Bent Tree Family Physicians: Ferguson Bryan MD

Bent Tree Family Physicians actually has a dramatically reduced fee schedule for cash paying patients. But it is not free. And the expectations of patients like jennifer5478 are leading to the shortage of primary care physicians. Let's address several of her complaints: ""Extended visits"" do cost more from any physician. As she noted, a severe infection involving a more complex history, multiple symptoms, exam and tests has to be billed slightly higher to keep simpler office visits less expensive. Imagine if you scheduled a haircut but added color and a permanent it would cost more. She was ""re-infected"" 1 month later. Was it the same illness? Not likely 3-4 weeks later. Remember she said she had a ""severe"" infection. Recurrence usually is something different, or even a sign of a more serious problem. A good physician must reassess. Ask any lawyer. As to just ""call in an antibiotic"". Inappropriate antibiotic use has created dangerous resistance. And as to a ""$4 harmless Rx"", there is No harmless Rx. The ""charge for prescription refill"" is never with an office visit; instead it is a small convenience fee to cover overhead when a patient needs a service but can't come in to the office. Most patients never need this when they schedule regular office visits. The after hours telephone consult fee is used by most physicians. Imagine the fee if you called your attorney or accountant at 3 AM. And there is no ""consultation charge"" during office hours, you are just making that up. Good health care is the first priority and being paid in order to keep the office open makes it possible. There is no ""Cash Cow"" in primary care and hundreds of family doctors going out of business are proof of that. Pros: Dedicated physicians more

Bent Tree Family Physicians actually has a dramatically reduced fee schedule for cash paying patients. But it is not free. And the expectations of patients like jennifer5478 are leading to the shortage of primary care physicians. Let's address several of her complaints: "Extended visits" do cost more from any physician. As she noted, a severe infection involving a more complex history, multiple symptoms, exam and tests has to be billed slightly higher to keep simpler office visits less expensive. Imagine if you scheduled a haircut but added color and a permanent it would cost more. She was "re-infected" 1 month later. Was it the same illness? Not likely 3-4 weeks later. Remember she said she had a "severe" infection. Recurrence usually is something different, or even a sign of a more serious problem. A good physician must reassess. Ask any lawyer. As to just "call in an antibiotic". Inappropriate antibiotic use has created dangerous resistance. And as to a "$4 harmless Rx", there is No harmless Rx. The "charge for prescription refill" is never with an office visit; instead it is a small convenience fee to cover overhead when a patient needs a service but can't come in to the office. Most patients never need this when they schedule regular office visits. The after hours telephone consult fee is used by most physicians. Imagine the fee if you called your attorney or accountant at 3 AM. And there is no "consultation charge" during office hours, you are just making that up. Good health care is the first priority and being paid in order to keep the office open makes it possible. There is no "Cash Cow" in primary care and hundreds of family doctors going out of business are proof of that. Pros: Dedicated physicians more

I have gone to this facility for 2 years regularly. And I go in more than once per year. I am a cash pay patient as I currently do not have insurance and am a single mother. Since I began going there I was taken aback by their strange set of additional fees for various things. After my last visit and a recent phone call, I am fed up. At my last visit, they tried to charge me for "an extended visit" (about $40 more) because the Physician's Assistant spent more then the "Standard/Authorized" amount of time with me - 15 minutes! (I came in with a severe infection and they had to run some tests and do an exam). On top of that, I called in today to request a refill of the anti-biotic because I have been reinfected (saw the Dr. 3-4 wks. ago) and they said I would have to come in again and have new tests run! (Rather than simply calling me in a $4 harmless Rx, sounds fishy right? 4 months ago or so they implemented a new pricing structure where patients will be charged for every prescription they asked to have refilled (about $10 PER prescription refill request!); $25 charge if you have an after-hours emergency and need to speak to the person on call (they aren't offering the courtesy every other doctor's office offers); and if you just need to speak to the Dr. DURING business hours, there is a "consultation charge for that too". (I don't think any insurance covers these costs). Sounds like MONEY is their first priority and they are turning health care into a Cash Cow. My suggestion is to find any of the other hundreds of caring doctors in your area and avoid this one "at all costs". Cons: Care more about money than patients well-being more

I have gone to this facility for 2 years regularly. And I go in more than once per year. I am a cash pay patient as I currently do not have insurance and am a single mother. Since I began going there I was taken aback by their strange set of additional fees for various things. After my last visit and a recent phone call, I am fed up. At my last visit, they tried to charge me for ""an extended visit"" (about $40 more) because the Physician's Assistant spent more then the ""Standard/Authorized"" amount of time with me - 15 minutes! (I came in with a severe infection and they had to run some tests and do an exam). On top of that, I called in today to request a refill of the anti-biotic because I have been reinfected (saw the Dr. 3-4 wks. ago) and they said I would have to come in again and have new tests run! (Rather than simply calling me in a $4 harmless Rx, sounds fishy right? 4 months ago or so they implemented a new pricing structure where patients will be charged for every prescription they asked to have refilled (about $10 PER prescription refill request!); $25 charge if you have an after-hours emergency and need to speak to the person on call (they aren't offering the courtesy every other doctor's office offers); and if you just need to speak to the Dr. DURING business hours, there is a ""consultation charge for that too"". (I don't think any insurance covers these costs). Sounds like MONEY is their first priority and they are turning health care into a Cash Cow. My suggestion is to find any of the other hundreds of caring doctors in your area and avoid this one ""at all costs"". Cons: Care more about money than patients well-being more

Dr. Garza refused to offer any treatment when I went in with a gastrointestinal illness -- instead she wasted my time and money sending samples to an incompetent lab, then referred me to a specialist for a colonoscopy that cost me almost $2,000 out of pocket! Recently, when I asked them to call in a refill for a Rx I have taken for several years now, they threatened to charge me $75 -- just to renew a subscription over the phone because I hadn't been in for my annual physical. It really didn't matter that 1) I had lost my job, and 2) my father had just passed away. I have scheduled an annual physical . . . with a new doctor in another practice! more

Dr. Garza refused to offer any treatment when I went in with a gastrointestinal illness -- instead she wasted my time and money sending samples to an incompetent lab, then referred me to a specialist for a colonoscopy that cost me almost $2,000 out of pocket! Recently, when I asked them to call in a refill for a Rx I have taken for several years now, they threatened to charge me $75 -- just to renew a subscription over the phone because I hadn't been in for my annual physical. It really didn't matter that 1) I had lost my job, and 2) my father had just passed away. I have scheduled an annual physical . . . with a new doctor in another practice! more

Dr. Culpepper has been my physician for more than 14 years -since he and two partners were based solely at the Dallas Parkway location. He is kind, caring, knowledgeable, compassionate, and has truly made me feel like a partner in my health care.\r \r I have had the same experience, on the occasions when I have been seen by one of his colleagues.\r \r The staff at both offices is warm, friendly, and able to quickly resolve the one billing issue I have had since 1994. Pros: Two convenient locations Cons: Dr. Culpepper only sees patients at the Frisco office, now. more

Dr. Culpepper has been my physician for more than 14 years -since he and two partners were based solely at the Dallas Parkway location. He is kind, caring, knowledgeable, compassionate, and has truly made me feel like a partner in my health care. I have had the same experience, on the occasions when I have been seen by one of his colleagues. The staff at both offices is warm, friendly, and able to quickly resolve the one billing issue I have had since 1994. Pros: Two convenient locations Cons: Dr. Culpepper only sees patients at the Frisco office, now. more

They ignored a patient request to utilize the laboratory services required by the insurance company. They did send it to that lab, but then passed on the lab bill with a huge markup instead of having the lab bill the insurance company as required. This resulted in extra expense to me that would not have been required if they honored the request. When I asked the office manager about it, she actually laughed at me and said that she really did not care if it cost extra because that was their office policy. Cons: They ignore your insurance requirements and it will cost extra more

They ignored a patient request to utilize the laboratory services required by the insurance company. They did send it to that lab, but then passed on the lab bill with a huge markup instead of having the lab bill the insurance company as required. This resulted in extra expense to me that would not have been required if they honored the request. When I asked the office manager about it, she actually laughed at me and said that she really did not care if it cost extra because that was their office policy. Cons: They ignore your insurance requirements and it will cost extra more