Medical Park Tower Surgery Center

24 hours before my scheduled surgery date, I get a call from Medical Park Tower claiming my insurance is inactive, which was false. After verifying the information was correct, they proceeded to tell me that I was responsible for calling my insurance and verifying that my surgery was covered, providing me with a CPT code. Once done, I called back and informed her that the agent from my insurance verified that there was no prior authorization required for this procedure. I also informed her that they provided a reference number for my call so she could call and verify any further questions about my policy, as he found it odd that she had me doing it in the first place. She became very defensive and passive aggressive, stating that “it just isn’t pulling up on my end” (later on it was discovered she was using the entirely wrong software) to which I responded “I’m sorry if you’re having a bad day, but that’s no excuse to take it out on me. I just need to get everything ready for my surgery in the morning.” At this, she got extremely angry after denying any such things happened and abruptly hung up on me. I called back, obviously upset about what just happened, and without saying a word she picks up the phone and immediately hangs it up again. At this point, I’m livid. I call back again and ask to speak to a manager, at which point she states that she IS the manager (come to find out, this was false). I then beg her to tell me what she expects me to do as my surgery was the following morning and she was not providing any solutions or assistance. Finally, I stated that I wasn't comfortable with their facility performing my surgery after what I had been experiencing. At which point she decided to call my surgeons office, on a personal cell phones rather than recorded lines (which I was informed was against policy to do), to spread lies to both my surgeons billing representative and my surgeon (I was informed she told them both contradicting stories) that I was being verbally abusive towards her. I was informed that my surgeons office has had similar issues with this facility previously. This behavior is wildly inappropriate, appalling, and unnecessary.

Except for the fact that I had to have surgery, I had a wonderful experience at MPT Surgery Center. My ARC orthopedic surgeon Dr. Andreo did a fantastic job, accompanied by a very helpful team of folks: from my pre-admissions nurse Kelli, to my pre-op nurse Lauren, to my OR nurse Dave, and to my recovery nurse Stacy, I was treated with respect, kindness, and dignity. Dr. Wollan and Johan (sp?), my anestheseologist and assistant, explained well what would happen to me. Great facility, kind people who are good at their jobs.

I had an amazing experience at this surgery center from the intake nurse to the anesthesiologist. Everyone was kind, attentive and patient. They answered all questions and were mindful of my comfort. In addition, they called me after I returned home to check on how I was feeling. Amazing. If I need surgery in the future I would definitely use this surgery center again.

This review is for the billing department. My surgeon and his staff I enjoyed. However, the day of surgery the demanded that I pay over 2k to meet my deductible before they would even touch me, So I payed that day. The billing department then waited weeks to file a claim with my insurance. So now the Surgeon is billing me as if I haven't met my deductible, and I'm getting overcharged by $1400!!! So the company that demanded FULL PAYMENT that day cant even bother to file a claim until weeks after the fact. In what world is that acceptable? Don't bother contacting Ray for any help. He's all attitude, dodges any sort of accountability for this, and refuses to even ATTEMPT to help the situation. Now I'm about to be sent to collections by ARC because these people that are in the same building refuse to work together or communicate. I'm told I will be weeks before they even issue my money back yet my bill through ARC was due two weeks ago!!! I'm stuck with a bill I can't pay because the money I was overcharged by the surgery center is being held up.... This entire situation could of been avoided had they filed the claim when they were suppose to, and now my credit is on the line because of their lack of attention to detail. Thanks!

By and large my experience at Medical Park Towers in Austin, TX on October 30, 2017 was a tolerable, considering I was there for emergency eye surgery. If there was one aspect of my experience that I would recommend changing – remember people are already distressed about having surgery and mine was an emergency – it is the inevitable “insurance question.” I understand that Medical Park surgery Centers are a for-profit business, and getting paid is part of the process that enables them to keep the surgery center open, but it should not be the first question in the check-in process. People are not there because they choose to be there. There is already an elevated level of fear and concern about the impending procedure, so figure out some way to get the insurance question out of the way without it sounding like getting paid is more important than restoring someone’s health. Peter D.