Matarese Michael J MD

A nightmare to deal with his office and him.
They did a battery of tests on an annual exam: They told me everything should be covered by my insurance.
But then send incorrect codes (doctor wrote completely wrong notes, classified an annual exam as a visit for a medical condition).
Rude office manager keeps arguing and no one calls back.
Do not deal with them, hundreds of better health providers are in NYC.

Dr Matarese is one of the best doctors i have ever been to. He has helped manage my asthma and saved me from going to the hospital on numerous occasions. He is caring and takes a lot of time with me and always listens and does the right tests and prescribes the correct medication right off the bat. He is a very good doctor.

This has been a dreadful experience. I just moved to NY for a new job and wanted to establish a doctor in my new network. I made an appointment (the other poster is so right — they pushed it 3 weeks out from when I called) for a routine check up.
Matarese asked me pointed questions about my sports inhaler (I have no complaints about it) then told me I need a breathing test and chest X-​ray to «establish a baseline.» Weeks later I get a bill for over $ 300 because his office billed it to my insurance as a medical visit «complaining of breathing troubles»
His office doesn’t answer the phone — you always get a voicemail and HOPEFULLY a call back. But when they don’t want to talk to you about your bill, you don’t hear from them.
I think I’ll be switching doctors soon.

I can’t remember why I picked Matarese as my PCP — I can only assume that he took the low-​rent insurance I had at the time. Certainly it was not because of his office’s expertise, sensitivity, convenience, or competence. You can’t get a same-​day appointment. You can’t get a next-​day appointment. If you are really sick or in pain, then tough shit. If you do manage to get an appointment, the staff are incredibly surly. Co-​pays are cash only. (Mine at the time was $ 35 in network, aforementioned low-​rent insurance.) Great, just what I want to do when I’m on day three of an untreated bronchial infection — hike four blocks around the corner in the sleet and cold to hit up an ATM. After two years without visiting, (during which, see, you could never get appointments when you needed them) they «‘file» your records and good luck getting them or any treatment after that. Matarese himself is not the best nor worst doctor I’ve ever had, but given the above, why would you ever bother.