The Center For Advanced Pediatrics

It has now become a factory money making business and no longer about the children’s best interest or health care. I’ve been here for 14 years and I’m probably pulling our files and going elsewhere.

I have experienced the same issues as many of the reviewers on google with the billing department and office management in the Norwalk office. I would recommend doing a google search of the Norwalk office prior to becoming a patient in Ridgefield.
We were a patient of the Ridgefield office and there was absolutely no coordination between the two offices. The receptionst was extremely nice in Ridgefield, but all billing or administrative matters go through the Norwalk office. While Dr. Dobos is an incredible doctor, the practice is more about making a profit than the wellness of your children. Here are my main issues that I recommend new moms consider before choosing this practice:
— Don’t be lured in by the baby basics classes, breastfeeding support and mom groups. You end up paying for them in the long run through the many fees that they charge you and the additional wellness visits that they have you go to during the year. See below details.
— As noted above, they have many more wellness visits for your newborn than other doctor offices. I have noticed that this seems to be so they can bill you extra during the year. My insurance covers unlimited wellness visits, so this ordinarily would not be an issue. When I called the billing department to find out why they sent me an invoice for a co-​pay on the first wellness visit, they told me it is because they have more wellness visits than insurance companies cover for you. They never even checked my insurance to see if I should be billed a co-​pay. They also will bill you for an additional visit every time you are at a wellness visit for repeat diagnoses. These co-​pays will add up for the family for the year.
— While going through the above frustration of figuring out if I should be paying a co-​pay, the billing department yelled at me and hung up on me. I never heard back from the office manager after multiple attempts to call her. When I would call the Norwalk office, the phone would ring at least 10 times before someone would pick up the telephone. Just think if your child is sick and you need to listen to the phone ring that many times to make an appointment!
— This brings me to my next point that they REQUIRE a credit card on file. Not only does the billing department bill incorrectly and not check your insurance coverage, they want you to keep your credit card on file as an open checkbook. If you do not keep your credit card on file, then you are required to check out at each appointment with the receptionist, who has no idea what the doctor is going to bill the insurance company. If you do not pay a co-​pay at that point in time, then they will charge you a fee for invoicing you.
— Another fee that they will charge you is $ 40 a year for each child to use their electronic records system
— I also found that there is no communication between the Ridgefield and Norwalk office. When I decided to leave the practice, the Ridgefield office told me to call the Norwalk office. I called Mary Stanton and she told me that I needed to go to the Norwalk office to sign the form. I drove to Norwalk for the form and realized that this form could be signed in Ridgefield. Mary did not seem disturbed by me having to drive there (with a newborn) and told me that she didn’t know that I was in the Ridgefield office. She never thought to check this before making me go to the office. When I asked her to have my records sent to Ridgefield, she refused to tell me if this was possible. She said I would have to call someone in the office. During this argument, she poked me in the arm. The receptionist felt so bad for me that she went and spoke to the records person herself and I just needed to make a note to have the records sent to Ridgefield.
It is also ironic that they charge you for their electronic records system, but they estimate about 3 weeks to obtain your child’s medical information. I have a newborn, so it should not take that much time to accumulate information for 3 visits if it is all electronic.
Finally, I would just like to note that when I was in the doctor’s office signing my records release form, there was another mom that was waiting at least an hour to see the doctor. She decided to sign the same records release. It seems like other moms are expriencing some sort of dissatisfaction with this office to be switching to another doctor.
All in all, the doctors at this practice may be wonderful, but the office personnel are extremely unprofessional. They will not apologize for any mistakes they make and they will treat you with the worst service. A doctors office should be both professional and competent. This place is not.