TL:DR : Do not go here. They don't tell you how much will be billed to insurance; they make you leave your card on file; and they automatically charge your card without notice weeks later. In the end, for a 10 min apt, they charged me triple ($248) for the same exact procedure elsewhere ($89). Below I provide more details of my experience.
I am surprised to see so many positive reviews on google (4.9!) of this place (although Yelp's ratings are more realistic with 2.7! I wish I checked Yelp first)
It took me months to get an appointment, and when I arrived, I was shocked to learn that providing a credit card to leave on file was mandatory for automatic billing. I have never been to a place that made you leave your credit card before telling you how much the cost would be or when you would have to pay it. I inquired if that was necessary, or if I could just pay the balance once it is billed. They said, "Yes, this is a company policy. if you don't like that, you are free to go elsewhere." It was a bit too late for me to cancel the appointment I waited months for, so I went ahead and gave them my card.
Despite inquiring how much the visit would be and when I would be charged for it on my card, they refused to share that information, citing that it depends on what is billed during the appointment and what my insurance covers.
Now, I did not like the principle of this policy, but I was already there, and I knew from having the same procedure at another dermatologist, that the cost would be roughly $90. I left my credit card and then sat down. My name was called, I saw the dermatologist (nurse practitioner I think) - she was nice enough. I was in and out in TEN minutes.
A few weeks later, without any notice from Frederick Dermatology, my credit card was automatically charged $248.01. This is almost 3x what my out of pocket expense was for the exact same procedure at Integrated Dermatology in DC (and at that place, they bill insurance, and then bill me, and I provide my credit card after that is over, and I know exactly what to expect.)
Here is a breakdown of cost from the two places, for the exact same procedure (10 minutes, in and out, for a cryotherapy treatment).
Frederick Dermatology billed $396 to my insurance, of which my insurance covered $106.25, and I was left to pay the balance of $248.01. However, they did not bill me or call me, they just charged my card on file.
Integrated Dermatology in DC, for the same procedure, billed my insurance $196.09, insurance covered the exact same amount, $106.25, and I paid $89.84.
So infuriating. Why would the initial billing be so much more?
My complaints with Frederick Dermatology are the lack of transparency in cost structure and billing, the automatic charge of credit card, and charging more than double for the same procedure (which meant I paid out of pocket more than 3x for the same procedure).
If they were transparent about the costs, I would have no reason to complain. It's the lack of transparency, and the audacity to keep a card on file and charge without any notice that makes me so angry. I told them what I was there for, so they should have said "our typically billing for that is $X." If they had said that, I could have backed out earlier.
It appears that many people like this place, but I will definitely not be back. I have already tried to call them twice to get my credit card removed from their "automatic file." However, I was on hold for 15 minutes, and then someone came on to ask me to continue to hold. So I hung up, and wrote this review. read more