The patient portal is very useful. It is nice to have all of your test results available in one place and obviously the speed in seeing your results and doctors analysis without waiting days or weeks before that follow up appointment. $50 is excessive...but there is value in it if used correctly.
My complaint is the communication or lack thereof. I've seen Dr. Goldman and my wife has seen Dr. Archabeck. The doctors are great...their staff is not. Also...here's a negative to the portal. Few months ago my wife was diagnosed with a stomach ailment which we were notified from test results via the portal. We received a call from the office to call back ASAP. We waited on hold for 30+ minutes for someone to speak with me and when we finally did...she said that she just checked the diagnosis on Google and that we should schedule an appointment ASAP.
You're paying to go to a professional doctors office...and you receive a Google diagnosis from the front desk. Great.