Pacific Eye Associates

4.0

1138 reviews

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Christopher C. Via Yelp - San Francisco

12 years ago

I smell insurance fraud. "Did we tell you the doctor doesn't write prescriptions for eye glasses"? No. No, you didn't. "Yes, we know you have insurance, but we'll need 50% up front". Really? How much is that? "I don't know." Umm...take a guess. "Maybe $150-200, depending on what he does." No glasses, no prescription, just raking in the cash. And the waiting room...the staff...we'll, that's been covered by others. I hate you, Pacific Eye Associates.

Jeff H. Via Yelp - San Francisco

12 years ago

Well so much to say...I have been going to this group for my annual eye care for 7 years and I finally just had enough of the rude service, long waits and the charging me for every little thing. My friends (read as professional colleagues) have given me many alternatives over the years, but laziness on my part prevented me from making a change. If I would have looked on Yelp sooner I would have learned how endemic this medical groups problems are and their inability to correct them or worse, their lack of interest in how their patients are mistreated. First as many others have Yelped about, the office people are the rudest, ill-mannered medical office people I have ever come across. This extends through the entire process from phone scheduling through the office visit. I am a very busy professional with my own firm (100+ employees) and when I call for an appointment it is always best if I give dates when I'm available so we can see if my doctor has an opening. When I called to schedule an appointment she gives me a date, and I say no, and before I can ask about a specific date she gives me another, then I suggest that I give her a few dates to see if he is available. Her exasperation with me is evident, she is short with me and once we agree on a date she repeats and hangs up on me. I am a long standing returning patient! I have to call back just to confirm the correct time, wait through all the phone cues and get back to the same lady. Second when you show up, every time you fill out the same paper work, take your insurance papers, etc. These office people are too busy talking among themselves to offer the respect patients deserve. The last time I was there I saw them be very short and rude with an elderly man, who yes, was asking the same question over several times, but I assume he could not hear them or understand them as many have a significant Russian accent. It was sad and a lady sitting next to the desk stood up to help him before I could get there! These office people are unbelievable...what can I say I have just never seen such consistently bad, rude front desk people. Beware if you ask a question or challange there staements. It really is amazing and clearly the practice knows this as they must see these reviews and they do nothing about it or cannot find a way to fix it. What it says to me is this practice is set up to work for the physicians and is not at all "patient centered." It must work for them as I doubt if it did not work for the physicians they would not tolerate it! Third, the charges are high and numerous, so be prepared if you go here. I really can appreciate that doctors are under reimbursement pressure from insurers, but welcome to the real world. It is unbelievable what my firms pays for insurance coverage for my employees. Yet In my opinion this does not entitle physicians to charge exorbitantly for nonprofessional services or for items that most people believe are included with an eye exam or to use absurd mark-ups. For example, I go in for my routine exam for contact lens and an eye glass prescription, but they will only give me one prescription for contact lens. If I also want a prescription for eye glasses they charge extra ( I think $30 but I'm unsure). (My new UCSF-trained Ophthalmologist laughed when I asked about this...he said no his eye exam included both prescriptions). Another example is contact lens ordering. I always order my disposable lens at Costco as they are half, HALF the price then ordering through this medical practice. The final straw for me was that I was running out of lens and I needed to make my annual appointment to renew my prescription, but between their schedule and MY busy schedule and a 3-week Europe vacation I was taking, getting an appointment nailed down was difficult. Finally when we got an appointment on the books I realized I would run out of contacts before I could get in and see my doctor. So I got a hold of their contact lens person and asked if they could extend my prescription for JUST one box of lens or call in my prescription to Costco for just ONE box to get me through my vacation and to my next appointment. He said NO, but that he would order the box for me and send them to me. Well they had me and I had no choice if I wanted to see! So they ordered the box of lenses for me. DOUBLE THE PRICE (as compared to Costco) and it took him almost two weeks. Costco usually gets them back the same week. I explained that I had been a patient for over 7 years, but nope! That was the deal, take it or leave it! I took it, as I needed the lens and my schedule partially contributed to the scheduling issue. Final straw for me for this practice. My new ophthalmologist is UCSF-trained, sees me personally, includes in his visit both contact lens prescription & eye glass prescription, AND faxes over to Costco my contact lens prescription for me and his staff are very pleasant...night & day difference. I should have moved earlier!

Annie P. Via Yelp - San Francisco

12 years ago

Boy was I disappointed. I made an appt for both an optometry exam to update glasses and contacts prescription and an ophthalmology appt for the more medical eye disease exam. I had VSP insurance for the glasses/contacts and regular ins for the medical exam. When I got there they said I could only use one ins a day! So the big question is: why didn't they tell me that when I made the appt? Very frustrating. Also the doc said I should have some extra in-office test--but they let me leave without administering it and I had to go back for it. Not a together place and I'll never go back!

Angie H. Via Yelp - San Francisco

13 years ago

Terrible wretched place to go. My first visit was this past week and I walked up to the receptionist desk, only to be admonished by a very unprofessional receptionist with awful two toned hair, green nail polish (you get the idea). She barked like a german shepard, and said "You need to wait a minute" while I didn't even say a word. Nice reception to a new customer my dear I thought. Will never step back into this place again. They took my health savings card and swiped it, only to tell me it didn't work, even though I know that there's plenty of money in it. I ended up giving them another card. Then I proceeded to wait for the doctor to see me. It only took an hour and a half. I saw Dr. Reader, who I thought was friendly and competent, but I just can't go back because of the awful front desk routine and the long wait.

Steph C. Via Yelp - San Francisco

13 years ago

This is 2 reviews in one...I held off the first time thinking it was just me...but apparently it isn't. Thanks PEA for the short notice...it is now 6pm and all the doctors offices are closed. I WAS supposed to have an appointment with Dr. King tomorrow but apparently he has canceled his appointments tomorrow. The killer part is they called at like 5:40pm to let me know my appointment for TOMORROW has been canceled. Well I took a day off of work for nothing...thanks. The next appointments he has are for next Wednesday and later...well the reason why I scheduled this appointment was because I'll be out of town then! I can't even call any other offices right now because they're all closed. My other not so great experience was when I had an inflamed eye...had to see the doc to get some eye drops...well after waiting almost an hour for Dr. Oxford she sees me...gives me sample drops but also prescribes me some drops for when I run out...which she said I would before my follow up. I took her advice since the sample bottle was minuscule and filled my prescription...weird thing was she prescribed me 5 bottles...thank god the pharmacy only had 2 cause at that price those bad boys could have very well been liquid gold. Sucks for me that after using my sample bottle and going in for my follow up (which by the way lasted all of 2 minutes but cost me $75) she said I didn't have to use the eye drops anymore....great. I guess it was foolish of me to not use up all the sample drops first but it was like friggin Jesus magic or something...everytime I thought it was gonna be the last drop...another one came along. OH and Dr. Oxford is not very verbal...at least not with me...you have to ask her everything...she won't tell you. I had to ask her what was wrong and why she was giving me these eye drops. Don't get me started on those admins either...they created a brand new file for me (even though I've been a patient there for a longgg time and told them this when I called) and they spelled my name wrong. So when it came time to my appt I had two files...and a confused doc. I don't know why I've stuck with this place so long...I don't have insurance so I pay a fortune at this place. Well thanks this was the last straw I'm moving on to someone new.