Benvenuti Thomas's Online Review Report Card

I can not say enough good things about my Dr. Thomas Benvenuti , and his staff. I have been under his care for over 6 years.  Thank you Premier Cardiology!

Terrible experience. He was my fathers Doctor, long story short, my father died 4 years ago under Benvenutis care. Now obviously this was not the doctors fault that my father died, but nonetheless, he was a patient there for years and the doctor basically wrote my father off... He didn't have stellar health insurance, so he wasn't going to make much money there, my father was in his sixties, so he was, in the doctors eyes at the end of his time here anyway, and he just didn't really do much more than the bare minimum to keep my father alive. My fathers last week was spent on life support at Hoag hospital, which is where I personally got to interact with this man... Horrible! There was nothing about him that was compassionate or informative. He does just enough. Well, when a family is in the position that we were in, Benvenuti could've stepped up to the plate and really been helpful In the whole process, being in the ICU, but no, he didn't answer our calls, his staff at his office is horrible, he was so nonchalant over his patient dying that I have nothing positive or pleasant to say about the man.

I am disappointed by the service I have received by the office staff of Dr. Thomas Benvenuti. I contacted them in November and explained that it was important to me that I be seen by the doctor and have any expensive tests performed before Dec.31 2015. I have actually paid my deductible this year and this will seriously lower my medical costs by $500

The doctor saw me on Dec 3 and the office staff made my appointment for Dec 28 for the first expensive test. I expressed that this was of great concern to me because it was dangerously close to Dec 31 with no room for error, but they didn't care.  On the day of the appointment, they called to say the technician was sick. What, is this the only technician in Orange County that can perform this test? They then wanted to reschedule for the first of the year even though that is going to cost me the full dollar value of the test.

I cannot justify seeing a doctor who's staff is WILLING TO LET ME PAY for their mismanagement and inability to back their promises.  They have been perfectly pleasant, but completely unwilling to make things right. I am usually willing to forgive and allow people to make up for their mistakes, but they are apparently unwilling to admit any responsibility.  I am taking my business to another doctor.

*update* They did have the hospital coordinator call the hospital's testing department to see if they had an opening and they do not. Everybody is trying to get their tests done by the end of the year for the same reason.

Dr. Thomas Benvinuti misdiagnosed my heart  problem. He told me I had a leaky heart valve when I did not have one. he put me on blood thinners that was the wrong medication and I never got any help from him whatsoever. My heart was in a fib and for 10 years he was not able to help me. I recently signed up for Kaiser and I found out I did not have a leaky heart valve. They put me on Metropolol and my heart issue has gone away and I feel 1000% better. Beware of Dr. Thomas Benvinuti.

Not only did Dr Benvenuti brush off my chest pain as superficial, he still hasn't provided me a clear explanation of what caused my pericarditis and cardiomyopathy, and be admitted to the hospital only 2 days after my appointment with him.  I had tried to schedule an echocardiogram with Premier and they were giving me dates 3 weeks out, saying that was the soonest. Well what do you know, I was sitting in the ER getting an echo, CT scan, chest Xray, blood draw and a thoracentisis to drain the liter of fluid I had built up around my lungs when Premier Cardiology called to tell me they got the results from my blood test and they needed me to come in for an echo the next day. I should have found another cardiologist at this point, but I thought people make mistakes.

The cherry on top was my last appointment after I had paid my copay and was called into my exam room getting set up for my EKG, the lady from the front desk came in (yes during my exam) to tell me that I owed more money because I didn't hit my deductible yet (it was January)! I asked her if she needed me to pay now and she said no, I could pay on the way out. Not sure why it was so important to interrupt and make me feel like I was trying to get away without paying. I've never had a balance with them, except for $5 when they under billed me for my copay, and it was paid immediately.  They asked me to pay for my office visit in full. I've never had that happen before but did as I was asked. I just found out my insurance discount allowed a portion of that to be applied to my deductible and Premier Cardiology owed me $185. No one from Premier ever called and it had been over a month.
I just called and asked the billing department what my current balance was and they told me $0. It wasn't until I asked questions that a closer look was taken and then voila I had a credit balance. Apparently something was input incorrectly.
If your office policy is to bill your patients in full prior to submitting to insurance then you should know how to 'input' the claim to show a credit balance. Something seems suspicious to me! If you are a patient of Premier and you have been asked to pay in full, I would check your explanation of benefits and call your insurance if you have any questions to make sure they don't owe you money too!
Bottom line...I found another cardiologist!