Advanced Ent’s of Tampa Bay

My first appointment was a routine visit. The doctor briefly looked into my ear, and decided that I needed a CAT scan, and then told me to make a follow-​up appointment in 4 to 6 weeks. The following week, I had the CT scan done, and then I made my appointment for 4 weeks after my initial visit.
Two days before the second appointment, I received a bill in the mail that was higher than what my insurance company Explanation of Benefits (EOB) said I had to pay. I called the billing person, and right off the bat, she was very rude, stating that I needed to pay what they charged. If I didn’t know any better, the way she handled this made me think this is a common event. I decided that I would bring the bill in, so that I could discuss this fault in person, perhaps with someone with more poise and consideration.
On the day of my scheduled appointment, I showed up on time. The front desk person said that in order to be seen, I needed to pay today’s co-​payment, plus the remaining balance. I stated I would pay today’s co-​payment, but that I would like to resolve the error in the unpaid balance. She stated that I would need to speak with the Office Manager, and resolve any billing issues prior to being seen. I told her that I had just received the bill only two days before. She said that it didn’t matter, and that payment was expected now.
I waited 20 minutes in the waiting room for the Office Manager. He led me to an office, and stated that I needed to pay the bill undisputedly. I showed him the Explanation of Benefits from the insurance company, showing I owed less than this bill. After asking me if I was really going to dispute 15 $, he agreed that I owed less, and it needed to be paid now. He was curt, rude, and also showed signs of a person who deals with sort of thing often. I told him that I was upset that I had been forced to miss my appointment that I had showed up on time for, because of an error in their billing. I then told him that this office seems to care more about getting paid than their patients. To that, he stated that they are just «trying to stay afloat». (I couldn’t believe he said that, we are talking medicine here, and everyone knows that Doctors, especially Specialty Doctors are not usually struggling.) I told him I would pay what the insurance stated that I owed, and that I want nothing else to do with this office.
I would avoid this place at all costs. There are several bad reviews online, and I completely agree with them. In my opinion, this office does not care about their patients, just the amount of revenue they can generate. Patient be weary, this place is a rip off. The employees are very rude, condescending, and unhelpful. Make sure that your bill from them backs up to what your insurance says you owe, because it is clear that they are ripping people off, are intolerant of anyone asking any questions regarding mistakes in billing (which happen more often than not), and are not there for your care or health. They exemplify everything that is wrong with healthcare, and are in the business of making money at all costs.