was one medical assistant who was very friendly.

I had a VERY BAD experience at this office. They sent me two bills with the same charge of $ 78.60 under separate cover (the second bill had another charge included which is why overlooked it and made the mistake of paying twice. confusing, I know. but that’s what they’re counting on). When I realized that I had over-​paid and asked them to please credit me, they sent a third bill to cover up their mistake. NEVER AGAIN. Only after I wrote a very direct, final email saying how disappointed I was in their faulty billing and lack of ethics did I get a half-​hearted apology for any ‘confusion’ I might have experienced because of THEIR mistake. They’re crooks.

I have had a very bad experience with the office staff and billing office. I received treatment for a simple ear infection in October 2008, and was told at the time by the office staff that took my registration paperwork that my insurance would cover everything and not to worry about how much everything cost. I saw the doctor twice, first for a consultation, and the second time for a follow up visit. I saw the doctor for a total of no more than 15 minutes. I was then billed $ 420. It turned out that I hadn’t reached my insurance deductible, yes in hindsight it was my responsibility to know this, and I won’t make that mistake again, but at the time I trusted the office staff to be telling me the truth when they told me I wouldn’t have to pay anything. I’ve asked several times for an explanation as to why I’m being charged so much for something so simple and so little time with the doctor and have not been given one. The billing office told me at one point that this wouldn’t impact my credit as it was medical related and they were not allowed to report it to the credit bureaus. I just found out yesterday that they gave it over to a collection agency in October 2010 (2 years after the treatment), who put it on my credit report in December 2010 without having contacted me first. I’ve moved apartments in the last 2 years but still have the same telephone number and email address. I’m now considering legal action against this office for damaging my credit. My advice: make sure you find out up front exactly how much they will charge you for everything, including follow up visits, and get it in writing before having treatment.

DO NOT GO TO THIS PRACTICE! THEIR BILLING OFFICE IS RETARDED AND THE DOCTOR IS CLAIMING THEY ARE NOT INVOLVED IN THE BILLING PROCESS. I went to see Dr. Yarmo for a cosmetic patch test, now mind you this is a three part test and she was the one who had urge me to take it. Day 1, they put the patch on you, two days later, you HAVE to return to remove the patch and the doctor let’s you know what you are allergic to. And two days after that, you return again to make sure that nothing flares up because sometimes you do get a late allergic reaction. And when I returned the 3^rd day, I was told that the one that I had a mild reaction to has turned more serious, it actually turned into a blister. Not serious enough to pop but that thing was there for a month, it looked like someone burned a little red square peck on my back. Now, the billing of this visit. You would think that I would be charge for the patch test (which I agree) and the first office visit. Guess what, I was charged for the second visit to take off the patch and the third visit. What? This is a three part test, no?! I HAD to come back the 2^nd time to remove the patch, it’s not like I had a choice and the 3^rd time as a precautionary visit. That’s like a dentist charging you to put in a crown and then charging you again for a follow up visit. Absolutely ludicrous. And the billing department the office manager is trying to tell me that MY insurance company charges for the office visits. Wrong! I don’t think so sweetheart. My insurance company would not know about the visit UNLESS you submitted the charge. It’s unfortuante that ENT and Allergy Associates has chosen to make money by billing for every follow up visit and not disclose this to their patient upfront. AND then try to blame the patient’s insurance company. I feel like I have been deceived and used. I probably didn’t even need the patch test. I will be taking my business elsewhere. There are plenty of doctors in nyc who will not look at a patient and see dollar signs on them.

I love this office. It’s very close to my job. The staff are courteous and professional. Dr. Kaza is one of the best doctor I’ve ever dealt with. She never forgets to make a follow up phone call to make sure I’m doing well. She’s the best.