Saint Francis Memorial Hospital Center for Sports Medicine Walnut Creek

"Seconding Carol’s experience. When I asked what my copay or coinsurance would be, I was told I was “fully covered” and was not given a good faith estimate. Four sessions later and I’ve been informed that my coinsurance will be almost $400, and the only reason I know this is because I had my insurance call in to ask why no claims have been submitted. They charge something like $135 for every 15 minutes of work—way over the market rate according to Google—and I am very disappointed that they weren’t more up front about this. The quality of the staff does not make up for the shady practices."

"Don’t let them mislead you on what you’ll be charged here. Better yet, go somewhere that has transparent billing practices. I was charged $533.00 for Pilates PT. I had 10 sessions in August and September 2022 and the bill was $5,328!!! When I made the appointments, I was assured my insurance was good for covering the visits but they couldn’t tell me exactly what the amount would be because everyone’s insurance was different. I’ve been to multiple different PT offices for different types of PT and the cost was never more than $200, so I felt comfortable that it would be in line with that. What they FAILED/NEGLECTED to inform me is that they bill under a hospital tax ID number, despite not being remotely located in a hospital setting, because they are affiliated with St Francis Memorial Hospital in SF!! After my first appointment they told me, “You're good” when I asked about my copay, so I believed my insurance was covering it. Then a month after my last appointment, I got two bills from Dignity Health - St. Francis Memorial Hospital totaling $5328.00. I thought there was some billing error or that I was a victim of Health Insurance identity theft since I hadn’t been in the hospital. I called and was told it was for the Pilates PT. I was shocked! This amount is 4-5 TIMES higher than what is “usual, customary and reasonable” in Walnut Creek and nearby cities. My insurance paid $4369.60 and I was billed the remaining $958.40. That co-pay is close to the TOTAL charge for Pilates PT at other offices. A perfect example: the Pilates Physical Therapist I saw at St. Francis PT, Ms. Chabon, previously worked at SRV PT, and they charge only $145 for the first visit and $105 for subsequent visits. That is $430 less per visit for the same level of care and service. I have worked for 8 months to try to resolve this debt in a fair and equitable manner. I’ve attached some of the letters and forms that I was told to submit to Dignity Health Dispute Dept and to their Risk Management Dept. For 8 months I’ve been ignored. Two weeks ago I began calling a representative in Disputes daily for over a week, leaving messages. Someone FINALLY called and left a vm stating that they’d gotten all my correspondence but had decided each time that the bill was accurate and it won’t be lowered. Those decisions were made months ago but they didn’t have the decency to let me know. Instead they just kept sending me late notices. For context, I always pay my bills and have a very high credit score but I have not paid this because it’s wrong. St. Francis is not transparent in their billing practices and just because they can bill a community based service under a hospital tax ID doesn’t make it right or ethical. Patients should know how they bill and that the cost is over $500, so they can make an informed decision. They know the total charge per visit, regardless of insurance plans, is over $500. Im guessing the only thing that will change this is when Dignity Health/St Francis has a class action filed against them. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time Dignity Health has had to defend their billing practices. At the very least, I hope I can help steer others away from this happening to them. I’m attaching statements. Notice how they say Location: St Francis Memorial Hospital?? St. Francis PT in Walnut Creek is in a business office building. There isn’t a St. Francis Hospital in Walnut Creek, CA."

"I had cartilage damage in my knee that wasn't improving with rest, so my doctor prescribed me PT. Going to CFSM made a huge difference in my ability to get around and my general enjoyment of life and the outdoors. My PT Ernie knew exactly how to get me back on track with exercises (both at their facility and at home), deep tissue work, and confidence building. He knows his stuff and makes sure you're doing each exercise with proper form to get the most out of them. I recently returned to running pain free and never required surgery. Strong recommendation for active people with sports injuries."

"I am an elderly female with cancer. After extensive surgery to remove the cancer, followed by 5 months of chemotherapy, and 8 months of bed rest, I developed an excruciating shoulder pain. I could not sleep at night because the pain was radiating through my hands and neck. After my visit to Dr. Stephen Chen at Dignity Health, I was diagnosed with a case of frozen shoulder and was assigned to Neil, my physical therapist (PT). Both Dr. Chen and Neil are very kind, compassionate, and knowledgeable. Neil is incredibly patient, cognizant of my cancer condition, and works with me accordingly. He focuses my negative thoughts from pain and cancer to positive energy through exercises and encouraging words. I feel as though Neil is like one of my own sons, truly caring and doing the best he possibly can to help me. There are no words to express my gratitude for all of Neil's efforts and care."

"This medical practice provides outstanding care beginning with an assessment of your medical issues all the way through designing a program of support that addresses the issues. Not only are the doctors excellent but the physical therapy staff is also outstanding. I highly recommend them."