I went to get a skin check and have a growth biopsied. As others have mentioned, the skin check was fast -- too fast. It took only a couple minutes and was done solely with the naked eye. As for my growth, I felt pressured not to have it biopsied, as if their doing a biopsy was a waste of time. However, I insisted, and that was a good thing because it came back as a basal cell carcinoma.
They called to give me the news at the end of the day before a holiday weekend and pressured me into undergoing radiation at their clinic. Naturally, I was in shock because I hadn't expected the diagnosis considering how I'd felt pressured not have the biopsy in the first place. They had acted as if my concern was purely cosmetic, so being told I had skin cancer was completely unexpected.
I spoke with the doctor for approximately 2-3 minutes before she passed me over to the person in charge of administering radiation. Even aside from the speed, the whole thing felt suss because the doctor was telling me they'd checked my insurance to see if it would cover radiation, but if radiation is the usual or best treatment, why wouldn't my insurance cover it? Next thing I know, I'm being told by the person in charge of radiation that I'll need to have 20 visits, but not to worry about my per-visit copay because they'd only charge me $250 all-in. Even in the moment, that rang alarm bells.
After I got off the phone and had time to process and do research, I realized that surgery, specifically Mohs surgery, is considered the gold standard of treatment for my skin cancer, and they hadn't even mentioned surgery as an option. I called back after the holiday weekend to express my concerns, and while they were open to not doing radiation, they told me that they didn't do Mohs surgery and that a Mohs surgeon probably wouldn't even take me a patient due to the location of my cancerous growth. As a result, I'd probably just have to do surgery in their office, a surgery that was more or less guesswork and that if the doctor guessed wrong, I'd need another surgery. Basically, they explained it in a way that made surgery seem like a much worse option, and again, it felt like I was being pressured into radiation, something that would make them a lot more more money due to the number of visits required.
I'm so glad I followed my instincts and went back to my primary care doctor. Her own research also led her to discourage me from radiation, and in talking to me, she mentioned off-hand that the 3-minute conversation and subsequent sales pitch for radiation had been charged as to my insurance as telemedicine. I was shocked by that. How is giving someone biopsy results and an aggressive sales pitch telemedicine?
Thankfully, my primary care doc immediately referred me to a Mohs surgeon, who called me the next day to make my appointment. Not only should I have a one-and-done visit, but I'll only pay my copay, making it 5 times less expensive as well as meaning I'll have to take significantly less time off work.
Based on these experiences, I will not be returning to Ross Dermatology. The people in the office are friendly, and perhaps it is a great place if your concerns are cosmetic rather than medical. I don't know. However, Ross Dermatology feels less like a medical office dedicated to giving you the best care and more like business trying to make as much money as possible. I do understand that unfortunately, in the US, medical care is also a business, but everything about this experience felt like making money was their primary driver and like my health concerns were just a means to that end. I will also note that since deciding to be seen by another doctor, my insurance claims have been adjusted, and by adjusted, I mean they suddenly have higher charges. Like nearly everything else in my experience with this office, that feels suss. read more
