Washington Medical Group

Front desk is definitely rude. My experience was that they need to have a physical insurance card. Aetna doesn’t issue replacements so WMG would’ve held me responsible for all charges just because I couldn’t hand them a physical card. If I didn’t catch that I would’ve been in a lot of trouble.

If weren’t for how helpful Dr. Macedo and his trained PAs are, I would stop coming here.
The front office staff is a collection of the most rude, inept, and awful people they could find in DC. On multiple occasions, I’ve had someone at the front desk roll her eyes as I’m asking a question or she’ll try to say it’s my fault that they lost records of a payment.
The front desk staff will also just tell you to go wait in another area without telling the other office staff that you’re coming or who you should go see. I’ve had to sit in the downstairs testing area for 30+ minutes as no one has acknowledged so much as my presence.
But the worst part is they don’t seem to want to improve. I will definitely be taking my business elsewhere if they don’t get their act together soon.

I have to admit that I never actually made it into the office to see Dr. de Macedo due to a family emergency, but did not reschedule for exactly the reasons highlighted below. The front desk staff is INSUFFERABLE. I called to let them know that I would need to cancel my appointment due to said family emergency, to which the front desk assistant replied «Okay» and hung up the phone. Even before this, the staff was incomprehensibly rude in scheduling my appointment and I very much got the impression that they were a nickel-​and-​dime practice. Extremely disappointing.

All the bad reviews here are true. They will charge you double the cost of a physical if you say anything is wrong with you. They are practically stealing from everyone that walks in the door. And they aren’t good doctors. They whole facility looks like it’s stuck in the 80s. They don’t tell you anything that you can’t find online. They charged me 200 dollars because I said I sometimes get heartburn and the doctor gave me a pamphlet. Really?! A pamphlet?! I should have read the reviews here before going so I guess it’s my fault they are horrible people.
Class action lawsuit anyone?
Or maybe we join up and write a demand letter to get a refund?
Message me if you are interested.

If it wasn’t such a hassle to find a different doctor I would never go back here. It’s literally the worst place, staff is so rude, has no idea how to bill or work with insurance companies, and never ever admits that they are wrong. I’ve been scheduled for fake appointments on multiple occasions, always have to wait at least an hour past my appointment time, and always seem to carry a balance of mysterious charges. They also only take cash, do not carry any change, and Doctor Merceda will spend a whole of 5 minutes with you… and then charge you $ 200…which will be incorrectly billed.
Overall — it’s one big mess. Do not get trapped by going here.

If I could give 0 stars I would. I was a patient with them for over two years, I called to get a medication refill, they said they’d put in the request and get back to me. I had to call over a week later to see why I didn’t get a call back about whether the prescription would be given or not. They told me someone had told me that I was requested to come in for an appointment. However, I had told all of them and Dr. Macedo that I go to college four hours away. So, since I have class all day during the week, I could only come up two months from the day during a break. They told me I could not get a prescription order-​that I am dependent on-​until I came in. I have been on the same base medication for over two years, the only change had been the supplement. Terrible service, they tried to tell me I was wrong when I said no one told me I had to come in after they did the request even though they said they’d call me back. Also, the waiting period is two hours past your appointment time, every single time.

Terrible experience.
Went in for a physical which I was told is covered 100% by my health insurance. Turns out that if they find there is something wrong with you during the physical, they bill that as a separate procedure. Their billing department told me their definition of a physical is a checkup where nothing is wrong.
If they are going to operate like this they should at least tell you they are going to charge extra if you aren’t healthy. Particularly annoying in my case as the outcome of my 3 minute, $ 200 dollar diagnosis was their advice to take Advil and if that doesn’t work see someone else.

Dr. Macedo is fine but the girl who works at the front desk is literally the worst. Unfriendly, unhelpful, so rude, worst customer service ever. Long waits, cash only, just the worst.

Absolutely love Dr. Macedo. He was referred to me by a friend (with a valid warning about some hiccups with the front office) and I’m so glad I found him! He has been a godsend in sorting out my migraines and diagnosing my adult ADHD. It’s a little pricey and they only take cash or checks but wort EVERY PENNY. Great listener and after seeing countless doctors over the past decade, finally feeling better.
Also, I almost didn’t go because of all the negative reviews. If you’re struggling with either of my issues, I can promise you he’s worth it.

Too much going on.

went there few times, I feel like DR there careless about me. went three times, and dont give me an answer for my health. Also they do not do blood work in the office. It’s hassle to go another location to do the blood work. Its waste of time. Dont bother going there. Find another dr

Update: I moved to CA and was sent to do routine blood work for my doctor. After c/​in the nurse said I have a balance on my account… I was extremely surprised as this was my first visit. After investigating it was found out that the balance is coming from way back in 2013 when I went to this horrible clinic. Not only they double charged me but they also didn’t pay for the lab work!!! Now lab won’t do any further work until someones pay so I had to. Called Medical Group again to express my frustration for being triple charged but clerk said: «You don’t have any balance with us»… so I can’t stress enough how terrible this place is!!! I just hope I won’t get any other bills 10 years after… ridiculous!

Was a patient for more than 3 years and I would not recommend this place. Almost every appointment I had to wait an hour to be seen. Cash payment only, as if this were 1995. I would say overall the service is outdated. Dr. Mecedo is friendly however treats patients as a business transaction. writes your prescription and then leaves to see the next patient. I stayed as long as I did because the location was close to home and metro.

I have only visited once, so it’s a little early for me to give an accurate rating. However, I thought it necessary to comment since the last review gives either slightly inaccurately, or newly outdated information.
WMG accepts cash –or– check for payment, and they do tell you this when you set your first appointment.
I’m on the fence right now. I saw Dr. Meyer for chiropractic services, and I thought him to be very friendly, comprehensive, and easy to be around. I am looking forward to working with him in the future.
On the other hand, I scheduled my follow-​up visit this past Monday morning (he specifically said to come in «earlier in the week»). We got hit by a huge snow storm, and when I showed up, the office was closed without notice (luckily I live almost next door). I didn’t get a call beforehand or afterwards about rescheduling. I kind of get it if absolutely NO ONE was available to access the appointment book so someone could reach out to Monday’s appointments, but then I think it’s a little unprofessional, too. My office was open Monday, some people were able to commute. And the work I do is not as important (read: urgent, imperative to one’s health) as a medical office’s.

Update, they sent me a bill for the remaining amount they thought I owed even though it was for a covered medical procedure (as per my insurance) and they were already reimbursed for this by my insurance as verified when I called and spoke to two different Carefirst representatives (btw Carefirst is the BEST — they really are helpful and are advocates for their subscribers). My insurance called their office (with me on the line) and explained to them that the contract the office has signed with the insurance company precedes any waiver that they have their patients sign (i.e. the one I signed for Botox), and they are basically saying their contract with the insurance company is null/​void and question every reimbursement or write-​off they have received form the insurance company; hence as the patient I do not owe anything since the service they are trying to bill for was and remains covered.
Their doctors are really top notch but the support staff has really been a let down (esp. billing), such a shame.

I have to start by saying that Dr. Macedo, Dr. Pilgrim, and the PA Christina really helped me when I was injured after an endurance event last year. I was so happy with their care (even though I was starting to feel frustrated with the rude front office staff) that I even referred a friend here. That was a huge mistake. Please save yourself a world of hurt and do not go here. All of the reviews stating that the business practices of this office are shady and unprofessional are completely correct. Even though I always paid my copays (IN CASH ONLY) I was always being told that I had additional balances that didn’t make any sense. Even those I would consistently pay. My friend had similar problems with billing.
Then, shortly after putting yet another 20 dollar check in the mail, I received a letter saying I had to «seek care elsewhere» due to «irreconcilable differences with their administrative division.» Basically I was being fired. FIRED from a doctor’s office when all I had done was pay my bills? However, the letter also stated that I could be allowed back if I paid another 50 dollar balance I didn’t know I had. (For a visit that had never happend.) No thanks.
Sure, I could call and fight with them, but I had done that before and it gets you nowhere. The other reviews also validate that.
Again, Dr. Macedo and Dr. Pilgrim are good at what they do, but the front office is so terrible it doesn’t make it worth it to go here.

I visited Dr. Meyer for about 1 year for chiropractic. He is a knowledgeable and friendly doctor, however, the WMG as a practice is very unprofessional.
First, they only take CASH for payment. I literally came in with a nickel and two pennies to throw at them to pay my balance. Overall, staff just seems apathetic and unfriendly. Office is old and outdated. WMG, you are downtown DC medical provider, act like it.
Last straw:
Midyear, they dropped another unknown, sub-​insurance that my insurance, Aetna, farms out to (Who understands this industry?). I asked if my coverage would change, and they said No. I go to my appointment and… drum roll… Out of Network, zero insurance coverage (shocker, right).
Staff was very unapologetic and wants me to pay full price. I say I am unhappy with their practice and I am forced to leave Dr. Meyer, and they showed me the door. It is a shame a good practitioner like Dr. Meyer is losing business by his front office.
Next!

This doctors office is absolutely the worst… I went to WMG because I was suffering from anxiety due to my job and I ended up seeing Dr. Brantz who I really did enjoy. He put me on medication which ended up making me sick so I went back for a second prescription and this too made me sick. Each time I would come to the office, I would fill out a form where I did indeed put that I had been drinking a bit more due to the stress. Doctor Brantz told me that was normal and not to read too much into it.
Well… I ended up quitting my job which was the best decision I had ever made and the stress almost instantly went away. Being self employed, I had to apply for my own health insurance. I applied through Blue Cross Blue Shield and a month later ended up getting denied because Washington Medical Group had me down for being recently treated for alcohol abuse!!! When I called them, they informed me that Dr. Brantz was no longer there and if I wanted to dispute the denial, I would have to come see one of their other doctors — this would be without health insurance btw. I hadn’t been treated for alcohol abuse and that clearly showed in my records so why I had to come see another doctor made absolutely no sense. The kicker to all of this was I never even used any of the prescriptions for the anxiety and ended up healing myself and then getting denied health insurance.
Other than this frustrating experience (which did not help with the anxiety), I have spent hours on the hold with this practice, the place is always a mess, and most of the staff doesn’t seem qualified. Terrible place and I wouldn’t recommend to anyone.

First off, the staff are all fairly friendly. There have been many instances where I have had to wait a long time to get seen even though I had an appointment which caused me to be late back to work. Christina, the PA, is awesome. Completely thorough and quick. One drawback is they only accept cash or checks, so if you do go there, dont think about paying with a credit card. Another issue I had is its not the best looking doctors office. The whole place is really dated and looks like it could use a good scrubbing. All in all, I have decided to go somewhere else. But if you do go, ask for Christina.

I have given the Washington Medical Group office staff many chances to improve and tried quite hard to make each experience with them a bit smoother, but to absolutely no avail. The only reason I keep coming back is because the healthcare provider I actually see is great– Physician Assistant Christina Hammaker. I would absolutely recommend her as an excellent health care provider – thorough, up-​front and helpful.
Alas, her office staff has a lot to learn from her.
You must pay in cash when you sign in – before seeing the doctor. I was advised by the receptionist at my annual check-​up to not mention more than two things I wanted to talk to the doctor about, or they would have to charge me more. For a brief period between jobs when I didn’t have health insurance, the receptionist told me an office visit was $ 100 more than what they bill the insurance company. She called me ahead of time and bluntly asked, «Do you have the cash?» When I argued that an office visit is an office visit regardless, she dropped the extra $ 100 line.
Once, in an emergency, I called their answering service to get an appointment the next day. I spoke with Dr. Bruno, who told me to come in the following afternoon. I thanked him profusely for making time for me. When I arrived, he was nowhere to be found. He leaves at noon on these days, the receptionist said, offering no more information. Luckily, I saw Christina instead.
I once sat in the waiting room for more than 45 minutes, looking at my healthcare provider behind the counter, because they hadn’t bothered to call my insurance company for authorization beforehand (they did call me and get all of my policy details two days before, but hadn’t verified them. When the receptionist couldn’t find the insurance company’s number, I had to Google it for her. By the time I saw my healthcare provider, the office had officially closed).
The office staff frequently rolls their eyes and talks loudly about other patients well within earshot of the patients in the waiting room, clearly a HIPA violation. You will never get someone here on the phone without being at hold for at least five minutes, which is confusing since I regularly see the phone ring while many stand around. They hardly ever return voicemail messages before two days have gone by. They failed to call in my prescription and fax my CAT scan order to the lab, so my appointment had to be cancelled to the tune of a $ 75 cancellation fee.
Christina Hammaker is a great healthcare provider, and from some of the other reviews, the other doctors are, too. They deserve a staff worthy of their practice – and maybe it’s time for them to play a more active role in finding one.