Anonymous
Post 02/18/2020 20:49     Subject: Re:Experiences with Dr. Abassi or Columbia Fertility?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here... Sigh, I was hoping for better news about the financial office. I've practically had a nervous breakdown from SGF's financial dept and was hoping for somewhere better...


I started at SGF and moved to CFA out of frustration (more that they won’t personalize care rather than financial) but CFA is infinitely more frustrating.


I'm so sorry to hear that. Is CFA infinitely more frustrating on the care end, financial end, or both?
Anonymous
Post 02/13/2020 13:32     Subject: Re:Experiences with Dr. Abassi or Columbia Fertility?
Anonymous wrote:OP here... Sigh, I was hoping for better news about the financial office. I've practically had a nervous breakdown from SGF's financial dept and was hoping for somewhere better...


I started at SGF and moved to CFA out of frustration (more that they won’t personalize care rather than financial) but CFA is infinitely more frustrating.
Anonymous
Post 02/12/2020 22:37     Subject: Experiences with Dr. Abassi or Columbia Fertility?
I saw Dr. Abassi and brought all my blood work and info from my previous IVF cycles (stim dosage, retrieval numbers...). She only ordered additional bloodwork to complete what was missing.
Anonymous
Post 02/12/2020 22:35     Subject: Experiences with Dr. Abassi or Columbia Fertility?
Anonymous wrote:I am going to Columbia right now. I really like my doctor but the front desk and billing staff are so terrible that I will be switching. A few weeks ago we got a strange bill for hundreds of dollars that made no sense. I spent two weeks calling every day, but no one returned my calls — the head of billing works from home so she does not have a direct line and decided she had better things to do than return my phone calls. I emailed her and she responded saying I should speak with a medical staff, even though it was a billing issue. She has still refused to answer my questions.

It is unconscionable that this clinic would fraudulently charge its patients and then not return calls and emails. Dozens of reviews on Yelp show I am far from the only one with this issue.

Such a shame because their doctors are good.


I'd say to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, but Columbia Fertility doesn't care about its 'F' BBB rating.
Anonymous
Post 02/12/2020 22:19     Subject: Re:Experiences with Dr. Abassi or Columbia Fertility?
I sadly agree with everyone else regarding the disaster that is the billing (and to some extent) the admin department.
Anonymous
Post 02/12/2020 20:44     Subject: Re:Experiences with Dr. Abassi or Columbia Fertility?
I didn’t see Dr Abassi but did not have a good experience at Columbia. I felt like it was just an IVF factory. I switched clinics and ended up pregnant sans IVF.
Anonymous
Post 02/12/2020 20:10     Subject: Re:Experiences with Dr. Abassi or Columbia Fertility?
OP here... Sigh, I was hoping for better news about the financial office. I've practically had a nervous breakdown from SGF's financial dept and was hoping for somewhere better...
Anonymous
Post 02/12/2020 14:09     Subject: Experiences with Dr. Abassi or Columbia Fertility?
Echoing the love for Dr. Abassi and the nurses, but unending frustration with the financial and administrative staff.

I have heard similar feedback from other physician offices though - I think it's a nightmare for them to find and retain good people in the non-clinical positions.

Dr. Abassi is the reason I'm a mother and putting up with the PITA bureaucratic screw ups was worth it for the payoff.

Good luck OP!
Anonymous
Post 02/12/2020 00:43     Subject: Experiences with Dr. Abassi or Columbia Fertility?
I am going to Columbia right now. I really like my doctor but the front desk and billing staff are so terrible that I will be switching. A few weeks ago we got a strange bill for hundreds of dollars that made no sense. I spent two weeks calling every day, but no one returned my calls — the head of billing works from home so she does not have a direct line and decided she had better things to do than return my phone calls. I emailed her and she responded saying I should speak with a medical staff, even though it was a billing issue. She has still refused to answer my questions.

It is unconscionable that this clinic would fraudulently charge its patients and then not return calls and emails. Dozens of reviews on Yelp show I am far from the only one with this issue.

Such a shame because their doctors are good.
Anonymous
Post 02/12/2020 00:17     Subject: Re:Experiences with Dr. Abassi or Columbia Fertility?
Anonymous wrote:Love Dr. Abbasi. Her nurses are great, too. I believe she has a list of preliminary tests she'll run on you and your husband to identify potential issues. I have extensive auto-immune diseases in my immediate family, though so far I appear to have escaped that fate. No other health issues except being older and husband can't get erections. I don't know if my family history played into the IVF or FET protocols. Her FET protocol was pretty extensive compared to others that I read about on various boards. I do think I was asked to check every box in terms of procedures, too. But, it worked the first time out, so no complaints with the medical side.

The financial department and, to some extent, the front desk staff, are less than acceptable.


I saw her 9 years ago - I'm sorry to hear this is still true. It was so appalling at the time that despite loving the doc I went back to Shady Grove.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2020 23:14     Subject: Experiences with Dr. Abassi or Columbia Fertility?
Love, love, love her and I am 11 weeks pregnant thanks to her help. She is confident, smart, no-nonsense, and fixed a very simple issue. Pregnant on my first IUI.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2020 22:45     Subject: Re:Experiences with Dr. Abassi or Columbia Fertility?
Love Dr. Abbasi. Her nurses are great, too. I believe she has a list of preliminary tests she'll run on you and your husband to identify potential issues. I have extensive auto-immune diseases in my immediate family, though so far I appear to have escaped that fate. No other health issues except being older and husband can't get erections. I don't know if my family history played into the IVF or FET protocols. Her FET protocol was pretty extensive compared to others that I read about on various boards. I do think I was asked to check every box in terms of procedures, too. But, it worked the first time out, so no complaints with the medical side.

The financial department and, to some extent, the front desk staff, are less than acceptable.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2020 20:54     Subject: Re:Experiences with Dr. Abassi or Columbia Fertility?
I think she is much better than Shady Grove if you are a complicated case, and especially if you are seeking immunology support. I also think she's very smart and has helped a lot of people with more complicated cases. While we chose to work with Dr. Braverman before he passed away, if we hadn't been doing the IVF part with Cornell, we would've probably gone to her.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2020 20:07     Subject: Experiences with Dr. Abassi or Columbia Fertility?
There are over 500 posts on this site with her name. Use the search function to the left and you will extensive feedback.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2020 20:03     Subject: Experiences with Dr. Abassi or Columbia Fertility?
We're thinking about switching to that clinic because we're not feeling very supported by Shady Grove Fertility. Does anyone have any general feedback about them (doctors, nurses, financial team) or Dr. Abassi specifically? And if you saw Dr. Abassi for immunology-related reasons, will she test you for that stuff before you start IVF or only after unsuccessful transfers?