Dr. Thomas Richard Wenker, M.D.

My daughter is mentally and physically disabled so I had to accompany her to the doctor's.  We went to see Dr. Thomas Wenker August 17th at 3:00 PM, a skin and cancer doctor at 300 Polaris Parkway, Suite 3300, Westerville, Ohio 43082 (phone: 614-898-7546) because her face is discolored and she has eczema which is getting much worse.  

I made this appointment for Monday, August 17 at 3:00pm.  I was so excited abou her getting  care; I was in a very good mood! We even showed up over an hour early because I wanted to be absolutely sure we didn't run into traffic or were late for any reason. This appointment was very important to me!!!

  We walked up to the counter.  The woman at the counter looked at us funny like she was angry and asked for her ID and insurance cards.  One was for Traditional Original Medicare and the other was for Mycare Aetna Medicaid.  She  handed these to her...immediately she handed them both right back and said 'We don't take any forms of medicaid, you can't be seen here'.  I said 'That is odd as I asked about the insurance when I made the appointment and you said you did accept her insurances.'  (Actually Dr. Wenker DOES she Mycare Medicaid patients and has billed Aetna for them before.  He is not 'in network' Aetna told me but they do see bills for other Aetna Mycare patients and they were paid).  That is my first problem.....they saw us together, I'm white and she is black, and didn't want to grant my daughter her appointment.  She didn't even consider the Medicare card or call to see if she was covered under Medicare.  I asked her to do so.  She snatched the cards from my daughter again and without a word, went to the back of the office.  It was several minutes so I called my husband and was talking to him on  the cell phone.  My daughter was sitting across from me about 7 or 8 feet away I'd say.  To understand my daughter's mind wanders and she wasn't even hearing anything I was saying. She also is heavily medicated and only interacts in conversations when they are directed to her specifically.  So she wasn't paying any attention to my conversation with my husband I was having on my cell phone.   She is psychitzophrenic and hears voices.  It's important to know this to understand that this is a symptom of that disease....that with that and all the meds she is on, she never hears other's conversations unless they are directed AT her specifically.  Especially when you aren't right next to her.  She had no idea what I was saying to my husband and wasn't even aware that I was on the phone she said.  

What I said to my husband regarding the office was:
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Michael we're having a problem here and I'm upset.  They said first they accept Mycare Medicaid or I wouldn't have made the appointment for her.  Then the lady was short and snippy with us both, snatching the insurance cards from her.  She argued with me about her Medicare telling me it's always attached to Mycare Medicaid...that you cannot have Medicare seperately.  I told her I opted her Medicare out of Mycare but she wouldn't believe me, insisting that Medicare is not valid seperately.  Finally I convinced her to call Medicare to verify that she was indeed able to see the doctor as she had Medicare seperately.  I also told her I would pay cash for the remaining cost after the Medicare paid and that I would pay that before leaving the office.  She had her nose in the air and was obviously prejudiced.  I have run into this before but never at a doctor's office.  You wouldn't believe how she was talking to us.  Now the three are behind the counter snickering and laughing....I can't believe the way she is treating us!!!

(never did I curse! And I only saw ONE patient approach the desk and she was there a little bit...I wasn't paying much attention but didn't see THREE people approach the desk).
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The lady then called us up to the desk and escorted us back into the back room where she did before when she told us they didn't take Mycare Medicaid. 

I didn't mention that (above) but twice we had been herded to the back room...first to tell us they don't take Mycare Medicaid and then to tell us even though they DID check Medicare and yes it was valid, that we could not be seen because she said 3 people came up to the desk and complained that I was cursing in the waiting room and that my conversation to her was tenacious.  When we were taken again to the back office the two ladies told us that is why she could not be seen by the doctor.  I told her I wanted to talk to the doctor.  She said she would tell him.  He hasn't called me.  I'm sure the story the doctor was told was totally inaccurate.  I've been to this office with my husband (who is white) and never had an issue.  I wanted his doctor to see my daughter as it's very hard to find a good doctor who accepts Mycare Medicaid. 

I'm upset because it's so difficult to get her into see a good doctor because of her MYCARE insurance (privitazation of medicare and Medicaid plan new to Ohio) that has good reviews online and I saw how efficient and caring Dr. Wenker was with my husband.  My daughter's hands look like alligator skin sort of...all scaly and itchy.  I was concerned very much about the brown covering parts of her nose and cheeks...my husband had just been treated by Dr. Wenker for cancer cells on his face so I had every confidence that he could help my daughter.  His reviews were good and I had personal experience that he was good, kind and caring (with my husband).  Now why would I jeopardize her appointment to be seen by such a doctor?  I'm disabled and have chronic pain and it's very difficult for me to take her to doctors.  I was very happy to be there...very relieved.  This lady at the desk changed my mood from happy and glad to be there, to one of bewilderment and 'I can't believe this is happening!! in this day and age!!!'.  

I also have an appointment with Dr. Wenker September first.  I am going.  I will record my words with her at the front desk.  I will pray that I get in to see Dr. Wenker because I have a changing mole that is itching and growing.  I've very worried about it.  Also I intend to give him this letter before I leave so that I KNOW he personally has a FIRST HAND accounting of MY experience.  I'm not sure if I will be met with the same attitude as his front staff or not so perhaps I'll get my mole removed before I give this to him.  Or perhaps I'll just find another doctor.  I don't want to receive bad treatment and possibly not get the full mole removed because he is vindictive.  I have no idea how he will react.  No one in America should be afraid for their safety and afraid of a doctor.  But having staff that is obviously so prejudiced in my opinion certainly must be known by the doctor I'd think.  So maybe he approves of what is going on...he certainly should have known if his staff was prejudiced before letting them handle the public...his patients!!! I'd think...  I haven't decided.  But I am going to notify the BBB, and Ohio Civil Rights on behalf of my daughter. That is only the right thing to do.  Others don't need to be treated this way and I feel this is my only recourse.         

To summarize the MAIN POINT!  Discrimination.  Plain and simple. 
My daughter  said NOTHING during this interaction with these women. NOTHING!  She mumbled something about her daughter when they said we couldn't see Dr. Wenker.  That is all.  I did all the talking but my daughter was the patient.  SHE WAS DENIED TREATMENT FOR WHAT REASON?  I could have conveyed to the nurse what her problem was and asked that she convey the treatment advise and give any medication scripts back to me after the appointment.  SHE WASN'T AFFORDED THAT APPOINTMENT!  WHY??  Why did she make up a story about me cursing in the waiting room and talking to my daughter.  She wasn't even IN the conversation I had with my husband on the phone!  She wasn't involved AT ALL!!!
 
I honestly feel it was because I am white and she is black.  She was totally a victim here.  She is the one denied treatment.  Not me.  I was speaking as I take care of her business as POA.  They didn't even ask if I was her POA! But she can go in once I convey the issue to the caretakers.  I also could have given her a note to remind her (her memory is bad) of what was needed.  There were two issues...she could have forgotten to see about both had I not been there to remind her/see that the doctor addressed BOTH concerns.  She I feel was discriminated against because of our color. 
Also let me repeat that she said NOTHING until the point where she was told she couldn't keep the appointment then she voiced concern about her daughter.  A totally unrelated comment to the reason we were there. 

And finally if the doctor had called me I could have given him this information but he didn't.  

I left and called Medicare and Aetna.  Aetna told me he couldn't pick and choose who he saw with Mycare. Either he took the insurance for everyone or didn't.  They took a grievance for me.  I'm quite sure that that is the only information that Dr. Wenker has as of today.  But he is responsible for his staff and what they do.  He should have talked to me.  Of course I'm not even sure the staff even TOLD him about the incident.  Sending this to his office will not likely get to him.  I 'googled' his name to send it via Linkedin or Facebook but there was no reference that I could find.  I would gladly have contacted him if I could have.  But again, he IS responsible for his staff and office.  Had the woman just accepted the Medicare and my cash to pay the balance, there would have been no issue at all!  

I'm sorry I know I'm repeating myself and I beg your tolerance, but you must understand how I feel and how upset I am that a doctor's office would deny medical treatment for my disabled daughter for no valid reason!