Dr. Nissa Perez MD - San Jose, California

Jonathan W

Update: Dr Perez is now being investigated by my insurance company for insurance fraud.

The most absurd and unethical experience I've ever had with a psychiatrist. I recently moved to the area and on my first visit she said she did not like that I use a small amount of cannabis at night to go to sleep. She scheduled a second visit in a month, and when I arrive she informs me she refuses to treat me because I use cannabis to go to sleep.

She scheduled the second session, in the afternoon when I had to take a half day from work, in order to bill my insurance company for the visit. It was a 10 minute visit where the only conversation was her no longer treating me, and she billed it as "doctor's visit, long" to my insurance company. She refused to refill medication even though she dropped me 2 weeks before Christmas when there is no time to find another doctor covered under my plan.

She recommended that I go out of network to get a refill since I wouldn't have time to find someone in network, and said it was not her problem when I told her I couldn't afford someone out of network and that I would have had time to find someone had she let me know on our first visit that she was not interested in treating me. I know how ridiculous this sounds, and I feel obligated to repeat that this is all because I use a small amount of cannabis at night to go to sleep.

Regardless of whether or not you choose to use cannabis, do consider whether a psychiatrist who has demonstrated she is willing to harm her patients in pursuit of insurance money and is being investigated for insurance fraud would be a good fit for you.

Melissa Stein