Dr. Tucker James Bierbaum, MD

We went to the ER for my son's split open knee from an accident. He needed several staples. The visit was a sub-par experience followed up by us being taken advantage of and scammed into paying more than we should have.... Dr Tucker Bierbaum is practicing as an ER physician; however, bills his patients as a NON-NETWORK or OUT-OF-NETWORK doctor, meaning you have to pay OVER DOUBLE what you should. Furthermore, they billed his services as "surgery." Since when does taking 5 minutes to put staples in my son's knee in a shared ER room constitute "surgery?!" When I called to talk with Alcoa Billing Center (who does his billing), they were absolutely no help. When I said, "basically I've been screwed by the system and taken advantage of because the doctor doesn't contract with insurance, which leaves me no recourse but to pay the fill bill." They said, "Yup." I work in the healthcare insurance industry, and even I am floored by this situation, and have one of the best insurance networks… available through Anthem Blue Cross. If you have to go to the ER, be sure to say you DO NOT WANT DR. TUCKER BIERBAUM to treat you, or you WILL be paying for it!! The hospital/facility is in-network, but DR. TUCKER BIERBAUM IS NOT.

We went to the ER for my son's split open knee from an accident. He needed several staples. The visit was a sub-par experience followed up by us ...