Michele L. Bennett, MD, PC

Michele LBennett, M.D., P.CWWorks Sheridan, WY (307) 673-6100Revdex.com 3-7-S County Rd 5, Ste Fort Collins, CO RE: ID # [redacted] Dear Mr [redacted] , This is in response to the complaint of which we spoke on the phoneI will describe the events on and around the patient's appointment, and have included a copy of the progress note from her visit from that dayFirst, the patient's mother called to schedule an appointment for her daughter, who is years oldShe wanted her to have [redacted] *** Angie, my receptionist, scheduled her appointment for 3:with paperwork completed or for 2:if she did not complete her paperwork in advanceNew patients are always given the option to pick up the packet in advance in case they have long/complicated medical histories, and want to fill out the information at home or with helpThe patient and her mother did not complete the paperwork in advance, and did not arrive until 3:pmWe have electronic stamps of chetimes, and each time a chart is accessedHer actual chetime was 3:pmAngie explained that she was over minutes late, and that we would have to reschedule her appointmentThe mother implored us to make an exception, and asked if we would squeeze her in anyway, and didn't seem to remember the part about coming in early for intake forms, which includes health history, review of systems, demographics and insurance informationI would like to note too that Angie mentioned that when the mother gave her the insurance card, she said it was probably no good, and proceeded to make disparaging remarks about her ex-husband who was the policy-holder for the insuranceShe wanted us to try billing it anyway, and said to let her know if the coverage wasn't activeIt wasn'tAngie asked me if I would go ahead and see her, and I said that wouldAfter completing the paperwork about minutes later, the patient was moved into an exam roomWhen I entered the exam room, the patient was in the room by herself, and her mother was in the waiting roomThe patient explained to me that what she wanted [redacted] She told me that she specifically wanted start [redacted] Because this does involve some risk, I took a detailed history to be sure that she had no contraindications to using this medication, such as a history of blood clots, or a family history of blood clotting disorders, among others [redacted] It turned out then, that the visit involved much more than was discussed at time of schedulingAlso, whenever a patient is new, the entire medical history must be taken and entered into the computer, so we normally allow at least minutes for new patient physical with [redacted] examsSince, the [redacted] injection would have to be given on day 1-of her cycle, which she wasn't on at the time of her visit, and since she would need to have [redacted] on the day of the injection, and due to the lateness of her arrival, the patient AGREED TO RETURN for a follow up appointment to complete this testing, which would also include her [redacted] test and [redacted] , which she agreed that she did want to doI also told her that normally I draw blood to check for liver problems, etcbefore starting ***, and that we could do that at her next visit as wellThe patient was in agreement with all of thisShe would then have to return every weeks for subsequent [redacted] It wasn't until I asked the patient which pharmacy she wanted to use for her [redacted] , that I sensed that there appeared to be an issue with the patient not having told her mother what she was planning to doFirst, she said she didn't know which pharmacy to useThen when I said, "Should I just ask your mom which one, she said "no" initially, and was clearly uncomfortable with me talking to her motherI then said that I don't have to tell her what prescription I was sending, but could I just ask which pharmacy she usesShe then said "okay"It turns out that the patient had already signed a release which allowed me to talk to her mother, but I wasn't aware of that at the timeI question whether she may have signed because her mother was watching, because she clearly wanted to keep some things private, which was obviously difficult because her mother and father were going to pay for her careWhen we finished and headed out to the front desk, I went with her to tell Angie how to schedule her next visit, since it would have to be between days 1-of her next cycle, and that we would need extra time to do the [redacted] exam and [redacted] ***(I did do a focused physical exam on this visit to be sure I found no issues that would exclude her from being able to take [redacted] .) Her mother was right there, and appeared to be listening to the conversationI even reiterated that she would need to be fasting for her blood draw, and not to forget to bring her medication with her on that day for the injection [redacted] Late the next day, the mother came back in a rageI was in a room with a patient, so Angie spoke to her in the reception areaThere was another patient in the reception area, but that didn't stop her from screaming at Angie and being very abusiveShe said that she just found out that I hadn't done the [redacted] the day before, and said that we had better not dare send a bill, because she wasn't going to pay for "nothing", and that if we did, she would call a lawyerShe said that she knew that it should only take minutes to do a [redacted] ***, and she couldn't understand what took the doctor so long during the visit without having done itAngie offered to let her talk to me and told her that I should be out in just a minute or twoShe sat down for about seconds, and then hopped up and said she wasn't going to waitShe continued to berate Angie so nastily, that Angie actually had to ask her to leaveShe didn't, and continued to make a scene, and so then Angie threatened to call the police, after which time she leftThe patient in the waiting room felt so sorry for Angie, saying that she couldn't believe that she had to put up with people acting like thatI would like to mention that Angie told me that she feels that Ms [redacted] isn't being honest, and that she knew we were planning to do the [redacted] and [redacted] at the next visit because she discussed cash prices for the upcoming ***She says that she seemed pretty sure that her insurance wasn't going to pay, and so wanted to know what to expectAlso, they started to enter in an appointment for the [redacted] exam before they decided to just wait and have her call us when it was time to scheduleI attempted to call Ms [redacted] three or four times by phoneI left messages on machines, and also spoke to man who said he would have her call meShe never did call me I thought about writing her a letter, but the more a thought about it, the more I became concerned about the privacy issue, so I didn't pursue it anymoreThe insurance that she gave us was in fact terminated(She apparently knew this already)So, when we sent a statement out after denial of the claim, she sent a letter threatening me, saying that if we attempted to collect the fee, she would call her attorneyShe said in the letter that I only spoke to her daughter for 10-minutes, and that no exam was done, which is all untrueThey didn't leave until minutes after closing time (which is at 4:00)A couple of months later, after sending out two more statements, I got the letter from the Revdex.comShe is now more than days past due on the bill, and is about to be sent to collectionsI hope this clarifies what took place, and how I feel that the patient's mother, in my opinion, never had any intention of paying for this office visit in the first placeShe knowingly gave us an expired insurance card to delay payingWe normally collect up front from cash pay patients, although they do get a discount for doing soInitially, I thought that it was just a communication problem between the mother and daughter, and that the daughter didn't want to tell her mother all of the reasons she was here, but there are several indications that the patient's mother was fully aware of the outcome of the visit and the future plans for testing and administering medicationI have practiced medicine for years and have never had a complaint filed against meI find it very upsetting that for doing the courtesy of working in a very late new patient, and for doing my best to provide the best and most thorough care, the end result is that I must spend hours of my time defending my reputation, and still in the end not get paid for my time, even though we stayed open past closing to accommodate herThank you for your attention in this matterSincerely, Michele L Bennett, MD

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: We (my daughter and I) feel that the subject of complaint should NOT have agreed to see my daughter if she could NOT perform requested exam in the amount of time allotted She informed my daughter AFTER she allowed her into exam room We were NOT late for appointment Actually EARLY Did NOT take minutes to complete paperwork We were in the office a total of minutes 3:pm in, walked out @ 3:pm, well before closing @ 4:pmMy daughter was in exam room approximately minutes She presumes to know my intentionsMy intention was very clear when I made apptfor the exam that did not happen We do NOT feel minutes is worth $just to have to make ANOTHER appointment to get the exam that was requested in the first place This is an unethical practice in my opinion to see a patient and then in the end the patient did NOT get what would have been paid for just to pay AGAIN for someone else to fulfill the requestThere is NO justification for her actions Regards, [redacted]

3-22-2016Michele LBennett, M.D., P.CWWorksSheridan, WY 82801(307) 673-6100Revdex.com S County Rd 5, Ste 100Fort Collins, CO 80528 RE: ID # *** Dear Mr***, This is again in response to the claim aboveI would like to mention that it seems very strange that someone other than the patient is making a complaintThe patient is an adult, and is not disabled or in any way unable to speak for herselfThe patient herself appeared satisfied and was in full agreement with the care plan. To the question as to her arrival time, again, the patient's appointment was for 2:if forms were not already completed, and she arrived at 3:22, minutes lateOn her latest response, the patient's mother said they didn't need minutes to fill out paper work, and so apparently she decided not to come on timeThis contradicts what she said previouslyWe have new patients come early for the precise reason that we don't know how long it will take them to complete intake forms, or whether they may have a complex medical history, and we want to be sure to allow them enough time for this and for the visitThe electronic time stamp at reception shows her being checked in at 3:The next time stamp shows her vitals being entered in at 3:27, when she was checked into the exam roomI entered the exam room very soon after thatShe says that she arrived at 3:03, and although incorrect, would still be minutes lateWe have an electronic time stamp in our computer that shows the exact time of check in of each patient at the front desk, and for every subsequent eventThere were no other patients here at the time, so there was no waitI can send a screen shot of the electronic stamps if needed. We wanted to reschedule the appointment due to her lateness, but she implored us to let her be seen, even though we would be short of timeIn trying to be courteous and avoid them wasting a trip, I went ahead a saw her anyway, which resulted in my having to keep my receptionist minutes past closingWe also have documentation of this on her time sheetMy receptionist always leaves at 4:on the dot unless a patient runs long. So, when the patient asked to be started on *** ***, something other than what her mother had scheduled, and because she needed to return anyway, we postponed the *** for the next visitBecause she had requested a new medication that can cause blood clots, it was more crucial to be sure from her history and exam of her heart, lungs, and extremities that she wasn't at excessive risk for this medication before I sent the prescription to the pharmacy. The patient herself told me she had no problem doing her *** at the next appointmentNot making another appointment was not an option, and it would not have mattered which day her *** was doneShe would have to have the *** *** on the same day that the injection of her medication would be given, which could ONLY be given ** *** *** ** *** ***So, she would require an appointment for this whether the *** was done this day or notThe *** could have been done on the initial visit if the patient had not asked for additional treatment and medicationIf she had come only for the ***, and if she had been on time, we would still have had time to do itAgain, the patient was smiling and seemed very content at the end of her visit. The patient's mother accused me of lack of communicationThis is true by necessityI am prohibited by federal law to discuss an adult's private and protected health care information, even with a mother or a spouseShe said she thinks I should have come to the lobby and "admitted" that the patient and I had decided to do her *** at the next visitI wasn't allowed to do that, but her mother was standing right there next to her daughter when the follow up appointment was discussed and being scheduled, before it was decided to wait because she couldn't know when she would be on day 1-of her next menstrual cycleDoctors can be sentenced to huge fines and prison for divulging protected informationAs I mentioned before, the patient was obviously uncomfortable with me discussing her care with her mother, and indicated that she didn't want me to mention her prescription. After her mother had come back to the office and threatened my receptionist, I tried to contact her multiple times to discuss and resolve the issue, but she refused to return my callsShe also refused to wait the 2-minutes it would have taken to finish with my patient to talk with her directly, although by that point, she was so abusive that my receptionist was about to call the policeAs I mentioned, we do have a witness to this. I feel that I provided exceptional care for the patient, and that she was satisfied with the outcome and plans for future visits to complete her contraception managementThere was a disconnect between what the (adult) patient wanted, and what her mother wanted for her, but my responsibility is to the patient aloneI must follow the patient's wishes, and do everything I can to protect her privacyThe patient's mother scheduled her for one thing, but the patient requested anotherHad we known that this was going to be an issue, I would have recommended the government-subsidized clinic across the street that provides sliding scale/free *** tests and *** *** for women who cannot pay or want information to be kept private from their families by avoiding use of insurance. I am actually quite surprised that the patient's mother continues to pursue this, even though she must now know that her daughter's visit involved much more than just doing a *** test. Because the patient's mother was so angry that the *** wasn't done at the first visit, I would be willing to have the patient come back for her *** test at no chargeI would not be able to waive the pathologist's charge for reading the test though, and they will require an active, and not an expired, insurance card. Thank You, Michele L Bennett, MD

Michele LBennett, M.D., P.CWWorks Sheridan, WY (307) 673-6100Revdex.com 3-7-S County Rd 5, Ste 100 Fort Collins, CO
80528 RE: ID # *** Dear Mr***, This is in response to the complaint of which we spoke on the phoneI will describe the events on and around the patient's appointment, and have included a copy of the progress note from her visit from that day. First, the patient's mother called to schedule an appointment for her daughter, who is years oldShe wanted her to have *** *** *** Angie, my receptionist, scheduled her appointment for 3:with paperwork completed or for 2:if she did not complete her paperwork in advanceNew patients are always given the option to pick up the packet in advance in case they have long/complicated medical histories, and want to fill out the information at home or with help. The patient and her mother did not complete the paperwork in advance, and did not arrive until 3:20 pmWe have electronic stamps of chetimes, and each time a chart is accessedHer actual chetime was 3:pmAngie explained that she was over minutes late, and that we would have to reschedule her appointmentThe mother implored us to make an exception, and asked if we would squeeze her in anyway, and didn't seem to remember the part about coming in early for intake forms, which includes health history, review of systems, demographics and insurance information. I would like to note too that Angie mentioned that when the mother gave her the insurance card, she said it was probably no good, and proceeded to make disparaging remarks about her ex-husband who was the policy-holder for the insuranceShe wanted us to try billing it anyway, and said to let her know if the coverage wasn't activeIt wasn't. Angie asked me if I would go ahead and see her, and I said that wouldAfter completing the paperwork about minutes later, the patient was moved into an exam roomWhen I entered the exam room, the patient was in the room by herself, and her mother was in the waiting roomThe patient explained to me that what she wanted *** ** *** *** *** *** ** *** *** *** *** ***She told me that she specifically wanted start *** *** Because this does involve some risk, I took a detailed history to be sure that she had no contraindications to using this medication, such as a history of blood clots, or a family history of blood clotting disorders, among others*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ** *** ** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***It turned out then, that the visit involved much more than was discussed at time of schedulingAlso, whenever a patient is new, the entire medical history must be taken and entered into the computer, so we normally allow at least minutes for new patient physical with *** examsSince, the *** injection would have to be given on day 1-of her cycle, which she wasn't on at the time of her visit, and since she would need to have *** *** on the day of the injection, and due to the lateness of her arrival, the patient AGREED TO RETURN for a follow up appointment to complete this testing, which would also include her *** test and *** ***, which she agreed that she did want to doI also told her that normally I draw blood to check for liver problems, etcbefore starting ***, and that we could do that at her next visit as wellThe patient was in agreement with all of thisShe would then have to return every weeks for subsequent *** ***. It wasn't until I asked the patient which pharmacy she wanted to use for her ***, that I sensed that there appeared to be an issue with the patient not having told her mother what she was planning to doFirst, she said she didn't know which pharmacy to useThen when I said, "Should I just ask your mom which one, she said "no" initially, and was clearly uncomfortable with me talking to her motherI then said that I don't have to tell her what prescription I was sending, but could I just ask which pharmacy she usesShe then said "okay"It turns out that the patient had already signed a release which allowed me to talk to her mother, but I wasn't aware of that at the timeI question whether she may have signed because her mother was watching, because she clearly wanted to keep some things private, which was obviously difficult because her mother and father were going to pay for her care. When we finished and headed out to the front desk, I went with her to tell Angie how to schedule her next visit, since it would have to be between days 1-of her next cycle, and that we would need extra time to do the *** exam and *** ***(I did do a focused physical exam on this visit to be sure I found no issues that would exclude her from being able to take ***.) Her mother was right there, and appeared to be listening to the conversationI even reiterated that she would need to be fasting for her blood draw, and not to forget to bring her medication with her on that day for the injection*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ** *** *** ** *** *** *** ** *** *** *** ** *** *** *** ** *** ***
Late the next day, the mother came back in a rageI was in a room with a patient, so Angie spoke to her in the reception areaThere was another patient in the reception area, but that didn't stop her from screaming at Angie and being very abusiveShe said that she just found out that I hadn't done the *** the day before, and said that we had better not dare send a bill, because she wasn't going to pay for "nothing", and that if we did, she would call a lawyerShe said that she knew that it should only take minutes to do a *** ***, and she couldn't understand what took the doctor so long during the visit without having done itAngie offered to let her talk to me and told her that I should be out in just a minute or twoShe sat down for about seconds, and then hopped up and said she wasn't going to waitShe continued to berate Angie so nastily, that Angie actually had to ask her to leaveShe didn't, and continued to make a scene, and so then Angie threatened to call the police, after which time she leftThe patient in the waiting room felt so sorry for Angie, saying that she couldn't believe that she had to put up with people acting like that. I would like to mention that Angie told me that she feels that Ms*** isn't being honest, and that she knew we were planning to do the *** and *** at the next visit because she discussed cash prices for the upcoming ***She says that she seemed pretty sure that her insurance wasn't going to pay, and so wanted to know what to expectAlso, they started to enter in an appointment for the *** exam before they decided to just wait and have her call us when it was time to schedule. I attempted to call Ms*** three or four times by phoneI left messages on machines, and also spoke to man who said he would have her call meShe never did call me I thought about writing her a letter, but the more a thought about it, the more I became concerned about the privacy issue, so I didn't pursue it anymore. The insurance that she gave us was in fact terminated(She apparently knew this already)So, when we sent a statement out after denial of the claim, she sent a letter threatening me, saying that if we attempted to collect the fee, she would call her attorneyShe said in the letter that I only spoke to her daughter for 10-minutes, and that no exam was done, which is all untrueThey didn't leave until minutes after closing time (which is at 4:00)A couple of months later, after sending out two more statements, I got the letter from the Revdex.comShe is now more than days past due on the bill, and is about to be sent to collections. I hope this clarifies what took place, and how I feel that the patient's mother, in my opinion, never had any intention of paying for this office visit in the first placeShe knowingly gave us an expired insurance card to delay payingWe normally collect up front from cash pay patients, although they do get a discount for doing soInitially, I thought that it was just a communication problem between the mother and daughter, and that the daughter didn't want to tell her mother all of the reasons she was here, but there are several indications that the patient's mother was fully aware of the outcome of the visit and the future plans for testing and administering medication. I have practiced medicine for years and have never had a complaint filed against meI find it very upsetting that for doing the courtesy of working in a very late new patient, and for doing my best to provide the best and most thorough care, the end result is that I must spend hours of my time defending my reputation, and still in the end not get paid for my time, even though we stayed open past closing to accommodate her. Thank you for your attention in this matter
Sincerely, Michele L Bennett, MD

Michele L. Bennett, M.D., P.C.248 W. Works Sheridan, WY 82801 (307) 673-6100Revdex.com 3-7-2016 8020 S County Rd 5, Ste 100 Fort Collins, CO 80528 RE: ID # [redacted] Dear Mr. [redacted], This is in response to the complaint of which we spoke on the phone. I will...

describe the events on and around the patient's appointment, and have included a copy of the progress note from her visit from that day. First, the patient's mother called to schedule an appointment for her daughter, who is 18 years old. She wanted her to have [redacted].  Angie, my receptionist, scheduled her appointment for 3:15 with paperwork completed or for 2:45 if she did not complete her paperwork in advance. New patients are always given the option to pick up the packet in advance in case they have long/complicated medical histories, and want to fill out the information at home or with help. The patient and her mother did not complete the paperwork in advance, and did not arrive until 3:20 pm. We have electronic stamps of check-in times, and each time a chart is accessed. Her actual check-in time was 3:22 pm. Angie explained that she was over 30 minutes late, and that we would have to reschedule her appointment. The mother implored us to make an exception, and asked if we would squeeze her in anyway, and didn't seem to remember the part about coming in early for intake forms, which includes health history, review of systems, demographics and insurance information. I would like to note too that Angie mentioned that when the mother gave her the insurance card, she said it was probably no good, and proceeded to make disparaging remarks about her ex-husband who was the policy-holder for the insurance. She wanted us to try billing it anyway, and said to let her know if the coverage wasn't active. It wasn't. Angie asked me if I would go ahead and see her, and I said that would. After completing the paperwork about 8 minutes later, the patient was moved into an exam room. When I entered the exam room, the patient was in the room by herself, and her mother was in the waiting room. The patient explained to me that what she wanted [redacted]. She told me that she specifically wanted start [redacted].  Because this does involve some risk, I took a detailed history to be sure that she had no contraindications to using this medication, such as a history of blood clots, or a family history of blood clotting disorders, among others. [redacted]It turned out then, that the visit involved much more than was discussed at time of scheduling. Also, whenever a patient is new, the entire medical history must be taken and entered into the computer, so we normally allow at least 45 minutes for new patient physical with [redacted] exams. Since, the [redacted] injection would have to be given on day 1-5 of her cycle, which she wasn't on at the time of her visit, and since she would need to have [redacted] on the day of the injection, and due to the lateness of her arrival, the patient AGREED TO RETURN for a follow up appointment to complete this testing, which would also include her [redacted] test and [redacted], which she agreed that she did want to do. I also told her that normally I draw blood to check for liver problems, etc. before starting [redacted], and that we could do that at her next visit as well. The patient was in agreement with all of this. She would then have to return every 13 weeks for subsequent [redacted]. It wasn't until I asked the patient which pharmacy she wanted to use for her [redacted], that I sensed that there appeared to be an issue with the patient not having told her mother what she was planning to do. First, she said she didn't know which pharmacy to use. Then when I said, "Should I just ask your mom which one, she said "no" initially, and was clearly uncomfortable with me talking to her mother. I then said that I don't have to tell her what prescription I was sending, but could I just ask which pharmacy she uses. She then said "okay". It turns out that the patient had already signed a release which allowed me to talk to her mother, but I wasn't aware of that at the time. I question whether she may have signed because her mother was watching, because she clearly wanted to keep some things private, which was obviously difficult because her mother and father were going to pay for her care. When we finished and headed out to the front desk, I went with her to tell Angie how to schedule her next visit, since it would have to be between days 1-5 of her next cycle, and that we would need extra time to do the [redacted] exam and [redacted]. (I did do a focused physical exam on this visit to be sure I found no issues that would exclude her from being able to take [redacted].) Her mother was right there, and appeared to be listening to the conversation. I even reiterated that she would need to be fasting for her blood draw, and not to forget to bring her medication with her on that day for the injection. [redacted] 
Late the next day, the mother came back in a rage. I was in a room with a patient, so Angie spoke to her in the reception area. There was another patient in the reception area, but that didn't stop her from screaming at Angie and being very abusive. She said that she just found out that I hadn't done the [redacted] the day before, and said that we had better not dare send a bill, because she wasn't going to pay for "nothing", and that if we did, she would call a lawyer. She said that she knew that it should only take 10 minutes to do a [redacted], and she couldn't understand what took the doctor so long during the visit without having done it. Angie offered to let her talk to me and told her that I should be out in just a minute or two. She sat down for about 15 seconds, and then hopped up and said she wasn't going to wait. She continued to berate Angie so nastily, that Angie actually had to ask her to leave. She didn't, and continued to make a scene, and so then Angie threatened to call the police, after which time she left. The patient in the waiting room felt so sorry for Angie, saying that she couldn't believe that she had to put up with people acting like that. I would like to mention that Angie told me that she feels that Ms. [redacted] isn't being honest, and that she knew we were planning to do the [redacted] and [redacted] at the next visit because she discussed cash prices for the upcoming [redacted]. She says that she seemed pretty sure that her insurance wasn't going to pay, and so wanted to know what to expect. Also, they started to enter in an appointment for the [redacted] exam before they decided to just wait and have her call us when it was time to schedule. I attempted to call Ms. [redacted] three or four times by phone. I left messages on machines, and also spoke to   man who said he would have her call me. She never did call me.  I thought about writing her a letter, but the more a thought about it, the more I became concerned about the privacy issue, so I didn't pursue it anymore. The insurance that she gave us was in fact terminated. (She apparently knew this already). So, when we sent a statement out after denial of the claim, she sent a letter threatening me, saying that if we attempted to collect the fee, she would call her attorney. She said in the letter that I only spoke to her daughter for 10-15 minutes, and that no exam was done, which is all untrue. They didn't leave until 15 minutes after closing time (which is at 4:00). A couple of months later, after sending out two more statements, I got the letter from the Revdex.com. She is now more than 90 days past due on the bill, and is about to be sent to collections. I hope this clarifies what took place, and how I feel that the patient's mother, in my opinion, never had any intention of paying for this office visit in the first place. She knowingly gave us an expired insurance card to delay paying. We normally collect up front from cash pay patients, although they do get a discount for doing so. Initially, I thought that it was just a communication problem between the mother and daughter, and that the daughter didn't want to tell her mother all of the reasons she was here, but there are several indications that the patient's mother was fully aware of the outcome of the visit and the future plans for testing and administering medication. I have practiced medicine for 21 years and have never had a complaint filed against me. I find it very upsetting that for doing the courtesy of working in a very late new patient, and for doing my best to provide the best and most thorough care, the end result is that I must spend hours of my time defending my reputation, and still in the end not get paid for my time, even though we stayed open past closing to accommodate her. Thank you for your attention in this matter. Sincerely, Michele L Bennett, MD

3-22-2016
Michele L. Bennett, M.D., P.C. 248 W. Works
Sheridan, WY 82801
(307) 673-6100
Revdex.com
8020 S County Rd 5, Ste 100
Fort Collins, CO 80528 RE: ID # [redacted] Dear Mr. [redacted], This is again in response to the claim above. I would like to mention that it seems very strange that someone other than the patient is making a complaint. The patient is an adult, and is not disabled or in any way unable to speak for herself. The patient herself appeared satisfied and was in full agreement with the care plan. To the question as to her arrival time, again, the patient's appointment was for 2:45 if forms were not already completed, and she arrived at 3:22, 32 minutes late. On her latest response, the patient's mother said they didn't need 30 minutes to fill out paper work, and so apparently she decided not to come on time. This contradicts what she said previously. We have new patients come early for the precise reason that we don't know how long it will take them to complete intake forms, or whether they may have a complex medical history, and we want to be sure to allow them enough time for this and for the visit. The electronic time stamp at reception shows her being checked in at 3:22. The next time stamp shows her vitals being entered in at 3:27, when she was checked into the exam room. I entered the exam room very soon after that. She says that she arrived at 3:03, and although incorrect, would still be 18 minutes late. We have an electronic time stamp in our computer that shows the exact time of check in of each patient at the front desk, and for every subsequent event. There were no other patients here at the time, so there was no wait. I can send a screen shot of the electronic stamps if needed. We wanted to reschedule the appointment due to her lateness, but she implored us to let her be seen, even though we would be short of time. In trying to be courteous and avoid them wasting a trip, I went ahead a saw her anyway, which resulted in my having to keep my receptionist 15 minutes past closing. We also have documentation of this on her time sheet. My receptionist always leaves at 4:00 on the dot unless a patient runs long. So, when the patient asked to be started on [redacted], something other than what her mother had scheduled, and because she needed to return anyway, we postponed the [redacted] for the next visit. Because she had requested a new medication that can cause blood clots, it was more crucial to be sure from her history and exam of her heart, lungs, and extremities that she wasn't at excessive risk for this medication before I sent the prescription to the pharmacy. The patient herself told me she had no problem doing her [redacted] at the next appointment. Not making another appointment was not an option, and it would not have mattered which day her [redacted] was done. She would have to have the [redacted] on the same day that the injection of her medication would be given, which could ONLY be given [redacted]. So, she would require an appointment for this whether the [redacted] was done this day or not. The [redacted] could have been done on the initial visit if the patient had not asked for additional treatment and medication. If she had come only for the [redacted], and if she had been on time, we would still have had time to do it. Again, the patient was smiling and seemed very content at the end of her visit. The patient's mother accused me of lack of communication. This is true by necessity. I am prohibited by federal law to discuss an adult's private and protected health care information, even with a mother or a spouse. She said she thinks I should have come to the lobby and "admitted" that the patient and I had decided to do her [redacted] at the next visit. I wasn't allowed to do that, but her mother was standing right there next to her daughter when the follow up appointment was discussed and being scheduled, before it was decided to wait because she couldn't know when she would be on day 1-5 of her next menstrual cycle. Doctors can be sentenced to huge fines and prison for divulging protected information. As I mentioned before, the patient was obviously uncomfortable with me discussing her care with her mother, and indicated that she didn't want me to mention her prescription. After her mother had come back to the office and threatened my receptionist, I tried to contact her multiple times to discuss and resolve the issue, but she refused to return my calls. She also refused to wait the 2-3 minutes it would have taken to finish with my patient to talk with her directly, although by that point, she was so abusive that my receptionist was about to call the police. As I mentioned, we do have a witness to this. I feel that I provided exceptional care for the patient, and that she was satisfied with the outcome and plans for future visits to complete her contraception management. There was a disconnect between what the (adult) patient wanted, and what her mother wanted for her, but my responsibility is to the patient alone. I must follow the patient's wishes, and do everything I can to protect her privacy. The patient's mother scheduled her for one thing, but the patient requested another. Had we known that this was going to be an issue, I would have recommended the government-subsidized clinic across the street that provides sliding scale/free [redacted] tests and [redacted] for women who cannot pay or want information to be kept private from their families by avoiding use of insurance. I am actually quite surprised that the patient's mother continues to pursue this, even though she must now know that her daughter's visit involved much more than just doing a [redacted] test. Because the patient's mother was so angry that the [redacted] wasn't done at the first visit, I would be willing to have the patient come back for her [redacted] test at no charge. I would not be able to waive the pathologist's charge for reading the test though, and they will require an active, and not an expired, insurance card. Thank You, Michele L Bennett, MD

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:#1 I could not find a response to accept or reject.  I called Revdex.com office and left a message. Since this is on a timer I had to pick one to respond Re: the doctor listed in this complaint. I do not agree with all of her claims. And the comments regarding appointment time frame and when we arrived etc. is not correct. She could have avoided much of this by coming to the lobby and admitting she did not give enough time to do the exam that was scheduled.  We left well before 4 pm which is the time they list as the end of their day as we arrived at 3:03 pm and I noted that it would not take 30 minutes to complete paperwork. The 3:20 time she mentioned is when my daughter went down the hall to the exam room.  Anyway, I believe it is her lack of communication that was at issue.  
Regards,
[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: We (my daughter and I) feel that the subject of complaint should NOT have agreed to see my daughter if she could NOT perform requested exam in the amount of time allotted.  She informed my daughter AFTER she allowed her into exam room.  We were NOT late for appointment.  Actually EARLY.  Did NOT take 30 minutes to complete paperwork.  We were in the office a total of 37 minutes.  3:03 pm in, walked out @ 3:40 pm, well before closing @ 4:00 pm. My daughter was in exam room approximately 15 minutes.  She presumes to know my intentions. My intention was very clear when I made appt. for the exam that did not happen.  We do NOT feel 15 minutes is worth $150 just to have to make ANOTHER appointment to get the exam that was requested in the first place.  This is an unethical practice in my opinion to see a patient and then in the end the patient did NOT get what would have been paid for just to pay AGAIN for someone else to fulfill the request. There is NO justification for her actions.
Regards,
[redacted]