Vision Upright MRI

Update from my first review below. They apologized for the miscommunication on scheduling. They followed up multiple times to reschedule. MRI was quick and efficient. Appreciated the movie distraction but would like to be offered a choice on movie next time.
1^st review: I’ve been waiting outside their locked building for over 1.5 hours. I had a 6:30 appointment. According to employees that work at other businesses in this building, Upright MRI does this a lot to their customers. If you must come here, please make sure to get someone’s cell or book a later appointment. Good luck. Oh and thanks Upright MRI, isn’t it cruel and ironic that you’re making me sit in my car for hours when my pain comes from sitting? I don’t care what you do for a living – you should believe in the value of your work. Your job is to shed light on my 3+ years of chronic back pain and all you’ve done is increased it. You don’t even open until 9am according to Unilocal so I guess I’ll keep sitting…

The technology they have is difficult to find. I’ve had various MRIs, but these are state of the art. The staff is friendly and I really liked the MRI Tech. Would definately recommend.

I sure wish there was 10 stars available! These folks from my first phone call to my arrival, during the entire exam, up until the very end, to trying to get my Doctors office to NOT loose the reports they had to repeatedly send him and not getting angry at me or the Doctors office, to still needing a copy almost 2 weeks later!
From my first call for an appointment which I got the very next day, to them verifying my insurance and having everything ready when I arrived was a SHOCK, that never happens! In offices with 10 staff running around with their heads cut off. This staff just makes it all look nice and easy, relaxing, but yet stay on time with the test, then immediately handing me my disc with the MRIs on it to give to my doctor or for my own copy.
Kevin I think was the main one who helped me and another young gentleman who I did not get his name. I have numerous joint diseases and working with me is not easy for any type of test but the MRI’s are usually EXCRUCIATING because of positions on back. These guys made sure I had pillows, cushions placed in just the right places to cause as least pain as possible and almost wish I could have stayed right there in that position longer!
Both are nice young men and were able to fit me in the machine without too much pain from an already 1 and a half month excruciating back injury/​pain. They were so patient and let me have extra time in between scans, and kept checking to make sure I was OK and somewhat comfortable. The staff I cannot say enough wonderful things about and I wish everyone else in the medical offices I go to for tests or even more important Doctors Offices had half the bedside manner of these young people at this office.
I did not think I would be in much of a good mood after a 2+hr drive each way but it was WORTH IT because I fit in this fabulous machine, it was not too painful for me, and I was not claustrophobic at all. Wonderful machine, office staff and operators and I will for SURE Be going back there for any more MRI’s I need.
Thanks so much San Jose Vision Upright MRI you all are awesome and this olé gal sure appreciated being under your care for these tests.

DISHONESTY really drives me ABSOLUTELY bonkers especially when these were people that we should trust and have been VOUCHED for by others. I was recommended by a close chiropractor friend (who sent me here but now will ONLY recommend the Hayward location to his patients after what I shared with him).
I had struggled with the request for an MRI since I already KNEW that my back problem was severe and didn’t see a justifiable reason to shell out more money to point out an obvious issue. However, after much encouragement and prodding by both my lady and my chiropractic friend, I signed up to get my MRI done here. They seemed «GREAT» at first and then things started happening.
FIRST:
I checked in at the front desk with KEVIN and shortly after giving him BOTH my driver’s license and insurance card, I was called inside to get ready for the MRI. My back pain left me in a blank mental state and since I wanted to get it all over with, I just went through all the motions (the operator inside was ABSOLUTELY friendly and thorough at getting the job done). I came back out to the front desk after to make sure everything was done and ready for me to leave. So still in pain (and have been for months), I swiped my card and was told that I’m good to leave.
Guess what.
I was home preparing for my annual SEMA trip as it was 10/​31/​2014 and I noticed that I didn’t have my driver’s license. It was then that I remembered and called Vision Upright. Kevin picked up after office hours (which I appreciated) and offered to meet me the next day (which I appreciated more). I did drive all the way from Monterey Bay the next day.
Some may say that it is my role to remember about my license and card in the first place. I’m going to disagree. I’m in pain and once distracted further by a 40 minute MRI session, I’m not going to remember anything after. I pay and once released, I will leave.
SECOND (and when the real issue starts):
They overbilled me. It happens I guess even though they had «supposedly» called my insurance that same day to figure out my co-​pay before I had to swipe. It was an either they lied or the insurance did. I guess it doesn’t matter still… as long as it is RESOLVED at an acceptable timeframe.
THIRD (and when the LIE begins):
I stopped by a total of 5 times from November to February. First time, I spoke with Jimmy and gave him what the insurance had sent me. He told me the reimbursement will be within 3 weeks. That did NOT happen.
So after a whole month, I went back four more times (up to Feb) and talked with both TJ and Kevin. Both promised call backs that NEVER happened.
I called every week after and spoke with TJ, Jimmy, and Kevin. They ALL said they will immediately handle the situation. They PROMISED call backs but NOTHING ever happened after hanging up.
FOURTH (when patience was coming to an end and I smell BULLDUNG):
My lady finally became annoyed and started to call them almost every other day from mid-​February until early April. She talked with TJ (to the day he left), Kevin, and Jimmy. They all continued to PROMISE call backs and still NEVER FOLLOWED THROUGH even when asked if they could just be honest if there was any snag in the process.
We asked them to just be HONEST instead of LYING about it.
FIFTH (we finally gave up and called the credit card company for help):
It was good that I paid with PLASTIC instead of cash/​check like some of the elderly who were there. I just couldn’t shrug off the thought that IF this happened to them that they would be given the ultimate runaround and be completely ROBBED due to a lack of negotiating power.
But a few days via the credit card company, Vision Upright finally DECIDED to look at the case they promised to do in November when I first visited. They DID finally issue a refund check that I received on 4÷13÷2015 after I threatened a full charge back. Best part? Hearing them say, «This is the first time we heard about it.» Freaking BULLDUNG.
**SUMMARY**
It took someone who maintains proper accounting to NOTICE and FOLLOW up and another FIVE MONTHS to get a refund check ONLY because I went via the credit card company route who PESTERED them to deal with it. I’m one of the «youngins» who showed up at the MRI and when I think about the high possibility of the ELDERLY being taking advantage of by their «loophole-​tai-​chi-​it-​away» methods, I get REALLY angry. Dishonesty is NEVER acceptable. You don’t ROB old people. EVER. And I am 100% sure that an elderly person has gotten burned by them before. There is no way I’m the ONLY isolated case.
Please visit the Hayward location instead OR pay with your CREDIT CARD and make sure you compare it to your insurance statement when it arrives. These people will not do it automatically for you because sadly, they’ve proven they don’t GIVE A FLYING STICK about it.
15/​12LR

I found this place because my usual provider — PAMF — wanted to charge me $ 1608 for a lumbar MRI. This price is even documented on their website.
Vision Upright MRI charged me $ 326.68 — 80% cheaper! I had an appointment at 3pm, was taken in exactly at 3pm, left at 3:48pm, with a CD in hand that had my images and that I could view right when I got home on my computer. I also didn’t mind sitting in a chair instead of lying in a tube.
In other words, no compromises on service either in spite of the much lower price. Beats me how PAMF and others can get away with the prices they are charging, if these guys exist.

Vision Upright MRI is FIRST IN CLASS service.
Kevin who works the front office was just fantastic. From the time I checked in, to the time I completed my series of MRI/​MRA, Kevin made sure I have the best experience possible. It’s like having a friend hold your hands and tell you, «Everything will be okay because I’ll be here for you.» Also, Kevin was very thorough with making sure that I understood my insurance, and he was even instrumental to provide me payment options. Kevin you rock, and I cannot thank you enough for making this happen.
The MRI/​MRA staff including meeting Dr. Lieberman was a great experience. They made sure I was comfortable, and if I needed to pause or scratch my nose, all I had to do was push a button. They were very detailed with the MRI/​MRA procedure. They explained everything I needed to know, including the total time of the testings.
Vision Upright MRI made my whole experience enjoyable. I felt like I was on a plane with pillows, and I even got a chance to watch a movie and felt like I was in a FIRST CLASS cabin!
Until then, Cheers! ~ :p

This place has no consideration for clients time. I talked to Kevin and asked for my MRI Scans of my Cervical Spine to be burned to disc and mailed to me on Monday. I called a week later and they still haven’t mailed it out. Now I have to drive 25 minutes out of my way to pick it up during rush hour traffic! This place has been inconsiderate of my time before when I had an MRI done on the weelend to get a scan of my head and I waited over 4 hours just to be seen.

The experience here is great. They make you comfortable, and they have been very helpful with my insurance billing. There is no hidden fees or anything and you can watch a movie of your choice while sitting through your MRI. I would give 5 stars but scheduling was tricky.

I recently had an appointment with Vision Upright MRI and was not happy with my experience. The office confused me with another patient and called me about a payment plan/​insurance problems that I did not have. Secondly, my appointment was in the late morning, but maybe 1 hr before my appointment, I got a phone call from the office saying that their MRI machine was having problems and therefore my rescheduled appointment was going to be delayed 1 hr. Ok, so be it but when I got to the office, I was 15 minutes early in order to fill out paperwork. After that was done, I waited 1h30m for my turn to get my MRI done. Not only did i have to remind the office to give me a receipt for my payment, but I had to change my schedule so many times that day in order to accommodate my MRI that I missed a 2^nd appointment with a different doctor in the afternoon. I was highly dissatisfied with the office’s time schedule, and did not find their MRI machine to be comfortable either.

Unfortunately, this place did not do well for me.
I give credits for 1) The idea of taking MRI shots at different cervical angles is great. 2) The fact that it’s less claustrophobic than the traditional beds is wonderful. Although it’s still a little uneasy with the side walls coming so close to you and you still can’t get out on your own with you tightly strapped in a chair with some solid bar holding your head in place. 3) The technicians that does the actual MRI are very professional and comforting. Great to work with. They even give you a choice of old movie to watch during the MRI.
What I didn’t like was the results came out very undetailed. It almost looks like a smaller version of an x-​ray. I had my phyiatrist look at the results and trying to compare them with the original film taken from a different MRI office. He couldn’t really see the details from Vision Upright. He pointed out how clear and obvious my cervical disc looks from the original film. And he really couldn’t make any decisions based on the new MRI’s from Vision Upright. So it was a waste of $ 500.00. BTW there’s a whole story behind the $ 500 which I won’t go into but the original quote was about $ 950.
The other part I had problem with was the customer service. I called a few times in the beginning to find out pricing and scheduling, etc. Each time I got a rude person to answer my questions. I had to see for myself who this person is! Because it was funny as if I was on candid camera. So I made an appointment to do my MRI. When I got there, this lady stopped texting on her cell phone and asked me to just wait for my appointment. 30 minutes later (give or take 1 or 2 seconds) I finally get called in to do my MRI to change and sit in another room to wait for my appointment. I know this is «procedure» but 30 minute wait for an appointment is too long especially when no one else was in the waiting room with me.

I highly recommend this place to those who are claustrophobic! It is so easy and the staff are GREAT!

Due to severe back problems I have had two tunnel style MRIs in the past. This is my second experience with the upright MRI. What a difference compared to the traditional ones. I was so comfortable I could have fallen asleep!
What a revolution it is! I can’t say enough about it.
The staff at Vision were just wonderful too!
Andrea
San Francisco, CA

The Staff at Vision Upright MRI, are wonderful.
This is how healthcare should BE! I have been in a traditional MRI machine and the technician and staff were not friendly and were cold… and didn’t deal with my claustrophobic issues.
You can literally watch your favorite DVD, during the scan.
IF that isn’t enough support, you can have an adult family member or best friend sit in the scan room with you for moral support.
It doesn’t get better then that!
I had a head MRI with contrast, and the nurses were informative and gentle. I have recommend Vision to my mother, in-​laws and friends.
I even had a tour of the machine, and tried sitting in the open chair seat prior to my appointment.
And for those old fashioned, not with it doctors, Vision Upright can produce «films» of your scans as well.
I hope I don’t ever need an MRI in my lifetime, again, but if I do, I would go to Vision in a hearbeat.

My first MRI was done in 2007 at Kaiser. I needed a current MRI for purposes of a consultation relating to a herniated disc condition. Considerable research brought me to Vision MRI in San Jose.
The experience was remarkable on several levels. At Kaiser, I was obliged to wait months for my appointment. At Vision MRI, I was able to schedule the appointment within just a few days.
The MRI experience at Kaiser was clunky and uncomfortable. I had to put on a hospital gown and lie down in a kind of tube, which was not comfortable. At Vision MRI, I was allowed to keep my shirt on and only had to put on hospital pants (so that the metal zipper would not interfere with the process, it was explained to me).
At Vision MRI, the process takes place in an upright sitting position. You are able to select from a variety of movies, to watch on a large screen, while the MRI is being done.
All the staff members I encountered at Vision MRI were very courteous and helpful. I got my film output and CD with files within minutes after leaving the MRI room. And the cost was about a third of what I would have had to pay at Kaiser.
God bless Vision MRI!

Wonderful!!!
The folks who work here as well as the new technology of being able to sit for an MRI is amazing. I had a brain and a cervical spine MRI. With and without contrast. They got me in and out as quickly as possible, kept me comfortable and even entertsained with a long nature DVD and when I was finnished I walked out of the scanner and the offiuce smelled of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies… ahhhhh !! So nice. NOT Exactly a sterile hospital experience. I think they are GREAT and I would most definately return for theri services. and cookies LOL

You get to watch a dvd of your choice while getting your MRI, so while I’ve never really had a bad MRI experience, this was definitely better than the two previous places that I’ve gotten MRIs at. The lady who did everything was friendly and informative and the place was clean and easy to find. Can’t think of anything else that I could ask for from a radiologist.
One thing that I’m a little concerned about, although it could be nothing — I was told over the phone when I scheduled my MRI that I’d be billed as if they were in network for my insurance, even though they are out of network. At first the girl said that they were out of network so I’d be paying X amount for my out of network deductible. I was like, «in that case, I really don’t need to find out how effed my back is that bad…». I could always find an in network radiologist, I was just using them because my chiro sent me to them. She then said in that case, she could do some magic and I’d be billed like they were in network. Sounded good to me. I recently got a statement from my insurance that showed they were out of network and I should be receiving a bill for the out of network deductible amount. Since I haven’t received the bill yet, I’ll hold off on being pissed. I was kind of retarded and didn’t get anything that I could use as a record for that phone conversation I had when scheduling my appointment (should have at least asked for her name), so I could be screwed, but I’m hoping they’ll honor what I was told. If not, that 5 star’s getting dropped right down to a 1 for sure.
Update: So, as I feared, I got their bill and it was for the out of network amount, which is twice what it’d be if they were in network. I’m only docking 1 star right now because when I called to complain the lady remembered me and said that there had been some situation where she thought she could get me the in network amount, but the insurance provider had declined it or something. Another lady is supposed to be calling me to sort it out, but I’m hoping they honor the amount that they told me up front… they can’t not do that, right? She can’t get me to agree to come to them by telling me I’ll be paying one thing and then charging me another. I’m just stoked she remembered, because I was thinking she’d just deny the whole thing.
Update 2: Bumping this right back up to a 5. Got a call back from them, and after a little haggling they agreed to not only bump the amount down to around what it’d be if they were an in network provider with my insurance, but if I paid right then and there on the phone with a credit card, they’d discount it so that I was actually paying significantly less than the in network cost. STOKED.

Vision Upright MRI is defenitely the place to go for all of your MRI needs. I am surprised to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my MRI experience last week. I would never have thought that getting an MRI could be a comfortable and fun experience. Everyone from Rosemary at the front desk to Dr. Lammers himself was exceptionally friendly and helpful. The machine itself is very impressive. Along with providing the luxury of not being enclosed in a tube, the machine also allows you to sit, stand, flex, bend, or just lay down while being scanned. On top of this, Dr. Lammers and Rosemary offered me some delicious homemade cookies, and then I picked a movie to watch on a HD TV during the scan!!! This took it over the top for me. I can’t imagine going anywhere else for a MRI.

I could not believe it when I found out San Jose got a stand-​up MRI! Vision MRI was a terrific experience on all levels. The staff was very nice and helpful and the technology is state-​of-​the-​art. Truly, the MRI room alone will amaze you. I found scheduling to be painless and parking was good. I even watched TV during the scan. I actually left with a smile on my face and felt compelled to write about my experience.

Being new to MRI’s, I was nervous about the whole experience and in defense of the folks at Vision, they had only opened the office for 4 days at the point I went in.
A few points that I hope are righted if you are considering this facility.
1. It was absolutely FREEZING in the office. The A/​C was blasting and when a poor fellow who was working on putting chairs together (in the middle of the hallway?!!) complained on both of our behalf’s, there was a very curt response from the woman at the front desk.
2. I am hoping that it is due to it being so new, but the utter lack of process or organization means that the patient is really not taken care of all that well. Nobody greeted me when I came in the office, and when taken back to the changing room, I was just left there not being told what to do or where to go. I was not told what to expect during the MRI, I was not told what to do after the MRI and I have not been able to get a hold of them since to make sure that the images were sent to my doctor.
3. The technician was still learning the new MRI machine, and although she was lovely, the MRI rep was somewhat dismissive and seemed irritated when I asked questions about what was about to happen and what to expect. The tech and the rep seemed not to be checking in on me and asking how I was doing between scans — some soothing words of encouragement would have gone a long way.
4. When the scan was over, they just said «it’s over» and never went the extra step to say «you can go back to your dressing room now and we shall meet you outside». Instead, I was left to figure it out by myself. I had to try and find someone to ask if I could leave! And then the front desk woman came running after me and asked if I could fill in a customer satisfaction survey!
That being said, I am sure that many of these kinks can be ironed out. But if you are considering going here, I would call and make sure that they are at least operational before you book an appointment.
The MRI machines are upright, so you sit instead of lying, which, once they have it figured out, will be really good.