A Navy veteran and retired teacher has reported being billed $11,500 after a single visit to a medical center that advertised free treatment for erectile dysfunction. Calvin Pauling, 73, heard a radio advertisement for Priority Men's Medical Center in Dunwoody, Georgia, just north of Atlanta. The advertisement promised that 'your consultation and first treatment are free,' which drew the veteran, who has been married for 50 years.
However, after visiting the clinic, Pauling immediately felt something was amiss. He told Atlanta News First that the consultation felt more like a sales pitch than a medical examination, and he is uncertain whether a doctor ever diagnosed him. Indeed, the outlet reviewed his paperwork and found it was only stamped with a signature from a licensed nurse practitioner, not a physician. Although nurse practitioners are permitted to treat patients for erectile dysfunction, the clinic's website and a YouTube ad both state that appointments are with doctors.
Following the appointment, Pauling received the hefty five-figure bill. Despite his misgivings, he felt pressured to sign an agreement with the clinic to pay off the bill using a health care credit card. He told Atlanta News First that he quickly second-guessed the decision, believing he had three days to cancel the agreement.
The $11,500 bill was broken down into five parts: $948 for urological treatments, $6,947 for ICP therapy, $2,000 for PRP therapy, $1,378 for ESW therapy, and $227 for a medical applicator. Medical professionals interviewed by Atlanta News First noted that erectile dysfunction clinics and urologists offer similar services, with the primary difference being the price. One urologist stated he could prescribe a treatment plan for just a few hundred dollars. Erectile dysfunction clinics justify their higher prices by claiming they offer highly specialized care that urologists do not.
The health care credit card agreement Pauling signed stated, 'there are absolutely no refunds of any kind under any circumstances for all doctor examination charges, medical products and medication(s), whether picked up or not.' Despite this, Pauling attempted to call Priority Men's Medical Center multiple times to cancel the agreement within the three-day timeframe he believed he had, but the clinic never answered, he told Atlanta News First. After receiving the first shipment of medications at his home, he tried to return it, but the pharmacy sent it back.
Pauling told Atlanta News First that he never used any of the treatments sent to him and requested a refund several times. A spokesperson for Priority Men's Medical Center told the outlet that it was '100 percent reasonable' for Pauling to expect a refund for treatments he never used, but the veteran has yet to receive one. Pauling also reported that a representative from the clinic said they would issue a refund if the Atlanta News First story was not published. Both Pauling and the outlet stated that the clinic has since stopped responding to their communications. The Daily Mail has reached out to Priority Men's Medical Center for comment.
