Patorgis Charles J OD

Dr. Patorgis is pleasant and professional, and I’ll be happy to return. There are just a few things that bugged me this morning on my first visit.
The clerk cheerfully informed me that my insurance company would bill me for my co-​pay, and I initially agreed. It dawned on me as I was checking out that the office also has an upcharge of $ 25.00 for having the insurance company send me a bill. Not wanting to pay a fee, I asked if I could give them the co-​pay now. No, said the clerk, we don’t know how much it is, and we won’t call to find out. So I called and verified the amount, which the clerk accepted with a mild bit of uncertainty, noting aloud that she would write down that I was the one who had quoted that figure. Well, of course I was the one who provided the information — if your policy is to not talk to the insurance company in the hope of adding a $ 25.00 fee when I can barely see straight enough to dial my phone, then who else could it have been?
Another dodged attempt at upcharges: unless you specifically say otherwise, they’ll charge you $ 39.00 for a refraction (i.e. telling you what kind of glasses to get). I stated that I did not need or want a refraction, and it was performed anyway — but then again, since they merely told me «your prescription really hasn’t changed much; your vision is pretty stable» without providing a written prescription, they didn’t attempt to charge me for it. Or at least I think they didn’t. I’m still glumly expecting to have to dispute a bill, but hoping that they’ll have the sense not to send one.
Still, this sort of petty Thenardier nonsense shouldn’t detract from the professional virtues of Dr. Patorgis. I’ve never met an opthalmologist or optometrist who was 100% happy with their office situation, and once you learn to navigate the maze of potential gotcha charges, the fact remains that he’s kind, knowledgeable, and efficient.