Jennifer B.
Yelp
I hate to write this review because I have actually had some positive experiences at Root Whole Body. I've been to Root several times for both massages and chiropractic appointments. My first couple of massages were wonderful. (Barak is amazing!)
In December I booked and prepaid online ($125) for a "New Patient Chiropractic Appointment" with Dr. Agusta. Beneath the appointment name read, "Consultation, Plan, and Initial Adjustment."
Upon arrival at the appointment, the woman at the front desk asked me if I wanted her to check and see if my insurance would cover the visit. I'd only been on this insurance for a few months, so I told her it was highly unlikely but still worth checking. That was my first mistake. To my surprise, she said that it would be covered. I was still doubtful that was actually the case, but I had already paid for the appointment so I wasn't too concerned about it. I just figured they would reimburse my account and bill my insurance instead.
Dr. Agusta was very kind, the appointment went well. I have no general back issues or pain but do work on my feet all day, so I wanted to see if he had any recommendations. He gave me some postural recommendations that were similar to what Barak had recommended. A generally positive experience overall. I leave the appointment and carry on with my day.
A week or two later I reached out to see if they were going to reimburse the $125, as I had not heard anything from them. At that point, I was informed that my insurance, in fact, did NOT cover the appointment. No worries, I thought the $125 had already taken care of it.
Three months later (mid March) I receive a bill in the mail from Root for $88 dollars related to the December appointment. Mind you, I have been in twice since the December appointment for massages with no mention of a balance. I contact their billing department thinking that this must be a mistake. After a little phone tag, I find out that this was not a mistake, and that my insurance was billed $432.64! The billing representative then said that they had discounted this amount down to the $88.64.
At this point, I was extremely frustrated. If there were procedures that were being performed that were not covered by the $125, why wasn't I informed at any point during my interactions with the staff? It's not like I had any unusual issues that would've to lead to the additional cost. I was told that it's stated on the bottom of the booking page. They said that they would be able to set me up on a payment plan for the $88.64. How insulting! I told them that this was a matter of ethics. I wanted to know specifically what my insurance was billed for and how it was different from the $125. The woman said she would speak with Dr. Agusta and get back to me. I never heard back from her, instead just received a repeat of the $88 dollar bill in the mail a few weeks later.
I too am a medical professional who performs procedures on patients. If I were to treat my patients without informing them that they would be charged, I would not have any patients.
I thought a place like Root would be above this type of unethical insurance billing behavior. Sadly, they are not.
