The Polyclinic Downtown Lab's Online Review Report Card

I love my Polyclinic doctors especially Dr Taagen and Dr Tran but their billing department is borderline criminal.....as briefly as I can explain it:1. Saw eye doctor in October2. Received bill months later for the entire amount3. tried to call numerous times to find out why the bill was never sent to my insurance company.....no responses to request for call back or to "save my place" in line on numerous occasions when I could no longer spend more than 30 to 45 minutes on hold.4. Received service denial letter from UHC. My insurance co. was Aetna!5. Once again went through the terror of trying to get the billing dept. and on the rare occasions I was able to speak with someone they were barely able to even consider helping. Rude, incompetent, lazy! They repeatedly told me they would resend the bill to the correct insurance company.6. I continued to receive bills for the full amount, then letter stating "final warning" and then letter and call from collection agency.7. Throughout this time (months) I called on more occasions than I can recount8. I called the Everett Clinic number vs. the Polyclinic number and was greeted professionally by someone who really wanted to help.9. I was redirected to someone competent at Polyclinic who assured me that there would be no collection action and that I didn't owe anything.10. I received an apology letter from Everett Clinic advising there was no balance owed, that the issue was resolved and thanking me for being a customer/patient.11. Received a phone call message from someone in management at Polyclinic once again apologizing and thanking me for my patience. Nothing more for me to do. No balance to pay12. Received a call waking me up two days ago from the same collection agency advising me that I had the same outstanding balance and that I needed to pay.13. Started the entire phone call, lazy employee, Everett Clinic transfer back to Polyclinic and then no call back routine over again.14. Screamed at the collection agency manager and submitted formal complaints to the WA State attorney general office and to the CFPB.15. Was told once again by someone purported to be a supervisor at Polyclinic that they would send a note to the collection agency "tomorrow" to tell them I didn't owe anything...no apology just rank indifference.16. Today received another bill statement showing the old balance as "Bad Debt."Question: Do I leave my preferred doctors due to the incompetence and malpractice of the billing department ?????Most, if not all of this, is documentedFYI: The bill in question was for $528. Had I known the hell they would put me through to get this corrected (although I am still not sure it is corrected) I would have just paid it and then left the Polyclinic behind.

On hold for 20 minutes before giving up. If this is a sign of how responsive they will be...call elsewhere.

The physicians and medical assistants are great; however, my doctors and my friend's doctors are quitting in droves. I have lost more than 50%. When I try to make an appointment, I have had to give up because no one answers the phone and no one calls back. The worst are the bills that arrive and are threatening. I have decided to move on!

Polyclinics billing department failed to bill my insurance (Medicare Advantage) for my last two visits. In between visits they changed their billing department from Polyclinic Seattle to the Everett Clinic. When I call both and argue that I have Medicare and UHC Medicare Advantage Everett tells me to call Polyclinic Seattle and Polyclinic Seattle tells me I need to call Everett Clinic. Neither will return calls or acknowledge that I have insurance with Medicare and Medicare Advantage. I finally paid one bill out of pocket just to get it off my record, but feel I was beaten into submission since they still won't rebill to UHC Medicare Advantage.

poorly managed!!! doctors and medical staff are short handed. Too many of my doctors have resigned. When you call, never EVER press 1 beca they do NOT call back. The parking fees at the Madison clinic are outrageous! I have also received messages from "the president " of Optum Polyclinic keeps sending surveys for doctors I have seen. I HAVE NOT SEEN THESE Doctors!!!!

Dr Andrew Smith has been a great provider. My long term vitals have improved significantly. I was initially out of my comfort zone but Dr Smith covered everything in detail and patiently. Great doctor, God bless him

Polyclinic staff declined to schedule an appointment because I didn't have an address for billing. I have been a patient at the Polyclinic for almost 40 years. When I retired 15 months ago I sold my house and decided to travel, full time, for a couple of years. I have no address and no PO Box because I travel with friends, always attempting to avoid unpleasant weather. Anything snail mailed to me would never catch up to me. I have good credit and pay bills on time. Every month I check all my accounts to see if I have any bills. I cant believe that the Polyclinic has gone down hill so far (and still in the past century) that they would refuse to see a long time patient just because I am "homeless." I would think that a clinic in a tech-oriented city would know how to work paperless.

DO NOT GO TO THE POLYCLINIC. They have some great doctors...BUTSince United Health Group bought the Polyclinic, patient services are non-existent. When you call to schedule or reach a specific department, such as Internal Medicine, Urology, Gastroenterology, Orthopedics, etc...you are told to call 911 or wait until someone answers. Guess what...they never do answer. I have been on hold at least 20+ times for 1.5 to 2.5 hours with no response. You have an option for a "callback". Guess what...they never call back. They must have one person for the entire business responsible for answering calls. This is cost cutting gone berserk and has no place in the medical services.It does not matter how great the doctors or care is...if you cannot schedule an appointment to see someone, or talk to someone to determine if you need to see someone, it is a pointless exercise to have an unreachable doctors office.The customer service at the Polyclinic is ZERO. Each department used to have it's own check-in area. They have combined them into one desk to save money. They do not have people answering calls, to save money. The Polyclinic has become totally profit oriented and zero attention to the patients. A lot of great doctors have left for greener pastures, and most of the current medical staff are inexperienced new graduate doctors. Check it out for yourself on their website.If you decide to go, good luck trying to reach anyone on the phone. By the way, you cannot schedule an appointment online yourself. Plan to drop dead while waiting to get into the Polyclinic.

This about billing. I have received an insurance-covered mammogram at the Polyclinic for 20 years. In 2022 it was denied by insurance and I was billed for the full amount. I called billing and they said it would be fixed They told me not to pay any part of my bill until it was resolved. I very strongly said I did not want to be sent to collection. For 3 months it wasn't resolved and i called them. I talked to 3 different people and they said it would be fixed and not to pay it. I adamantly reiterated my fear of being sent to collection because of the other charges on the bill. Each bill became more threatening re: collection. Finally, I was sent a letter telling me I would be sent to collection. I called in the 4th month and was very rudely told it had been resolved and I needed to pay my bill. I did so gladly. I had not received the 4th bill yet and wasn't told it was resolved. I was given inaccurate information, advice, and almost went to collection. Clearly they need to get their dept. in order.

My son used the Polyclinic for his medical needs while living in the Seattle area. Since then he has left the country to attend graduate school. There was a mix-up in his mail forwarding and his bills were delayed in getting to us. When we did receive the bills - one had already been moved to a collection agency - which we paid. Another bill was still with the clinic - which we also paid. Since that time we keep receiving bills for the same amount and now a threatening letter about moving the debt to a collection agency. I have spent the last week and a half calling their "Customer Service" number without reaching anyone. They have a "call back" option where I have entered my number several times with no call back. (BTW- if you hang on hold for over an hour it will just hang up on you.) I have also sent multiple emails to them with no response. Hence the less then glowing Yelp review.