Since the doctors have the privilege of submitting their so-called unpaid or late bills to a pack of collection hyneas before anything is actually adjudicated, why not let us have the public view the patients's side of the story since we are not hyneas, just sheep!
Just send your problem to jprich9231@aol.com whether you reside in Singapore or Phoenix, London or Montreal, Tel Aviv or Brooklyn, Coney Island or Fifth Avenue, etc...
Here is one for openers on guess who? Dr. Kootman
My husband went here to have an impacted wisdom tooth removed. Dr. Kootman was one of 2 oral surgeons on our plan. When I called for an appointment, the office manager informed me he was the only oral surgeon on our plan and quoted me a price of $546.00 on our dental plan. Well, an impacted tooth is covered under medical. Our copay was $25.00. She said, oh yes, well the price will be $137.00. I questioned her and she gave me a litany of resons why we had to pay all these extras even though they are contracted with out HMO. She said we had to pay for medication and anesthesia etc. Having worked in insurance, I know that these items are covered as part of the procedure and it also stated such in our plan book. The insurance company agreed with me and even called the provider more than once and the provider told them to read their contract and hung up. Finally, after the procedure, I sent in my receipts to the HMO and was reimbursed the extra I had paid by the HMO. The doctor continued to balance bill me until the insurance company called them and told them they would be flagged and the contract possibly revoked. The doctor himself hung up, but later called back and agreed I was correct. The insurance company told me I was not the first with this issue with this provider. Also, the dental board told me the same thing. This provider tried to strong arm us into paying money we didn't owe and had a history of doing such. It was clear they knew what they were doing. If you ever have to see this provider, make sure they are following your insurance contract and if they don't, call your insurance company right away.
PROS: they didn't commit malpractice
CONS: very dishonest billing practices
Here is another complaint:
★☆☆☆☆ Dental Rip Off!
Anonymous 1 Windsor Jean - Valley Oral Maxillofacial Sug
My foster daughter recently transferred to an art school in Arizona. Her mouth swelled up and she sought dental care. When the office was asked for a quote, they scribbled some information on a piece of paper and then told my daughter it would be $800 for her share of the bill. My insurance covers up to $1,000, so I was quite suspicious. The quote was for a root canal, but it they ended up doing an extraction.
I watched for the insurance claims to clear. In the end, there were a total of three claims totalling $1430. The insurance I have does have a contract with Dr. Kootman and discounted the claim for a little over $500. Here's the kicker though, my daughter's portion of the charges as per our insurance was to be $195.20. That's 20% of what was covered plus the $50 deductible.
I contacted Dr. Kootman's office and left a message with no response. When I finally got through, I was placed on hold for 10 minutes. I finally was so irritated I just asked for a fax nunber and faxed them a letter stating they had over charged my daughter and that they owed her a refund of $600 on her credit card that she used to pay for the services.
I asked for a response, but to date, no response has been given. I can only assume at this point that this is the dental office general practice in billing and that it will likely take a trip to court to recover the fees. It looks as if they have billed my daughter for the portion of the bill that the insurance did not pay due to the fact that it was over the amount charged for their contracted fee. That is not legal and they could lose their contract with the dental office.
I am hoping for a good resolution to this, but am doubtful that they will make this right. If you live in Arizona, stay away from this guy. My insurance carrier told me that they are always discounting his fees to the contracted amount and that those fees are typically high. See someone else if you need dental care in Phoenix.
I wrote an essay on these complaints and Kootman's response to them but it did not come through. I will save it for another time.
Jordan Richman
A summary and analysis of Modern American Literature, featuring writers such as,Henry Miller, John Dos Passos, John Steinbeck, Philip Roth, Saul Bellow, William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry Roth, Margaret Atwood, Barbara Kingsolver, Leslie Silko, T.C.Boyle, Truman Capote and many others. The Phoenix Coronado Review of American Literature Courtesy of the Vatican: "Laocoon and His Sons"
The Raven
Nevermore
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Richman vs Kootman and AARP Medicare Complete
Medical billing fraud is committed when a medical facility or office intentionally bills procedures that may not have happened or misrepresents procedures that did happen in order to increase the amount processed, thereby deceiving insurances and patients into paying more for services. Medical billing fraud costs insurances, providers and patients millions of dollars each year.
UnitedHealth Group
Attn: Appeals and Grievances
P.O. Box 6106
Cypress, CA 90630
Mail Stop: CY124-0157
Subject: Grievances against Dr. Jefrrey Kootman and AARP/Medicare Complete
On April 23rd I saw Dr. Jeffrey Kootman, an oral surgeon, to look at a lesion in my mouth before I was to have a crown put on a back tooth that was near this painful lesion. Even though there were several other oral surgeons nearer to where I live, I was told by an AARP phone representaive, that I had to see Dr. Kootman, but I was given an explanation for why it had to be Dr. Kootman that I still do not understand. When I saw his name on page 30 of the 2010 AARP Physician Provider list that had been sent to me in February, naturally I assumed that AARP Medicare would cover my visit, since he was listed along with several other oral surgeons on AARP’s Physician Provider’s List.
His receptionist photocopied my AARP/Medicare Complete card, (0235765-01) and assured me that their sevices are included in your plan. When I offered her my co-pay she said that would not be necessary because, to quote her, “They pay for everything.” I then asked if she would like to see my referral and she said that would not be necessary because she would call my primary care physician.
A month later, in May, I got a notice from my previous insurance company, Evercare, which I had left for AARP eight months ago. The letter stated they were not going to pay a $295 bill from Dr. Kootman because I was no longer with them.
I called the doctor's office about this mistake and the receptionist said they knew they had sent it to the wrong company by mistake and that 3 days before my call the claim had been sent to AARP.
A month later, in June, I got another refusal to pay the $295 claim from Evercare. I again called Dr. Kootman’s office and the same receptionist took my AARP insurance number and said she would take care of it.
On July 24th, I received my FIRST bill from Dr. Kootman saying I had to pay $295 by August 15.
In checking up Dr. Kootman’s record on the internet I have noticed many complaints against him made by other patients who have had similar billing difficulties from his office. There are also recordings of complaints to the Arizona Dental Board from many other patients. His physican’s record appears to be blemished by numerous complaints to the Dental Board on more than just billing problems.
After receiving this first bill from Kootman’s office I immediately called AARP. The phone representative said that Dr. Kootman is on their list but there is no record of his ever filing a claim with them for the $295 he now was billing me.
Just today, August 25, I have received a second bill for $295 from Kootman warning me that he is going to put finance charges on my bill and that he has sent it to collections.
The lesion had disappeared just before my visit to him. All he did was look at it and said that it was gone and that I should continue with the Ibprufen which I had started myself just before it disappeared. The whole visit took about three minutes, so that means Kootman is charging $100 a minute!
I would like to make it clear that I hold AARP responsible for the Kootman pickle that I am in for having demanded that I see him and even having him listed in their directory. I have been informed about a week ago, again, from another AARP phone representative, that he is no longer listed as a provider with AARP.
One lawyer I spoke to about my problen, suggested that your company send me the reinbursement for his services. I could use your check to either send to him or pay him his bill but get paid by you for the liability that I have incurred merely by doing ALL the “right things” such as having insurance and obeying your command to see Kootman in the first place.
Kootman never seems to ever contact your claims department but keeps harassing me along with other victims of his weird confabulations which he has worked out along with his collaborator, Jean Windsor. I sent him an e-mail telling him that his operation reminded me of an earlier melodrama called “The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”
In the Dental Association to which he belongs, he boasts about the discounts in anesthesia he gets from his supplier and the credit collection company he uses to keep his patients in line. IT is the name of his collection company and it has just about the blackest record in the business for harsh strong-arm methods, rude and abusive language and violation of FTC standards of proper policies credit collection companies ought to use for the sake of fair trade and the barest semblance of ethical and humane values that are supposed to be the treasured inheritance of American society.
What do you think?
Sincerely,
Jordan Richman
jprich9231@aol.com
602-256-2830
UnitedHealth Group
Attn: Appeals and Grievances
P.O. Box 6106
Cypress, CA 90630
Mail Stop: CY124-0157
Subject: Grievances against Dr. Jefrrey Kootman and AARP/Medicare Complete
On April 23rd I saw Dr. Jeffrey Kootman, an oral surgeon, to look at a lesion in my mouth before I was to have a crown put on a back tooth that was near this painful lesion. Even though there were several other oral surgeons nearer to where I live, I was told by an AARP phone representaive, that I had to see Dr. Kootman, but I was given an explanation for why it had to be Dr. Kootman that I still do not understand. When I saw his name on page 30 of the 2010 AARP Physician Provider list that had been sent to me in February, naturally I assumed that AARP Medicare would cover my visit, since he was listed along with several other oral surgeons on AARP’s Physician Provider’s List.
His receptionist photocopied my AARP/Medicare Complete card, (0235765-01) and assured me that their sevices are included in your plan. When I offered her my co-pay she said that would not be necessary because, to quote her, “They pay for everything.” I then asked if she would like to see my referral and she said that would not be necessary because she would call my primary care physician.
A month later, in May, I got a notice from my previous insurance company, Evercare, which I had left for AARP eight months ago. The letter stated they were not going to pay a $295 bill from Dr. Kootman because I was no longer with them.
I called the doctor's office about this mistake and the receptionist said they knew they had sent it to the wrong company by mistake and that 3 days before my call the claim had been sent to AARP.
A month later, in June, I got another refusal to pay the $295 claim from Evercare. I again called Dr. Kootman’s office and the same receptionist took my AARP insurance number and said she would take care of it.
On July 24th, I received my FIRST bill from Dr. Kootman saying I had to pay $295 by August 15.
In checking up Dr. Kootman’s record on the internet I have noticed many complaints against him made by other patients who have had similar billing difficulties from his office. There are also recordings of complaints to the Arizona Dental Board from many other patients. His physican’s record appears to be blemished by numerous complaints to the Dental Board on more than just billing problems.
After receiving this first bill from Kootman’s office I immediately called AARP. The phone representative said that Dr. Kootman is on their list but there is no record of his ever filing a claim with them for the $295 he now was billing me.
Just today, August 25, I have received a second bill for $295 from Kootman warning me that he is going to put finance charges on my bill and that he has sent it to collections.
The lesion had disappeared just before my visit to him. All he did was look at it and said that it was gone and that I should continue with the Ibprufen which I had started myself just before it disappeared. The whole visit took about three minutes, so that means Kootman is charging $100 a minute!
I would like to make it clear that I hold AARP responsible for the Kootman pickle that I am in for having demanded that I see him and even having him listed in their directory. I have been informed about a week ago, again, from another AARP phone representative, that he is no longer listed as a provider with AARP.
One lawyer I spoke to about my problen, suggested that your company send me the reinbursement for his services. I could use your check to either send to him or pay him his bill but get paid by you for the liability that I have incurred merely by doing ALL the “right things” such as having insurance and obeying your command to see Kootman in the first place.
Kootman never seems to ever contact your claims department but keeps harassing me along with other victims of his weird confabulations which he has worked out along with his collaborator, Jean Windsor. I sent him an e-mail telling him that his operation reminded me of an earlier melodrama called “The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”
In the Dental Association to which he belongs, he boasts about the discounts in anesthesia he gets from his supplier and the credit collection company he uses to keep his patients in line. IT is the name of his collection company and it has just about the blackest record in the business for harsh strong-arm methods, rude and abusive language and violation of FTC standards of proper policies credit collection companies ought to use for the sake of fair trade and the barest semblance of ethical and humane values that are supposed to be the treasured inheritance of American society.
What do you think?
Sincerely,
Jordan Richman
jprich9231@aol.com
602-256-2830
Medical Billing Fraud
Medical Billing Fraud costs Insurances and Patients Money
finanzen, dollar image by mbs from Fotolia.com
Medical billing fraud is committed when a medical facility or office intentionally bills procedures that may not have happened or misrepresents procedures that did happen in order to increase the amount processed, thereby deceiving insurances and patients into paying more for services. Medical billing fraud costs insurances, providers and patients millions of dollars each year
How to Report Medical Billing Fraud
1. Read all health care bills carefully, including insurance explanation of benefits statements to properly determine if all the procedures happened that were billed by the medical provider. If you do find something that looks suspicious, contact the medical billing department to make certain you are reading it correctly and verify what the service or procedure entails.
2. Call your insurance provider to let them help you decipher any discrepancies in your billing from the medical provider. Insurance offices are equipped to handle medical billing fraud and will review the procedures and services carefully to make sure they were properly processed.
3. Ask for copies of your medical records from the medical provider, along with complete billing statements. Medical records and billing statements can help you determine what procedures and services were provided and at what cost.
4. Contact your state's Department of Insurance office either online or with a letter and documentation of any medical billing discrepancies you have found. Department of Insurance offices also have a toll-free hotline available to report insurance fraud, however eventually you will need to furnish them with copies of any paperwork you have that pertains to the services in question. The Department of Insurance website also has a fraud reporting form available that can be printed out and mailed along with your medical documentation of the service in question.
5. Contact the National Insurance Crime Bureau either online or with a letter to report any fraudulent medical services or procedures. The National Insurance Crime Bureau is an organization that was started to prosecute any fraudulent medical services by any medical facility or office.
finanzen, dollar image by mbs from Fotolia.com
Medical billing fraud is committed when a medical facility or office intentionally bills procedures that may not have happened or misrepresents procedures that did happen in order to increase the amount processed, thereby deceiving insurances and patients into paying more for services. Medical billing fraud costs insurances, providers and patients millions of dollars each year
How to Report Medical Billing Fraud
1. Read all health care bills carefully, including insurance explanation of benefits statements to properly determine if all the procedures happened that were billed by the medical provider. If you do find something that looks suspicious, contact the medical billing department to make certain you are reading it correctly and verify what the service or procedure entails.
2. Call your insurance provider to let them help you decipher any discrepancies in your billing from the medical provider. Insurance offices are equipped to handle medical billing fraud and will review the procedures and services carefully to make sure they were properly processed.
3. Ask for copies of your medical records from the medical provider, along with complete billing statements. Medical records and billing statements can help you determine what procedures and services were provided and at what cost.
4. Contact your state's Department of Insurance office either online or with a letter and documentation of any medical billing discrepancies you have found. Department of Insurance offices also have a toll-free hotline available to report insurance fraud, however eventually you will need to furnish them with copies of any paperwork you have that pertains to the services in question. The Department of Insurance website also has a fraud reporting form available that can be printed out and mailed along with your medical documentation of the service in question.
5. Contact the National Insurance Crime Bureau either online or with a letter to report any fraudulent medical services or procedures. The National Insurance Crime Bureau is an organization that was started to prosecute any fraudulent medical services by any medical facility or office.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Real Estate Agents Wanted for Coronado Review
If you are a Real Estate agent specializing in sales of homes in the Coronado Neighborhood I will gladly post your names and information as a New Post press release. Send your press release to jprich9231@aol.com
Thursday, August 19, 2010
From Maureen Rooney, The Coronado News Digest
From: coronado.news-request@gcna.info
Subject: Coronado.News Digest, Vol 46, Issue 12
To: coronado.news@gcna.info
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:00:15 -0700
Send Coronado.News mailing list submissions to
coronado.news@gcna.info
To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
http://gcna.info/mailman/listinfo/coronado.news_gcna.info
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
coronado.news-request@gcna.info
You can reach the person managing the list at
coronado.news-owner@gcna.info
When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of Coronado.News digest..."
Today's Topics:
1. FW: HP Accepting Exterior Rehabilitation Grant Applications
Now (Maureen Rooney)
2. Re: FW: HP Accepting Exterior Rehabilitation Grant
Applications Now (Don Mertes)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 19:50:50 -0700
From: "Maureen Rooney"
To:
Subject: Coronado.News: FW: HP Accepting Exterior Rehabilitation Grant
Applications Now
REHABILITATION GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR HISTORIC HOMES AVAILABLE
The city of Phoenix Historic Preservation Office is now accepting applications for its Exterior Rehabilitation Assistance Program. The grant application deadline is Wednesday October 6, 2010 at 5:00p.m.
Owners of historic homes that are either in city-designated historic districts or are individually listed on the city's historic property register are eligible to apply. The program funds critical structural stabilization, repair and rehabilitation of historic exterior features such as roofs, exterior walls, porches, and windows, as well as reversal of previous inappropriate alterations. Repair is always preferred over replacement of historic architectural features and materials. If replacement is necessary use matching or compatible materials and repeat the design.
The program reimburses owners on a 50/50 matching basis for pre-approved work requests, with grant funding from $2,000 to $10,000 per project. In exchange for receiving financial assistance, the property owner agrees to
sell the city a 15 year conservative easement to protect the historic character of the property's exterior.
For more information, or to download an application, visit:
phoenix.gov/historic/hprehab.html. Application packages may also be picked up in the city's Historic Preservation Office at 200 W. Washington St., 17th floor. Please call (602) 261-8699 or Liz Wilson at (602) 262-6883.
Subject: Coronado.News Digest, Vol 46, Issue 12
To: coronado.news@gcna.info
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:00:15 -0700
Send Coronado.News mailing list submissions to
coronado.news@gcna.info
To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
http://gcna.info/mailman/listinfo/coronado.news_gcna.info
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
coronado.news-request@gcna.info
You can reach the person managing the list at
coronado.news-owner@gcna.info
When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of Coronado.News digest..."
Today's Topics:
1. FW: HP Accepting Exterior Rehabilitation Grant Applications
Now (Maureen Rooney)
2. Re: FW: HP Accepting Exterior Rehabilitation Grant
Applications Now (Don Mertes)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 19:50:50 -0700
From: "Maureen Rooney"
To:
Subject: Coronado.News: FW: HP Accepting Exterior Rehabilitation Grant
Applications Now
REHABILITATION GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR HISTORIC HOMES AVAILABLE
The city of Phoenix Historic Preservation Office is now accepting applications for its Exterior Rehabilitation Assistance Program. The grant application deadline is Wednesday October 6, 2010 at 5:00p.m.
Owners of historic homes that are either in city-designated historic districts or are individually listed on the city's historic property register are eligible to apply. The program funds critical structural stabilization, repair and rehabilitation of historic exterior features such as roofs, exterior walls, porches, and windows, as well as reversal of previous inappropriate alterations. Repair is always preferred over replacement of historic architectural features and materials. If replacement is necessary use matching or compatible materials and repeat the design.
The program reimburses owners on a 50/50 matching basis for pre-approved work requests, with grant funding from $2,000 to $10,000 per project. In exchange for receiving financial assistance, the property owner agrees to
sell the city a 15 year conservative easement to protect the historic character of the property's exterior.
For more information, or to download an application, visit:
phoenix.gov/historic/hprehab.html. Application packages may also be picked up in the city's Historic Preservation Office at 200 W. Washington St., 17th floor. Please call (602) 261-8699 or Liz Wilson at (602) 262-6883.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Downtown Phoenix Sights
Downtown, also dubbed "Copper Square," has become an increasingly exciting place with museums, restaurants, entertainment venues, stadiums, and shopping centers. The Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau (125 N. 2nd St., Suite 120, Phoenix, AZ 85004, 602/254-6500 or 877/225-5749, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.) provides much helpful information at its central location.
Arizona Center, at Third and Van Buren Sts., offers an oasis of palms, waterfalls, and pools with a variety of restaurants and specialty shops, a 24-screen movie theater, and some night spots. Two blocks south you'll find the oldest and the newest in Phoenix—Heritage Square and Science Park, home of the 1895 Rosson House, Phoenix Museum of History, and Arizona Science Center. Continue two blocks farther south and you'll be at the huge Bank One Ballpark with its retractable roof. Turn west two blocks and you'll reach America West Arena, another major sports center. Other attractions in the heart of downtown include Symphony Hall, Herberger Theater, and the Orpheum Theater—a 1929 Spanish Baroque Revival building restored to its original elegance. Look west down Washington Street and you'll see the copper dome of the old state capitol, where much of Arizona's past has played out.
Arizona State Capitol
With its winged figure of victory atop a shiny copper dome, the old state capitol (1700 W. Washington St., 602/542-4675, http://azcapitol.lib.az.us, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., except on state holidays, free) dates from 1900, a dozen years before statehood. The Arizona Legislature outgrew this structure in 1960 and moved into adjacent new quarters. The old capitol then became a museum, carefully restored to look as it did when Arizona became a state in 1912. The Senate and House chambers and other rooms contain period furnishings, historical photos, and tales of frontier days. A lifelike statue of former governor George W.P. Hunt sits behind his desk in the old governor's office. Permanent and changing exhibits occupy four levels; at the top one you can look through the dome's skylight at the winged figure of victory, which turns with the wind. On the lowest floor, a memorial room of the battleship USS Arizona displays the ship's silver service, photos of the crews, a scale model of the ship, a piece of the superstructure, and other memorabilia of the ship sunk at Pearl Harbor in 1941. A gift shop, also on the lowest floor, sells Arizona books and souvenirs.
You can also join free guided tours at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; groups of 12 or more must schedule tours in advance. To dig deeper into the state's past, drop into the research library, Room 300, where you'll see the 1930s' murals Pageant of Arizona Progress by Jay Datus. You can view many historic photos from the archives on the capitol's website, http://azcapitol.lib.az.us, or you can see what the legislature is up to at www.azleg.state.az.us.
Free parking is available in front of the capitol at Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza; turn in from Adams Street. The Plaza features many commemorative monuments and an anchor and signal mast from the USS Arizona.
Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
In this large collection (1502 W. Washington St., 602/255-3791, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., closed Sun. and state holidays, $2 ages 18 and up, www.mines.az.gov), you'll see examples of the minerals that drew many prospectors to Arizona. Specimens of copper minerals—azurite, malachite, chrysocolla, cuprite, and chalcanthite—sparkle in brilliant hues. Fluorescent lights make otherwise undistinguished-looking minerals glow in bright colors. Lapidary exhibits display the art of gem cutting and polishing, while old mining tools, lamps, assay kits, photos, and models reveal how miners worked. A cave exhibit illustrates how wondrous features formed deep in the earth. Fossils trace the evolution of life beginning with cyanobacteria more than a billion years old. Step outside to see the diminutive Arizona Copper Co. locomotive, a headframe, and a stamp mill; the mural on the museum's outside back wall makes a great background for photos. The Rose Mofford Collection, an eclectic assemblage of mementos from Arizona's first woman governor, is in a separate gallery.
The museum staff can tell you of upcoming lapidary and jewelry classes, family programs, and rock and mineral shows (most are held during the winter), as well as put you in touch with local rock shops and clubs. A gift shop sells specimens, gold pans, handcrafted jewelry, and an excellent selection of rockhounding books. Look for the museum's unusual Moorish architecture on the corner of W. Washington Street and 15th Avenue; parking is available behind the museum.
Wells Fargo History Museum
An 1868 Concord coach forms the centerpiece of this Old West collection (Adams St., between 1st and 2nd Aves., 602/378-1852, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., free). You can experience a recreated Wells Fargo office, admire gold nuggets from Wickenburg, see antique guns, and take in the Western art gallery. It's in the high-rise Wells Fargo building.
Arizona Center, at Third and Van Buren Sts., offers an oasis of palms, waterfalls, and pools with a variety of restaurants and specialty shops, a 24-screen movie theater, and some night spots. Two blocks south you'll find the oldest and the newest in Phoenix—Heritage Square and Science Park, home of the 1895 Rosson House, Phoenix Museum of History, and Arizona Science Center. Continue two blocks farther south and you'll be at the huge Bank One Ballpark with its retractable roof. Turn west two blocks and you'll reach America West Arena, another major sports center. Other attractions in the heart of downtown include Symphony Hall, Herberger Theater, and the Orpheum Theater—a 1929 Spanish Baroque Revival building restored to its original elegance. Look west down Washington Street and you'll see the copper dome of the old state capitol, where much of Arizona's past has played out.
Arizona State Capitol
With its winged figure of victory atop a shiny copper dome, the old state capitol (1700 W. Washington St., 602/542-4675, http://azcapitol.lib.az.us, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., except on state holidays, free) dates from 1900, a dozen years before statehood. The Arizona Legislature outgrew this structure in 1960 and moved into adjacent new quarters. The old capitol then became a museum, carefully restored to look as it did when Arizona became a state in 1912. The Senate and House chambers and other rooms contain period furnishings, historical photos, and tales of frontier days. A lifelike statue of former governor George W.P. Hunt sits behind his desk in the old governor's office. Permanent and changing exhibits occupy four levels; at the top one you can look through the dome's skylight at the winged figure of victory, which turns with the wind. On the lowest floor, a memorial room of the battleship USS Arizona displays the ship's silver service, photos of the crews, a scale model of the ship, a piece of the superstructure, and other memorabilia of the ship sunk at Pearl Harbor in 1941. A gift shop, also on the lowest floor, sells Arizona books and souvenirs.
You can also join free guided tours at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; groups of 12 or more must schedule tours in advance. To dig deeper into the state's past, drop into the research library, Room 300, where you'll see the 1930s' murals Pageant of Arizona Progress by Jay Datus. You can view many historic photos from the archives on the capitol's website, http://azcapitol.lib.az.us, or you can see what the legislature is up to at www.azleg.state.az.us.
Free parking is available in front of the capitol at Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza; turn in from Adams Street. The Plaza features many commemorative monuments and an anchor and signal mast from the USS Arizona.
Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
In this large collection (1502 W. Washington St., 602/255-3791, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., closed Sun. and state holidays, $2 ages 18 and up, www.mines.az.gov), you'll see examples of the minerals that drew many prospectors to Arizona. Specimens of copper minerals—azurite, malachite, chrysocolla, cuprite, and chalcanthite—sparkle in brilliant hues. Fluorescent lights make otherwise undistinguished-looking minerals glow in bright colors. Lapidary exhibits display the art of gem cutting and polishing, while old mining tools, lamps, assay kits, photos, and models reveal how miners worked. A cave exhibit illustrates how wondrous features formed deep in the earth. Fossils trace the evolution of life beginning with cyanobacteria more than a billion years old. Step outside to see the diminutive Arizona Copper Co. locomotive, a headframe, and a stamp mill; the mural on the museum's outside back wall makes a great background for photos. The Rose Mofford Collection, an eclectic assemblage of mementos from Arizona's first woman governor, is in a separate gallery.
The museum staff can tell you of upcoming lapidary and jewelry classes, family programs, and rock and mineral shows (most are held during the winter), as well as put you in touch with local rock shops and clubs. A gift shop sells specimens, gold pans, handcrafted jewelry, and an excellent selection of rockhounding books. Look for the museum's unusual Moorish architecture on the corner of W. Washington Street and 15th Avenue; parking is available behind the museum.
Wells Fargo History Museum
An 1868 Concord coach forms the centerpiece of this Old West collection (Adams St., between 1st and 2nd Aves., 602/378-1852, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., free). You can experience a recreated Wells Fargo office, admire gold nuggets from Wickenburg, see antique guns, and take in the Western art gallery. It's in the high-rise Wells Fargo building.
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