Here is my honest review of Dr. Zinzuvadia: I saw him once per month for 3 years. I initially went there for help with some anxiety I had after becoming clean and sober, nothing major…I just wanted to focus and needed help with getting over addiction. Right off the bat, he prescribed three meds; one of which was clonazepam. I left my initial consultation and went and read about the meds he prescribed and realized right away that he really didn’t listen to what I told him about myself. Clonazepam? Really?
Needless to say, for three years I’ve had one script for serotonin reuptake; nothing more or less. Everything was fine. No side effects, no depression, no nothing. The meds worked fine. My request to not have to go to appointments once per month was denied. I got nothing out of my appointments and I mean nothing. They lasted sometimes all of 3 or 4 minutes while I just sat there and he scribbled on a piece of paper, not even looking in my direction. Once per month I had to play the game, go see the doctor just so I could get a script.
About a year ago I asked if I could cut my dose in half, because he had me on the highest possible dose and I was tired a lot and slept more than I usually did. Nope. Had to stay on the highest dose. There was no reason for him to not even allow me to try a smaller dose.
Many times I’d go to my appointment and there would be 8 people in the waiting room. I discovered one of these times that we all had an appointment at the exact same time. He was often over-booked and just shuffled people in and out of his office like a revolving door. The first thing he does when you get in the office is pull his script pad out, because after all, that’s the main focus. Never mind the consultation; it’s all about keeping people medicated.
My favorite thing about my visits with Dr. Zinduvadia is when you’re talking and he’s staring at the pad in front him and not you, is he takes out his cell phone and starts scrolling through messages. The doctor, who I go to for wellness actually has better things to do than to actually pay attention to me. His cell phone is more important and this alone proves to me he has zero interest at all in his patients.
Dr. Zinzuvadia’s sidekick Sonia who works at the front desk has even less of interest at all in anyone who walks in there. When talking to her, she constantly talks over you. You can’t talk to her normally because she’s always talking, which means she isn’t actually listening.
Here is why I will never go back: I went to my usual appointment at the beginning of the month, got my script and went to the pharmacy. The pharmacy told me they cannot fill the script, because all of a sudden it needs “prior authorization”. I left, went home and called my medication company to ask about this. It’s a cost savings program. They needed the doctor to fax or call them with my diagnosis so they can continue filling my script. They gave me a telephone number for the doctor to call to do this and said it after they received it, I would be able to get my script filled. Sounds easy.
I called Sonia, told her I couldn’t get my script filled and told about the prior authorization I needed. Told her I could not get my script. As she talked over me, she said “yes, yes, I take care of it.” I wanted to give her the phone number that the med company gave me so she could call them and submit the authorization over the phone. She didn’t want it; said she knew what to do.
A day or two went by and my meds were running out. I called my pharmacy to see if I could pick up my script yet. Nope. Said they haven’t heard from my doctor about the prior authorization yet. I called Sonia again, told her I’m almost out of meds and needed to have her call them. She asked if I could bring my script card in, right then and there while I was at work. She said “I’m leaving here soon.” No, I can’t leave work to bring my card across town. Instead, my wife went there to bring her the card so she could use it to get the prior authorization straightened out. While there, she also picked me up 2 weeks of meds that the doctor himself gave to her. Wouldn’t this somehow be a red flag to the doctor and realize that there was something wrong? He gave me a script to fill when I was there at the beginning of the month, yet my wife goes there to get sample packs because I can’t get my script filled. Couldn’t the 2 of them realize right then and there that something was wrong with this picture? So now I had samples to get me by and Sonia had my card and all the information she needed to get the prior authorization straightened out. Easy, right?
A week or two went by and during that time I called my pharmacy 3 more times to check and see if my script was available. Nope. Again, I call the doctor’s office and also had to leave a voicemail saying I still could not get my script filled, was running out of samples and need the prior authorization in order to pick it up. On that voicemail I asked Sonia to please have Dr. Zinzuvadia call me back personally so I could explain to him in detail what was going on. Nothing. Silence. My phone never rang. My script remained at the pharmacy and I couldn’t go get it.
Fast forward to yesterday, March 30th. It’s appointment day, even though I already saw him at the beginning of March. I had to go, had to find out what the problem was. I walk in the waiting room, 7 people are there waiting already. Sonia comes out and hands me a piece of paper and tells me all patients have to write down their information for new electronic prescriptions now. You would think she would see me and think to herself: Oh, there’s the guy who had a problem with his script at the pharmacy 4 weeks ago. Oh, there’s the guy whose wife had to come in and show me the script card and get samples of meds. Oh, there’s the guy who called me 7 times about the problem with getting prior authorization for his script. Nothing. Zip. Nodda. Not only that, the form she hands me that needs filling out had on it: NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, PREFERRED PHAMACY. Really? I have to submit my name and address and phone number? Perhaps that information is already on file?
So I wait 45 minutes and finally go in to see the amazing Dr. Zinzuvadia. I immediately tell him that I still haven’t been able to pick up my script he gave me 4 weeks ago. Do you know what he asks me? He asks “How come?” Wait, the doctor who had to hand my wife samples of my meds 3 weeks prior asks “How come?”
I explained that I’ve been trying to get Sonia to call the med company to submit to them the prior authorization. He says to me, “We don’t do that. That’s not our problem. We don’t have time to be on the phone with YOUR insurance company.” My blood pressure skyrocketed.
I told him that “I”, the patient cannot get prior authorization. I told him I called them already and they said the DOCTOR has to do it. Again he told me it’s not his problem and I have to call them and get it straightened out myself. I said I can’t do that. They need a diagnosis from the doctor to continue with the meds. He wanted no part of it and said it’s MY insurance company and not his fault. How can this be happening?
I tried in vain to explain to him what I did so far and what needed to be done. He sits there and pulls out his script pad and says he’s going to write me another script. Um, I already had a script waiting at the pharmacy. I told him I don’t need another script, that the med company needs prior authorization to fill the first script. He told me I can pay for it out of pocket then. The meds cost 500 dollars for 3 months.
One thing led to another and I started yelling and he walks out and goes to ask Sonia what insurance company I have and she sits there with a bewildered look on her face. She has zero clue. The doctor again tells me “I” have to go call the med company. No, “THEY” have to call the med company. Then he says the med company denied my meds. Really? After taking it for 3 years, out of the blue I’m all of a sudden denied?
He goes to his closet and gets a sample of my meds to give me because I told him I am now out and have nothing at all. He proceeds to tell me he pays 800 dollars for the sample pack that’s in his hand and he takes out scissors and cuts off 2 weeks worth and hands them to me and keeps the rest. I left and went home. He said to me “You have no idea what you’re talking about. You should be yelling at your med company, not us.”
This could have all been avoided had Sonia taken the phone number the med company gave me, called it and got the prior authorization. It would have taken about 10 minutes. The fact of the matter is; she did nothing. She is stubborn, incompetent and rude and never once went out of her way to try and help the situation. She never once answered my calls, never told the doctor I was still having an issue and not even so much as lifted a finger to make one phone call to get the prior authorization. And the doctor yesterday asks me “How come?” when I told him I still don’t have a script.
I went home, called the med company again and asked them if what the doctor told me is true, am I somehow denied now? No. They said they still have not heard from the doctor to get the prior authorization. Enough said.
Everyone has the right to choose whatever doctor they wish, but if you are referred to Kishor Zinzuvadia I wish you good luck. He has zero bedside manner, his main priority is billing, his staff is incompetent, he will keep you coming back for as long as he can possibly milk the insurance company and he has very little concept of American culture. He was never concerned with the root of my problem which was addiction, we never talked about it in our 4-minute sessions and he was only concerned with the drug/prescription portion of my life. It was dreadful going there 12 times per year and I got nothing out of it and left his office feeling like I just talked to a brick wall. I’m glad it’s over.
Everything I’ve written above is the truth with zero exaggeration. I’m disturbed that a simple phone call to the med company turned into a fiasco that was ignored and turned back onto MY shoulders. I’m upset that a doctor in his position can actually treat people like this with all those diplomas decorating his wall. I feel sorry for anyone who has to go sit on his couch and spend any amount of time with him. He has done nothing for me in 3 years and Sonia is annoying to deal with, rude and not very bright. She can’t help it because you can’t really fix stupid. Dr. Zinzuvadia on the other hand – unprofessional, uncaring and is not doing anything in anyone’s best interest. Good luck with him.
Thanks for listening.
by Jeff
xxx.xxx.246.32
March 31, 2016
