Twin Cities Spine Center- Dr Joesph Perra MD - Business Office Rip-Off Minneapolis, Minnesota

We started seeing Dr. Joseph H Perra, MD at Gillette Children's clinic in St Paul MN years ago about my son's scoliosis.  Dr Perra is definitely on the arrogant side and ALWAYS managed to let us know he makes a lot money but he seemed competent and my son was making progress so we stuck with him.  I figured that long as my child was improving I could put up with his braggadocio.
 
My complaint is about the way Dr Perra and twin City Spine do business.  Last year we switched insurance companies.  We made our usual appointment with Dr Perra through Gillette Clinic and gave them our new insurance information.  We were never told Twin City Spine did not accept this coverage even though we had provided the information well in advance.  In fact, we saw him twice before we were told that they would not accept our insurance.  We talked to our new insurance company before the appointments just to make sure we were covered and they explained that all Twin City Spine had to do was fill out some paperwork and they would pay.  Twin City Spine, for reasons unknown to me refused to do that and sent us the bills for the full amount.  I feel we did everything that could be reasonably expected to make sure we were covered.
 
My wife was still trying to work it out when we received a call from a "collection agency" about the bill.  It's really not a collection agency, it's their own in house attack dog that poses as a collection agency.  I told the "collection agent" I as going to call the TCS business office to see if I could work something out.  he told me that the business manager is Felicia Whitmore so I called her to find out why they wouldn't simply fill out the paperwork for payment.  I did call her but instead of a conversation I had to listen to an angry rant. 

She was unprofessional, belittling and abusived with a level of anger that did not match the situation.  As it turns out the "collection agent" lied to me and Felicia Whitmore is not the office manager but just the collection manager who probably has a desk next to his.  Keep in mind that we were long time customers that have put many thousands of dollars in to their pockets.  Yet we were treated like criminals and threatened with laws suits and to have our credit ruined over a few hundred dollars.
 
In my view their boiler room business tactics are a disgrace.  You have to wonder, if the business side is managed this way how is the rest of the practice run?   If you decide to do business with Twin City Spine make sure you are covered by your insurance.  Do not take their word for it, get it in writing or you will find yourself in the same position we are in.