Experienced HIV doc says denial of insurance claims forcing him to leave his Oak Lawn practice
DAVID TAFFET | taffet@dallasvoice.com
As of Dec. 15, patients of Dr. Nick Bellos will have a new primary care physician. Dr. Stockton Roberts will head the practice.
Over the last several years, Bellos, said, Blue Cross has denied or failed to pay more than half a million dollars to his practice. He said the insurance company said claims were incorrectly coded, or that they hadn’t received the claims. But the doctor said even after the coding was corrected and claims were resubmitted, Blue Cross still didn’t pay.
Unless they come to an agreement over the next few weeks, Texas Health Resources, which operates Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth and 14 other DFW area hospitals, will stop taking Blue Cross on Jan. 1, presumably for similar reasons.
In July, Bellos sold his practice to Medical Edge, a physician group in Dallas with more than 450 doctors. They take care of the business operations and pay doctors based on the profitability of the practice.
But, “It became obvious it wasn’t going to work out financially,” Bellos said.
He resigned effective Dec. 15.
Roberts has practiced in Oak Cliff for five years when he took over the practice of Dr. David Brand upon his retirement. Medical Edge also employs him.
Roberts will combine Bellos’ practice of more than 3,000 patients with his own of about 2,000 patients. Four members of Bellos’ staff will remain at the Lemmon Avenue office.
Roberts said he plans to spend most of his time in the Oak Lawn office but will continue in Oak Cliff on Fridays. He said his lease in Oak Cliff will be up at the end of January and he will decide then whether to renew it.
Roberts said Medical Edge asked him to take over Bellos’ practice because he is the only other physician in that company with an HIV practice.
“I want to make sure those with HIV are taken care of,” he said. “Nick [Bellos] will be a resource for me.”
Roberts said he hopes to add another doctor to the practice soon and is looking into ways to increase profit. He’s hoping his Oak Cliff patients will follow him to the new office.
He called his Oak Cliff practice quite diverse.
“If you don’t fit anywhere else, you fit here,” he said.
Roberts said that description fits him well, too. He was married and has three children but came out about five years ago and now has a partner. They live in Arlington. He maintains an apartment in Fort Worth near his children and practices in Dallas.
Bellos is not quite sure what his plans are. He’s considering legal action against Blue Cross.
“I want to thank all the patients who have allowed me to be part of their journey for the past 30 years,” he said. “But it’s time to open a new chapter and continue to be of help to the HIV community in another capacity.”
Because of a non-compete clause in his contract with Medical Edge, he cannot practice with patients for a year. However, he’s hoping to expand the clinical trials and research he conducts at a new location. Those on his research staff will remain with him.
As one of the most experienced HIV infectious disease physicians — having treated patients with the disease since the beginning of the epidemic — Bellos is frequently invited to speak around the world. In January, he will be speaking in Australia.
Bellos’ timing of his announcement was related to some changes in law.
On Jan. 1, several new provisions of health care reform kick in. The lifetime cap for benefits will be eliminated. Denial of insurance because of pre-existing conditions will be removed for anyone under 19 years old. That will extend to everyone in two years.
Beginning in 2011, minors can continue to be covered on their parents’ policies until age 26. Wellness screenings must be included free of charge. Deductibles are increasing and co-pays no longer count toward those deductibles.
While the goal is covering more people, insurance companies are rapidly raising rates to cover these added expenses.
Along with increased coverage, however, will come decreased payments to physicians.
Medicare payments to doctors will decrease by 25 percent, unless addressed by the end of the year. Insurance companies follow Medicare reimbursements closely.
“The ability to run an office and pay a staff is going to be difficult,” Bellos said.
Roberts believes he can turn the larger, combined practice into something profitable. He plans to add at least one more physician and keep electronic medical records. He said he’s meeting with infectious disease doctors to forge new relationships to benefit his patients.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition December 10, 2010.
“Medical Edge, a physician group in Dallas with more than 450 doctors. They take care of the business operations and pay doctors based on the profitability of the practice.”
if you are going to this place-STOP- THEY ARE HORRIBLE!!!! Today, I filed a complaint with the Texas medical board about them. They called me and told me I had a “STD” syphillis! THEY WERE WRONG! I have had in years ago and been treated! They never bothered to look at my medical files! Then they called me in for a second set of blood work- I live over 1 hour away! When I arrived, they looked at my file and took no test and sent me out of the office- I WAISTED A HALF A DAY!
On 1/13- I left a message trying to get my med’s refilled- THEY NEVER CALLED BACK AND BLAMED IT ON “PHONE PROBLEMS”! When they did try and re-fill my med’s they “botched it” TOTALLY! They never sent the right paper work, and did not review my files again to get the RIGHT MED’S ordered! this was done by the head nurse who handles all the re-fills- she is worthless!
The office does not return calls and they usually get things wrong when they do call.
THE OFFICE DR BELLOS WORKED HARD TO BUILD IS NOW A FREAKING “CLINIC” which is more worried about ” the profitability of the practice.” and not your health care- USE THIS PLACE AT YOUR OWN RISK! I miss Dr Bellos!
I’m concerned, I made an appointment a month ago, they called to confirm. 1st) They called my home phone number, even though I had asked them to delete that number from my records, (HIPAA violation?) 2nd) They asked to speak with my brother, Yes, they have my brother as the patient, 3rd) The payment you make at the office, gets lost, the corporate office never gets the payment, and they will continue to bill you for fees you pay at the office. I’m in the process of switching doctors, I had been seeing Dr. Bellos for 6 years, never had a problem. I”ve seen this man once, and his office staff already scared me away.
Man I hear you! The company who runs this joint now is called medical edge in Dallas off LBJ. TODAY I had a very long conversation with a lady and flat told her I don’t tolerate this level of sloppy and incompetent health care. Not with the amount of money we spend. The office staff is screening calls and not directing complaints to the proper supervisor. I will post the number tomorrow but at least make a call to the corporate office or pen a letter. It might save some other person down the road. We had BELLOS for 18 months and had Better health care with him than I got in Los Angeles or city of LA! Now this! No way! I am not waiting for the government to fight for my rights as a patient I will do that on my own. This office is clearly putting profit over quality care of us as patients. They are really a bunch of rude lazy boobs
Ok, these are the HIGHLY “important numbers” you’re going to need when dealing with those people over at 2902 Lemmon Ave- Neighborhood Clinic:
Medical Edge, a physician group in Dallas
2929 LBJ FREEWAY
Dallas, TX 75243
This number goes to their “customer service” person- you do get a “warm body” BUT THAT’S ABOUT IT!
214-570-2400. She “claims to be” a supervisor- but thus far she has been worthless.
And
Texas Medical Board
P/O BOX 2018 mc-263
Austin, Texas 78768-2018
I AM STILL WITHOUT MY MED’S BEING RE-FILLED, and “medical edge” said they would get right on it! That was one week ago! Thus my letter to the medical board and on to Medical edge! I would ask you to call or write a brief letter to the medical board- only through complaints due bad doctors and “clinics” get exposed and investigated!
Also, I just got a “bill for 186.00, from 2909 Lemmon, for the “doctors visit” I had last month- for 10 minutes it cost me 186.00! That was to get a blood test straighten out that they screwed up! I sent the bill right back and told them to kiss my fanny! I sent that onto The Medical Board also!
NOW THE GOOD NEWS- “rumor control” says that Dr Bellos maybe taking patients again- but that is strictly a GOOD RUMMOR at this point. If I find out anything I will post it so the editor of the “Voice” and his loyal patients can follow him and get the great care we once had.
2 months after the changeover and they STILL dont have it smoothed out.
The staff openly complains in front of the patients about how poorly the management is and according to those conversations it is likely there will be a mass quitting of the staff. The phlebotomist is a complete idiot. if you cut your arm open and handed her the vein she still wouldnt be able to hit it. Dr roberts seems to really know what he is doing but is very overburdened by the management and the workload of his and dr bellos’ patients. they tried to reschedule me for 2 weeks (no chance in heIl of that happening) i told them to reschedule for september. maybe by then they will have their shit together. meanwhile i am looking for another doctor to go to so i can fire this miserable lot.
I hope Dr bellos finds a way around this no compete clause and gets back into it, i would travel 200 miles to see him if needed.
Right now i wont recommend this place to ANYONE for ANY REASON! The place is very poorly ran and they seem to be hiring the dregs of the medical community with no regard fto competence or ability to do the simplest of tasks.
I posted an honest comment about my own experiences will the new clinic and it gets deleted!
CRYPTOFASCISTS!
@yeah: Not sure what happened to your comment. I found a few comments from this post moved to the spam folder. They are restored now.
I’m glad I read tehse comments. I was going to call to make an appointment, but i will be searching for a new doc instead. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences.
Dr. Bellos and his Research practice has moved to Addison, please contact Cyndi with any questions at 972-239-3849, option 0
Thank you thank you THANK YOU!
I just now saw this and called. just a couple minutes late im afraid. I do hope to hear from them tomorrow.
If indeed what you say is true then thank you very much for this information.
well I am still without one of my scripts and I am out of it! So, I guess I need to go out and knock over a pharmacy or something! I swear those idiots could screw up a “wet dream”!! never in my life I have see such yo-yo’s in charge of people’s health care! you have to be crazy to go to these people for anything other than in-grown hair! But even then it is a crap shoot-they could botch that also
Just called and got an appt with Dr.B! Woohoo!!
Out FREAKING STANDING ON YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH DR. B!!!!!! GOOD FOR YOU AND CONGRATS
I AM SO EXCITED!!! I JUST MADE MY APPOINTMENT WITH DR. BELLOS!!!! I am so excited to be cared for by this amazing Dr and I was ReALLY freaked out and scared about this so called new “DR” in my neighborhood! I thought I would not be able to find a new Dr better than Bellos and NOW I DONT HAVE TO!! YAY!!
GREAT NEWS FOR YOU NATHEN!!!! More great news also-Yesterday, in the mail I got a letter with a “CITYWIDE ID” letter head-the one page letter states that Dr Bello’s is back seeing patients again!!!
The letter states [in a nut shell], “I am sharing an office with Dr Reuben MD in Addison….Please feel free to call the offic at 972-239-3849 and ask for Cindi to schedule an appointment”
I was dancing in my boxers-barefooted, out by the mail box! After over a month of insanity, and being out, I got my last set of med’s mid last week- I AM SOOOOO DONE WITH THISE LOOSERS AT THAT CLINIC! Glad to have you back Dr B!!!! We missed you!!!
Wow ! How much are you all being paid to post here ? Dr Roberts is a very caring and completely competent physician. Whenever I saw Dr Bellos, I was lucky to get 5 minutes with him, but then again, I’m very healthy. Seriously, much of this seems to be from a couple of people wih an axe to grind.
I do not feel its the drs who are having these issues, its Medical Edge. The drs sign contracts and once they get them in the office seeing pts they add things and take away things. Dr Roberts is my dr and has been for years, i do not know about Dr Bellos but i am sure he retired or left to get away from Medical Edge. As far as there staff, they have new girls in there and from what i see they are doing what they can, they need to hire more people to help take care of the 1000 patients who are at this location. I really think if they get more people in the office to help out i think this office would be alot better!!!!