While I like my internist at WestMed, the organization itself is a mess. WestMed operates out of many different states and has multiple call centers, so when you need to speak with someone regarding a simple matter- be it your doctor or provider, the billing department, or anything else- you'll end up with a runaround and speaking with differnt people in different states while not ever getting to the person you actually need. More egregiously, WestMed engages in confusing billing practices. I wonder if they do this to purposefully confuse patients. As an example, I received three seperate bills, none clearly explained, for one visit to urgent care with minimal diagnstics (blood work and an x-ray). Additionally, WestMed incorrectly filed the claim for my physical, leaving me on the hok for hundreds of dollars for a visit that was supposed to be 100% covered. When I realized what they did, it has taken WestMed over 6 months to refile the claim properly and refund me the money they owe me. Months. They also lied to me numerous times during the process to refule the claim and recoup my money- small things like lying about the dates that paperwork was filed, and how the claim was misfiled in the first place. I think the attorneys general of New York and North Carolina, at the very least, need to look into the billing and other business practices at WestMed. I'm not an attorney, but I have seen hundreds of patient complaints similar to mine and my insurance rep told me that WestMed's billing system is one of the most confusing she has ever seen. Buyer beware of WestMed!
more