Customer ReviewsforWestlake Eye Specialists - Austin Office

On February 7th 2022 I went to ********************* at **************************************** in **** ***** to get a new eyeglass prescription. *********************************************** looked at my eyes and said I am not going to give you a prescription, you need cataract surgery. As I was leaving I was handed a card with a photo and bio of a ********************************, who is an Ophthalmologist at WestLake Eye Specialists, ************ in **** *****. I had not requested, or was told, I was going to get a referral to ***************.After doing some research I went to Westlake Eye on March 3rd and made an appointment for surgery.At this appointment I was told that my cost for the surgery for was going to be about $2600 per eye and that the cost was split up between different Westlake Eye Specialists and ***********************. I was not told that I would be referred back to Hill ******* Eye for a post exam. Had surgery on March 21st and the next day I got a call from Hill ******* telling me I had to make an appointment for post op surgery and it would cost $300. Questioned why they were even calling and was told it was a referral from Westlake Eye. I refused the appointment.On April 1st I had an appointment with ************************* at Westlake Eye to set up surgery for my other eye. The very first thing I was told was that I could not have the surgery unless I first paid ********************* $600 for post-op appointments. (I never had a post-op exam from anyone for the previous surgery.) I told them that this was nothing more than a kickback to Hill ******* for their referral and I was under no obligation to pay them. Westlake refused to do the surgery and I left.This is a case of Westlake Eye Specialists withholding a surgical procedure by attempting to extort money from a patient to pay their debt to *********************.

Dear ****************, As I have already emailed you personally and attached the documents signed by you, I will copy my response here: I am very sorry to hear you are unhappy with your experience with us, and we would love to resolve your dispute and be able to continue care for you, but some of your statements are not true and as such, I humbly request that you remove this and any other negative review you have left stating these same false statements. Please see the below responses to each separate allegation:"I was not told that I would be referred back to Hill ******* Eye for a post exam." Please see the form labeled Payment Break Down and note the bold line in parenthesis at the end of the fee break down, which reads, Amount Patient Will pay co-managing optometrist at the post op visit $ 300_____). Also note your signature about mid page. Then please review the form titled ******************** which states, I request ********************************* to perform my cataract/Prelex surgery and my optometrist ********************** to perform my post-operative care. This form also is signed by you. "Had surgery on March 21st and the next day I got a call from Hill ******* telling me I had to make an appointment for post op surgery and it would cost $300. Questioned why they were even calling and was told it was a referral from Westlake Eye. I refused the appointment." Again, based on the references attached and mentioned above, they explain and you acknowledged that $300 was due to ********************** at the time of post-op and that you in fact requested that ********************** perform your post-op care. "The very first thing I was told was that I could not have the surgery unless I first paid ********************* $600 for post-op appointments." Again, this was simply the $300/per eye owed to Dr. ********** ****** for extended post-operative care, as you were informed of and agreed to based on the signed forms. "I told them that this was nothing more than a kickback to Hill ******* for their referral and I was under no obligation to pay them." A kickback to Hill ******* for their referral would be illegal and is not something we at Westlake Eye Specialists would be involved in. Co-management is a legitimate practice that is accepted by insurance companies, optometry ******s, ophthalmology ******s and governmental organizations across the country. We have gone to great lengths to make sure that our policies, procedures, forms and billing practices fall safely within the legal guidelines established for such practices. You have every right to decline co-management and have us provide your post-operative care, but this must be communicated to ********************** as well and clearly the signed forms signify that you agreed to co-management. "This is a case of Westlake Eye Specialists withholding a surgical procedure by attempting to extort money from a patient to pay their debt to *********************." We are not withholding a surgical procedure by attempting to extort money from a patient to pay their debt to *********************. As I said above, you can refuse co-management, but this must be communicated to ********************** and then we would not only perform your surgery, but also provide your post-operative care. However, out of respect for your relationship with ********************** as her patient, we do our best to honor our co-management agreement with her and get her patients back to her vs. them not returning. In this case, you had signed forms electing for co-management and acknowledged the associated fee structure. If we were going to perform your post-operative care, the additional $300/eye would be due to us, rather than **********************. Westlake Eye Specialists owes no debt to *********************. We do however have a co-management agreement in place with *********************. After receiving and reviewing my email and the attached documents, Im hoping that you are comfortable and in agreement with withdrawing your negative post(s). If so, we can get you scheduled and you can inform us how you want to handle co-management. We then can notify ********************** of your decision. In the end, it is important that you have follow up care somewhere. Our goal is always a great outcome and safety for our patients. As always, we are here if you have further questions or would like to discuss things further. Sincerely, ********************* Administrator Westlake Eye Specialists