I can't even describe how frustrated I am with the oncology department right now. Every experience I have had with them has been infuriating bordering on fraudulent.
Let's start at the beginning. ... Read More
I can't even describe how frustrated I am with the oncology department right now. Every experience I have had with them has been infuriating bordering on fraudulent.
Let's start at the beginning. On 1/27 I went in for a consultation for a cat with suspected mammary cancer. During the exam, the oncologist mentioned that they usually recommend both mammary chains get removed to reduce the risk of reoccurrence. She said that depending on the cat they could do both at once or one at a time. I asked what she recommended for our cat and she said "let's see what the surgeon has to say." She left the room with my cat and came back a few minutes later and said my cat would have to do two surgeries.
At check-out, I was charged $400, nearly double what the consultation was supposed to cost. They had added an $150 charge for a "surgical consultation," because apparently "let's see what the surgeon has to say" means "do you consent to pay $150 for a surgical consultation." There was no mention of an additional consultation or charge until they demanded I pay for it.
And that was the BEST interaction.
I scheduled my cat's surgery, which (this will be important later) despite being in the same building, in the same office, sharing the same phone number, they told me was "a separate vet." My cat had the surgery on 2/14. (Dates will also be important later) The surgeon told me we would have the results of the biopsy in 7 days. 8 days later on 2/22 I still had not received the biopsy results, so I called to ask. The surgery office informed me that the results had arrived and that they would notify the oncologist to follow up with me. I was not contacted by the oncologist despite calling to follow up again that same week.
Fast forward to today, 3/1. I get a call from the oncologist's office. The oncologist refuses to discuss the results of the biopsy, and says that if I want any information about the biopsy or what further treatment my cat needs, I must schedule and pay for another consultation. Why? Because Virginia has a law that says veterinary Oncologists cannot give medical advice if they haven't seen their patient in person for over a month.
Now remember, the initial consultation was 1/27. The biopsy results came in on 2/22, less than a month later. The oncologist WAITED OVER A WEEK to call me, putting me over the one month limit.
I explained to the person on the phone that the biopsy results came in before the limit, and she EVEN ADMITTED that if they had called me when the results came in there would be no need for me to pay and come in for another in-person consultation. Her excuse? Well remember how the surgeon is a "separate vet" despite being in the same building, in the same office, with the same phone number? Well apparently the surgeon's office, despite receiving the biopsy results on 2/22, despite me calling them on 2/22, and despite them assuring me on 2/22 that they would tell the oncologist to call me to discuss the results, did not send the oncologist the biopsy results until 3/1, SEVEN DAYS LATER!
What an amazing coincidence that these two "separate" vets who share an office take a FULL WEEK to email a single document and that full week just happens to be the time it takes to require another expensive appointment.
Hope chiseled and scammed me at every opportunity. They were also incredibly condescending to me on the phone - when I told them I would have to take time off of work and drive an hour each way to bring my cat to their scam recheck, their response was "well I drive 45 minutes each way to work so it's not like I don't know what that's like." As if your normal commute compares at all to having to take half a day off of work unexpectedly.
I wish I could even review their care instead of their billing, but they didn't actually give any care - the surgeon is "a separate vet," remember! Read Less