Dr. Yung C. Chen, MD — Local services in San Mateo

This review is based on 3 direct interactions with Dr. Chen and his staff over the last 3 mos.

On my first visit it was very obvious that this is not your regular doctor's office experience. One cannot help but notice the large number of people running around the open office area with no organization - YES, it DOES come off as a place where people come to get their "pain fixes" as other reviewers have commented on YELP. I watched a constant barrage of people coming and going and really did wonder what is going on here! When I later called in to simply to get an extension/renewal for PT that the doctor had previously prescribed (they always limit the number of visits)I was abruptly told that I MUST make and pay for another appointment to get it. I have had PT several times and found it odd that the prescription he wrote was just for 8 visits, as mine have always been for 12 or more. Unfortunately, the prescription ran out before the therapist finished her plan for me and now I realize that the short # of prescription visits are by design causing people to have to get another one to finish what was started. I firmly believe that this is because the girl that answered the phone when I called immediately interrupted me in the middle of telling her my need and said I would have to schedule an appointment to come in to get it - SAY WHAT?!! I know for a fact that there is no requirement for this, as I have done over-the-phone extensions and renewals with everyone else in the past! This gal was so unprofessional and incompetent, what ensued would make a great Saturday Night Live Skit - Here are a few examples:

She refused to give me her name or the name of the office manager, so I demanded to talk to the manager. She constantly interrupted me in the middle of my words which caused me to have to raise my voice to get my point through - then she accused me of being rude and "yelling" at her.

I repeated over and over that I was done dealing with her, but she refused and made excuses why I could not talk to the manager. She said she would have her call me back, but did not even ask for the number I was using and HUNG UP ON ME!

I called back 3 times and when she realized it was me, she would put me on hold - I waited over 15 minutes TWICE and realized she had no intention of ever coming back to talk to me! On the last call I gave her my name and number and told her to have the manager call me back that day since the PT is starting up again in a week and they need the prescription BEFORE hand.

I waited ALL afternoon and of course, no one ever called, so I called back to leave a message on their answering system. I had noticed from the beginning that every time I selected the option to leave a message, the mail box is full and now I realize this is done on purpose!

Dr. Chen - I want you to know that the girl you have answering your phone is damaging your business - She is not only childish, unprofessional and a poor communicator, she is a liar and doing things that are not only UNETHICAL, but may just be a violation of legal business and/or accepted medical practices & standards. This time she picked the wrong person to treat that way - I am retired and have MUCH experience in dealing with things like this. I am just addressing the social media here and will be posting this on other sites including specific medical rating sites to get the word out to the public. I will also notify the responsible state, local and federal regulatory authorities to file formal complaints and trigger an investigation, if necessary. If all else fails, there is a guy named Michael Finney ("7 on Your Side") who I think will find this case most interesting to...

Dr Yung Chen is an amazing, intelligent, kind doctor. I’ve been goin to Dr Yung Chen since 2014. Initially, for lower back disc issues. Mobility from my spine was extremely limited and was dealing with shooting sciatica pain. I was not willing to do surgery, as I know that, there is always some collateral damage you deal with when doing surgery. I did the whole round of epidural injections, trigger shots, etc…. I know that these options are just real expensive band aids. Dr Yung Chen had suggested Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections. Always the consummate professional, he knew exactly where to place the injections to relieve pain and increase mobility. He had given my active life back with his expertise!

In 2019, I had meniscus knee surgery on both knees. I had bone spurs, burning nerve pain, severe osteoarthritis in both knees. My surgeon also suggested that I may need a partial knee replacement on my left knee in 2 years. Recovery had been real tough on me. My surgeon had suggested injecting hydraulic acid, to relieve, the pain I was experiencing after surgery. I decided to go to Dr Yung Chen for my post op recovery for my knees. Dr Yung Chen suggested I do PRP injections. Once again, with his expertise and excellence, he had gotten me back to walking normal to do my job and live a fulfilling life with my family!

Dr Yung Chen is a true gem in his field. He is patient, caring, efficient, and intelligent. If you are dealing with pain and have limited mobility, see Dr Yung Chen! He is an amazing, supportive doctor. There is no one I trust. I didn’t end up getting a partial knee replacement as my surgeon suggested. Instead, I completely entrusted my recovery with Dr Yung Chen. Thank you so much Dr Yung Chen for giving me...

I have been a patient for a short time, and have found that Dr. Chen seems to be caring and his staff as well. He has given me two injections and a couple of follow up visits. I have SEVERE spinal problems and he had me have two new MRI's done before my last round of injections, witch was fine. I canceled my last visit over the phone and left a message saying that I can't make the appointment, and to please call me back to reschedule. Instead of a call from his office, I got a bill in the mail for a phantom $ 113.65 for a visit on 9/24/19? So I called their billing department a got the run around. I called my insurance carrier and she called his billing office and they told her that since I didn't pay for an office visit, they could charge me for hidden fees. Well the problem is that I offered to pay the $30 co payment at the time , and they told me that when having a procedure, all of the co payments are included in the procedure billing, OK by me. Not so fast , by not tacking my office visit co payment, that opened the door for HIDDEN charges. If the office says that everything is included and there are no charges for the visit, be prepared for you getting even more BILLS. Also be prepared for waiting an HOUR a visit, they tend to over book. Just another MD office that really seems to care about you until it's time to mislead you into thinking that they REALLY CARE ABOUT YOU! Hogwash, they do not..... Beware of white coats in...