Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates
reviews and complaints

I usually never write a bad revie. I figure everyone can have a bad day. However, this office is uncaring and incompetent! I am (was now) under the care of Dr. Aparna P. Shreenath. She performed a colonoscopy for me. It all went well. Six months later... I end up in the ER with a swollen colon and passing blood clots. (Not saying this is related to her care for me, just setting the scenario.) The hospital gave me a referral to go see a gastroenterologist within 3 to 5 days. So, since I was under this doctor's care, I called to make an appointment. I was told that I could not see a doctor for FIVE weeks! I explained that I would see any doctor in the practice or even a PA because I was in pain and passing blood and needed to be seen within a few days. I was told that I had to see Dr. Shreenath. I was told that a message would be passed to the patient care line and someone would escalte my appointment up and they would call me. I waited a couple of days. No one ever called so I called back. I was told there were no appointments available. I asked to speak to leave a message with a patient care person. I was told I was being transferred but instead my call was ended. Any office that is not willing to follow up with patient care in a timely manner is on the verge of malpractice! Don't give this place your money to get a colonoscopy because they will NOT provide follow up care in a timely manner.

Every1 was great! The staff as well as the Dr. My procedure didn't take as long as I expected, I was in at 8:15 and out b4 10:00. Even the Prep wasn't 2 bad! 🤗

I've been tryin since the beginnin of June to get an appt with this practice cuz I need refills for my RX. I've made lotsa calls (wait times are sooo long) and emailed the practice. But I ain't got no response to my emails or phone calls.

The billin department for Atlanta Gastro has been a nightmare to deal with. We are five months into trying to resolve incorrect insurance *** and still don't see light at the end of the tunnel. We have spent hours and hours on the phone with them to no avail. I am losing my mind.

I had a problem with Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates. They charged me a co-pay that I didn't have to pay because my insurance covered everything. To make matters worse, they billed me on November 4 for a procedure that was done in January 2022, and they charged me the same co-pay amount again. They refunded the January payment, but not the November one. Dealing with their billing department is a complete nightmare. It's especially frustrating for me because I have a fixed income.

My procedure was scheduled at 10:30. I arrived a little after 10. I was a nervous wreck. The receptionist was pleasant. She was so sweet and gentle in her tone and could probably tell I was a little on edge. She made me feel so comfortable and I was in good hands. The doctors and nurses had good bedside manners. They were very compassionate. My overall experience at 550 Peachtree was SUPERB! So many times people take time to complain but don't ever take time to recognize exceptional skilled people. Yes, of course, 5 Stars!

I don't recommend this place. They treat you like a number, not a patient. The person who checks your vitals is really rude and abrupt. The PA-C, Ms., isn't much better. She rushes you through your appointment and acts like she doesn't believe your symptoms. And get this, when I had to lie down and then needed help getting up, she straight up said no and wouldn't get anyone else to help either. It's not just unprofessional, it says a lot about their character. Who refuses to help an old person when they ask for it?

Absolutely terrible patient treatment. We paid cash, they filed with insurance anyway. And we are still receiving bills over a year later. I have spent countless hours on the phone with their staff and I am consistently met with rudeness. I can't believe they are still in business. Never in my life have I experienced such a mismanagement of medical billing. The last employee I spoke to actually yelled over me on the phone and refused to let me explain a situation I have been dealing with for 15 months. This was their mistake and I am treated as if I have somehow inconvenienced them. By the way, it is against the law to have a patient pay cash and then file insurance. They were paid twice, and still trying to collect.

I gotta say, Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates' Doctors are pretty good, but man, I ain't ever going back there. The folks at the front desk (at 550 Peachtree) are useless and rude, and don't even get me started on their billing department. They made me cough up a $500 deposit/copay before they'd even do my procedure, and now my insurance done paid it all. I've wasted so many dang hours on the phone (when they actually pick up) just tryna find out when I'll get my refund. Let me tell ya, if I owed them $500, they'd be on my case nonstop, probably sending it to some debt collectors. Maybe I should call up a collections agency and have 'em bug AGA every day 'til I get my money back. This whole thing has been a nightmare, and from what I've seen in other reviews here and on other sites, I ain't the only one stuck in this mess.

After I had a procedure done at Atlanta Gastro (Athens Campus) on 12/8, we figured out on 2/15 that I was owed a refund of $378. We had a recorded phone call with my insurance company and the AG billing office to confirm this.

Since then, things have been nothing short of a crime.

I still haven't received the check. Here's what I've been through:
In March, I called and they said the check was on its way.
In April, I called and they said I wasn't owed a refund and they had no record of it on my account. I called multiple times to different agents to get to the bottom of this. On May 12, they said they would call back with more information. They never did.

On May 17, I called again and, by asking the right question, I found out there was another section to my account. Same account number, just a different section where the refund was recorded.

STILL. I had to call two more times before they told me the date the refund was processed and the date I should expect the check by (AT THE LATEST), which was June 4. I still haven't received the check. Also, on each of these calls, I left a voicemail for the manager (***), asking for a call back. I haven't received a call back yet.

I filed a fraud report with the insurance commissioner this morning.

I been a patient at Atlanta Gastroenterology for a long time. Lately, I been feeling awful physically and emotionally. They treated me real bad. I did everything I was supposed to do to get my treatments on time. I been dealing with Ulcerative Colitis / Crohn's disease for over 30 years, since I was 15. Now I'm 45, so I know what happens if I don't get my treatments on time. I called for 2 and a half months trying to schedule my appointment, so I wouldn't end up in the hospital feeling terrible. But no one called me back. My husband even took time off work to go to the office and talk to someone, but they said they couldn't control the infusion appointments. I called the operators crying, trying to get in touch with someone to schedule my appointment, but they couldn't reach anyone. The operators were nice and told me not to cry and be strong. I knew what was happening. I felt like my body was shutting down. It was so bad that I found myself begging for death. I was that sick. I work in healthcare myself for over 25 years, and I never seen anyone treated like this. My doctor acted like he didn't care when I finally reached him. He didn't even hurry up my infusion. The doctor on call at the emergency room, who works for the gastroenterologist, is a real heartless person. I never met someone like him before. He's not my doctor, but he was on call twice when I was in the hospital. The first time was awful, and the second time was even worse. He didn't even touch me and shut me down when I tried to explain why I was there. The nurses said he didn't even talk to them when he came to see me in the emergency room. They didn't even know he came. It made me cry and feel so much pain. The other doctors, *** and ***, were really nice to me. They did more for me, even though they couldn't fix the problem.

Becuz my diagnosis was delayed by 2 different doctors at AGA I ended up in the hospital on the last month of my coverage and first month of the next year. As a result, I am left with over $8000.00 in deb for which I feel is unfair because of the circumstances. If AGA would have properly diagnosed and treated me in July I would have never incurred these charges and debt.

Below is a summary of my experience with Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates and Diverticulitis with an abscess.

I originally visited Dr. *** in July due to constipation, bloating, and gas problems. He gave me Linzess tablets and said to drink more water and eat more fiber.

The Linzess and diet change helped temporarily but the problem persisted prompting me to call for a follow-up on October 24. The first appointment was 7 days away on Halloween, Oct 31. Over the weekend my condition continued to worsen so I called on Monday and asked if someone else could see me. They scheduled me with Dr. *** in the Johns Creek office.

When Dr. *** saw me he never asked me anything about Diverticulitis even though it was in my record from the last colonoscopy I had with AGA. He never physically examined me, never asked me to sit on the table and tap on my abdomen where the pain was like Dr. *** always did. He simply gave me more Linzess and told me to go home and eat more fiber. Apples, bananas, pears, etc.

He also scheduled a breath test which required abstaining from any medication like Linzess for 7 days. I went home, ate more fiber and suffered 7 more days of severe discomfort until Monday November 4th when I completed the breath test and took the Linzess.

My condition worsened so I called and got an appointment with Dr. *** on Wednesday November 6th. After physically examining me he diagnosed Diverticulitis and ordered a CAT scan to confirm that. He also started me on an antibiotic which began to provide some relief within 24 hours.

The CAT scan on Friday morning confirmed his diagnosis and discovered a very large abscess.
They called me that same Friday morning after the CAT scan and told me that I had diverticulitis with an abscess.
The nurse told me to "Pick up a new antibiotic prescription from my pharmacy and if my condition worsened that I should go to an emergency room." Those were her exact words. Because the 2 antibiotics were helping, I was getting some relief so I left for a scheduled four-day business trip to Raleigh NC on Monday morning.

I received a voicemail message on Wednesday November 13 at 7:59 pm while I was in Raleigh North Carolina that I needed to get in to see Dr. *** about a procedure that I needed immediately. I left Raleigh at 2:00 am driving 6 hours to get that appointment.

When I saw Dr. *** on Thursday the 14th he was upset because I was supposed to have gone and had the procedure done last Friday when the CAT scan confirmed my condition. I believe the nurse was supposed to tell me to pick up the new prescription and go straight to the ER to get the abscess drained but that is not what she told me. She clearly said "If my condition worsened" go to the ER.

That means I had another five days of sickness that was unnecessary and from what I am told dangerous. My understanding is the Dr. *** was out of town Monday and Tuesday and when he checked on my case Wednesday he discovered I had not been to the hospital.

He asked me "When did you get the message about the procedure you needed?" I told him Wednesday evening and he was visibly upset about that. After Dr. *** examined me he sent me directly to the emergency room and they scheduled me for surgery. A second CAT scan confirmed the abscess had not gone down and in fact, had gotten larger.

I firmly believe that AGA and Dr. *** did a sub-par job. If he would have been on the ball and actually examined me he would not have suggested a person with Diverticulitis go home and eat more fiber. He obviously did not read my colonoscopy results that noted diverticulosis.

1. If he would have diagnosed it and ordered the CAT scan in October would I have developed the abscess?
2. Would I have avoided surgery if he would have examined me and properly diagnosed me?
3. What affect did the 7 extra days have on me after the first CAT scan confirmed diverticulitis with the abscess?

We are receiving the bills now, including from AGA for the extra appointment needed after the CAT scan and for all of the things that insurance is not going to cover. So far we are over $8000.00 out of pocket.

I've been trying to get my money back for four co-pays since Oct, Nov, Dec, and Jan. Cigna says we shouldn't have been charged because we've already paid our out-of-pocket and deductible. But every time I call the billing department, they give me a different response.

My daughter got medical care using my health insurance on 11/29. They messed up and didn't file a claim for the service, so now they keep sending bills. I've tried calling and emailing them many times to fix their mistake. Every time, they promise to file it again, but they haven't. Today, I got a Final Notice that's scaring me, saying they'll send me to collections for this ***. It's frustrating because my insurance would cover it completely if they just filed it right. Even my BCBS Anthem representative contacted them on 4/26/22 to sort out this claim, but they still keep sending me scary letters about paying this ***. And guess what? They still haven't sent the right info to my insurance company to get it paid.

I recently had a barium test at Atlanta Gastroenterology Assoicates in ***. I've been trying to get the test results for two weeks now, but there have been constant delays. Today, they sent me an email asking me to use their patient portal to access the results. However, I had a hard time signing up for it because their system doesn't work properly. It's frustrating that I need a computer just to get my test results, and I can't even get my doctor to call me back with the results. Can you please arrange for them to email me a copy of the report at *** or have the doctor call me at ***? I'm in a lot of discomfort and I really need the results explained to me. I hope you can help because nothing else seems to be working and they never return calls.

On June 17th, I had a procedure done by Dr. *** at Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates located at *** in Atlanta. United Digestive charged me a copay of $500. Later, my insurance provider covered the entire procedure cost, including the copay. In mid-August, I asked for a refund of my $500, and the representative validated and initiated the request. They promised that the refund would arrive within eight (8) weeks. However, as of today, October 25th, 2022, I still haven't received the refund. They claimed it was mailed out on September 26th, 2022. Furthermore, every time I ask about the refund, they make empty promises. They don't return my phone calls, and I can't speak with any managers. All the representatives give me the same response, which is "we will send a message to the ***." One phone representative even hung up on me when I asked to speak with ***, who promised to call me back but never did. It feels like they took my payment and are now refusing to return it, even though it has been over three months since the transaction and 10 weeks since I requested the refund. It feels like theft. I demand an immediate refund sent to me via ***. My account number is ***.

AGA is still messing up my previously paid services. Ever since I paid on 9/7, I keep getting the same crap. On 11/8, I talked to someone and they said they applied my $79.37 payment to the wrong provider. I actually owed $30 for a different service, but it wasn't due yet. They were supposed to transfer the $79.37 to the right provider, ATLANTA GASTROENTEROLOGY ASSOCIATES, and I paid the $30 right then on the phone (Confirmation ***). That was supposed to fix their mistake and bring all my accounts to a $0 balance. But guess what? I'm still getting statements for $79.37. Besides the billing issue, they haven't responded at all. The statement says it'll go to collections in 28 days. Since November, I've called and talked to a live rep, I've left a bunch of voicemails (no one calls me back), and I've emailed them at the address on the statement ***, but it was an invalid email address and couldn't be delivered ("The response from the remote server was: 550 5.7.0 Local Policy Violation"). The contact info and company name on the hold message doesn't match what's on the statement. This is just terrible customer service. They shouldn't punish customers for their own incompetence and disorganization by threatening to send them to collections. I'm never using AGA or any Northside/*** medical organization again.

I did a procedure on March 29 with Atlanta Gastroenterology at ***. My primary care insurance and a third party secondary insurance from my employer covered the procedure. In March 2022, I got a bill from Atlanta Gastroenterology for $511.00. I checked my statements and saw that BCBS paid this bill in April. I called the billing office at the phone number on the bill I got. The person I talked to said it was their mistake and confirmed in their records that the bill was paid. However, I got another bill the following month and every month after that. Every time I call, they assure me they will fix the error. They sent me to collections, even though they said they wouldn't because the bill was being disputed. The collections process stopped after a supervisor responded to my request to speak to someone "in charge". I talked to someone from the "management team" who promised to resolve the problem. On 10/25, I spoke to a representative who said a supervisor would contact me within 24 to 48 hours. I also sent an email on 10/25 to the billing email address on the bill asking for a solution, but I haven't received a response. I called again on 11/2 because I hadn't heard from anyone, and they said another supervisor was informed about the problem and I should receive a call from them within 24 to 48 hours. It's now 11 am on 11/9, and I still haven't received any calls or emails.

I went to Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates (AGA) for a colonoscopy screening. The doctor I saw agreed it was a preventive screening, just like the financial counseling office at AGA and my insurance company. All three said it would be covered completely because it was preventive. The medical records from the consultation before the procedure also confirm this. However, during the procedure, the doctor found a polyp and AGA incorrectly labeled it as a diagnostic procedure. As a result, my insurance didn't cover it fully and I received a bill. When I raised this issue, AGA told me that the code changed because of the polyp. But this goes against my insurance company's policy (Anthem), which I provided to AGA in writing. Anthem explained to AGA that the preventive procedure should be covered completely, regardless of finding a polyp, and even gave them the correct codes. AGA admitted their mistake and promised to fix it, but they failed to do so repeatedly. Over the next five months, I spent more than 50 hours contacting AGA to get the error corrected. Different AGA staff would repeat the same incorrect reason for the coding, and I would correct them. AGA would acknowledge the error, promise to fix it, but then fail to follow through and avoid my calls. Now, it has been six months since the procedure, and AGA has sent the incorrect bills to a debt collection agency. They acknowledge their coding mistake but have not resubmitted the claims as they said they would. They make it difficult to speak to supervisors and don't return calls, yet they seem content to harm my credit score due to their errors. It feels like they are intentionally dragging this out.