There was a brief time in my life when I did not have health insurance, and during that time, I made the terrible mistake of visiting this practice for a sinus infection. The lady at the front who gave me the new patient paperwork when I arrived called me back to the front after I gave it back to her with "N/A" in the insurance information section. Once I rose up from my seat and start to take my first step towards the front, I was surprised to hear a voice above the noise of the crowded waiting room. "YOU DON'T HAVE INSURANCE?," she asked. After I arrived at her desk several moments later after shamefully passing the other patients in the waiting room who are all now privy to my insurance status. "No," I said with a red face. "Well, I'm going to need you to pay up front."
At the time, I was unaware that antibiotics were available for just a few dollars for those who do not have insurance, so I did not say anything when the pharmacist told me the cost. The doctor, whom I informed of both my insurance status and my minimal employment at the time, prescribed an antibiotic that cost me over $130 (generic).
After my personal information was announced to a waiting room full of patients, I hoped my experience would improve. Obviously, I was wrong.