The office charges a $50 annual fee to quote, "help keep the office open" which is separate from the other medical fees they charge. This is a very sneaky practice and was it not made clear to me prior to my appointment. I will be reporting them to my medical insurance carrier. read more

NEW PATIENT beware before bothering to book online. I booked through the MyPrevia website. I read all the information and filtered the search to find closest and best providers in my area accepting new patients. Finally found one and booked at a location and time that fit my schedule. GREAT. Then 4 hours late comes the phone call. It is there office policy to change a $50 Annual Fee just to be a part of the practice. I asked what the fee was for. I was explained it was NOT covered by insurance (Yeah, I figured that out when you called and said "Administrative Fee", Thanks.) "It is just our office policy to charge this fee". I inquired about what it was for, exactly. (I was wondering if it covered things like the lab work and any extra test they may deem necessary in the treatment of a problem or maybe even a 24/7 type service for any possible emergency questions, things like that I would have been ok with, if they were phenomenal, but nope... ,"It's for any paperwork, forms to fill out and referrals" Huh? "Well, I don't need any of those services"... "It's our office policy" OK. Great. Maybe you should include that in you listing on the insurance sites, your patient portal sites and on the Front Page of your website. That is a ridiculous policy. I work in the medical field. I know how to bill insurance and what is covered. I even understand the frustration of that from your side, but, that is not a good enough reason to drive potential customers away. It's just bad customer service. You should be showing these fees on front page of website and on any insurance sites or just say you are not accepting new patients so you don't waste anyone's time. Why would anyone pay this ridiculous fee and their copay just for a typical annual exam? read more

Lori M. Kaler, MD - With insurance what to expect. - Obstetricians & Gynecologists Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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I've been a patient of Dr. Kaler for 21 years. Her bedside manner as well as her thoroughness as a physician is something that is honestly lacking with most other physicians today. I owe her my life as she has guided me through two life threatening illnesses and put me in touch with top specialists in the area for treatment. I would not be here without her. read more

I called the office to make an appointment and they said they do NOT take Medicare patients I was surprised as this is the first time I had sorefuse to give spapp read more

As a gynecologist, Dr. Kaler was great. She was warm, knowledgable, and answered all of my questions about the procedure I had to have with far more patience than the other doctor I'd seen. I've been seeing her since 2011 and it never occured me to look for someone else to be my OB. While she continues to be an excellent physician, her office is somewhat short staffed and disorganized. Recently, there have been different assistants and receptionists on every single visits. Billing is a mess. When I visited in April, I was told I had a $15 credit; yet on my very next visit, I was told I owed $3. Her staff member said she had no idea how that could be. I also received a bill for visits in 2012 and her staff said they had no record of me owing anything. Finally, I called her office 3 times over 2 days for a prescription to deal with my extreme nausea. Due to miscommunication with her office, I was left with the impression that I just wasn't going to get any response. A week later I went to urgent care and when reviewing my prescription history, they found that it had been called in to my pharmacy after all. Nobody from Dr. Kaler's office let me know. Honestly, I still recommend Dr. Kaler if you just need a gyn to do your annual checkups. You may want to try a larger practice if you're expecting. She doesn't have an ultrasound machine and only delivers at Sibley, which just wasn't going to work out for me. Positives about the practice are that is usually easy to get an appointment and even if there appears to be a high turnover, the staff is usually friendly and polite. read more

Dr. Kaler spends time with the patient. She's down to earth, professional, compassionate, and thorough. And personable. She gets 6 stars out of 5 from me and I've been seeing her for years. You only see 5 stars because her office staff has declined over the last couple years. At least one of the current staff is a poor communicator and doesn't always convey messages. But Dr. Kaler is so good, that even with that blemish she's still a keeper. read more

Dr. Kaler is an excellent physician with great bed side manner. I came here for routine exam and she took her time asking me questions and performing physical exam. Staff is also friendly. I only waited in the waiting room for 5 or so minutes before being taken back. Dr. Kaler has also been rated top ObGYn by The Washingtonian 2 years in a row. Strongly recommend coming here. Just FYI: She mostly focuses on gyn and refers her patients who are pregnant past the 2nd trimester... read more

Never saw the doctor! Signed in and sat down and wondered why they hadn't asked for my insurance. After 40 minutes I approached the receptionist and asked her how far behind schedule was Dr Kaler. After 45 minutes she finally asked for my insurance information; I provided it and sat back down. Eventually she called me to the desk to tell me that my insurance (Medicare) was not accepted for new patients. I had consulted the web site in advance of making the appointment; Medicare is specifically listed as insurance that Dr Kaler accepts!!! No one mentioned this when I called to schedule! ONE HOUR OF MY TIME WASTED This is the most unprofessional physician's office I have ever dealt with. read more

Katie who works in this clinic is so inefficient! She was not able to verify with my insurance if I had the benefit of IUD insertion or not within a month, which by the way I was able to verify in a matter of minutes and even asked the cust rep from my insurance to call them. Carefirst BC/BS is amazing! Katie was also trying to charge me $100 coz they had to pay for the IUD device coz we need it in 2 day vs ordering thru the pharmacy which may take days. Seriously?!?!?! If I get pregnant, she would have to pay child support coz of her inefficiency! I am so mad at her right now! read more

Until the last few months, I would have had nothing but great things to say about Dr. Kaler - still do, but only about her (she would get 5 stars!). Her main receptionist, on the other hand, has been a months-long nightmare for me this past summer. Dr. Kaler performed a genetic panel on me which she recommended and said was medically necessary. A month later I got the bill for over $1500 (my insurance co. covered $500 for this $2000 test). I never even considered it could be that pricey and noone in the office told me (nor did they tell it could be not covered by insurance). Since then, in trying to resolve the issue and get it paid, I've heard nothing but excuses, endless delays, etc. in the office dealing with this issue. First, they told me (and by "they" I mean the receptionist) they would rebill it to get it covered (never did as far as I know), then they told me they would call the lab and straighten it out and get me my money back (I called the lab and they had no record of any calls from the office). All the while they were telling me to hold off paying the bill until they can resolve it, until I finally got collection notices from the lab and was forced to pay it. Finally, now I've been waiting almost a month for a letter to be written to my insurance explaining the medical necessity. The receptionist claims Dr. Kaler will do it when she has time. Trouble is, this woman lied to me so many times already, I don't even believe she told Dr. Kaler to write the letter. Nor has she ever called me back with an update on the situation after telling me she would time and time again. I am at wits end, don't know what to do about this and on top of it I pay the mandatory administrative fees the office charges that allow this woman to stay employed and treat me like garbage. I hope Dr. Kaler sees this so that she knows what's going on in her front office. It's really a shame, because she's an amazing doctor. I would love to change my review for the better and give Dr. Kaler her deserved 5 stars but I just can't get past what's happened in the last few months. This has happened to others. One of my best friends actually had to switch doctors because of the same issues with the administrative staff. read more

I started coming to Dr. Kaler for my yearly check-ups after my sister went and had such a good experience. She is very knowledgeable but is also able to make you feel instantly comfortable in her office. Her staff is friendly and helpful as well. I was a little put off at first by her administrative fees ($25/patient/year) but they are well worth it for the quality of service she provides. I looked this up later and it seems many doctors, especially those with smaller practices, use administrative fees to cover expenses not covered by insurance. I'm deducting a star for that but regardless, I've had a very good experience with Dr. Kaler so far and I highly recommend her. read more

Dr. Kaler is an incredibly kind and thoughtful physician. I switched to her practice after having an awful experience with a physician in Silver Spring about a year ago, where I was blatantly lied to, belittled, and judged for wanting an IUD as a twenty-something year old. After telling me that no doctor would ever give an IUD to a woman under thirty without 2+ kids, she (the other doctor) told me my insurance wouldn't cover an IUD, or nuvaring, or deprovera. The only option was to continue the oral contraceptive that was causing unpleasant side effects in my health and life. Fast-forward to four months ago when I became a patient of Dr. Kaler's. My first impression was that she was a friendly and kind (not to mention trendy) physician. My white-coat anxiety was soothed by the fact that she wasn't wearing a white coat at all. She seemed like a person who was also a doctor, not just some white-coat after business and money. Dr. Kaler listened to my concerns and questions and answered them in a professional (but warm) manner. I didn't feel rushed or ridiculous for my list of questions I had been too shy to ask other doctors. The only thing that may put some people off is the administrative fee--an annual charge of $30. For me this was the only payment because my insurance covered my annual exam in full. Even if I did have a copay it's a small price to pay for the care you get in return. With how expensive it must be to run a small business I can't exactly blame her. Overall, I am SO happy that I went to see Dr. Kaler. I recommend her to all of my female friends. The location is convenient (right off of 270 and 495, with a large FREE parking lot), scheduling an appointment is surprisingly flexible (you can get appointments sometimes that week?? That's a first!), her staff are friendly and helpful and she is a stellar physician. There was a little bit of a wait for my appointment, but you get that with most offices and it was well worth it! I'll be a patient here for as long as I'm in the area. read more

Much respect for Dr Kaler. I like her very much. Extremely attentive and caring. The admin. side of her practice is about to drive me nuts however. Here are the main reasons why: -I was asked by the doc to come in at a certain time to draw a blood sample. Was told to just call first, so I did. Spoke to two different people about it on the phone and got the ok to come in, but still no one had any idea why I was there when I showed up and I had to wait forever for a blood draw that takes 3 minutes. -I got a message two days later that "there was a problem at the lab" and my blood sample could not be tested and could I come back that day to give another sample. Since I have a very demanding job, I could not take off again on a moments notice in the middle of a weekday. I was not told what the problem in the lab was, but I still got billed for that waste-of-time visit! -I get waaaay too many texts and emails telling me to make followup appointments that do not match what the doctor told me to do in person. I did try twice to use the link for "online appointment request" that was in the emails that they sent me. The emails say someone will call me back within 48 hours after I send my request but no one ever did. I finally just called the office to make the appointment and complained about the lack of response and was told "oh we don't use that". THEY sent it to ME! Multiple times! -The thing that makes me the most nuts, however, is that whenever I call that office I only get about half a sentence out of my mouth before I am rudely interrupted "WHAT'S YOUR NAME?". I have started just allowing them to finish their interruption and then continuing what I was saying as if they hadn't just interrupted me. read more

Dr. Kaler impressed me so with her patience and her genuine interest in approaching my daughter, a young lady with learning challenges. My daughter's anxiety was evident and Dr. kale observed this as well. She immediately provided a step-by-step explanation of the exam which put my daughter and myself at ease. I highly recommend Dr. Kaler. read more

This is one of the best doctor facility that I have been to in a long time. I felt so welcomed and comfortable when it was a very awkward visit for coming there. I was asked repeatedly if I was okay which I loved and even had conversations with this doctor that got me to know her better. I can't wait to go back! She's so sweet! read more

I can find something to complain about with almost anyone, but I've had nothing but good experiences here. Dr. Kaler is nice, easy to talk to and very professional. Office is quick to respond and have called things in for me right away when I've had an issue. I will never go anywhere else. read more

I have been seeing Dr. Kaler for four years now, after a good friend recommended her. I find her to be attentive, knowledgeable, and friendly. I've recommended several friends to her, and they all report back that they've had great experiences. read more

I have been seeing Dr. Kaler for over 10 years now. Four years ago I moved to NY and I still continue to make the trek to see her for my annual visits. Let's face it- these kinds of visits are uncomfortable, awkward and something most women do not look forward to. Dr. Kaler is warm, friendly and non-judgmental. She seems to truly care about your well-being and is not rushing to get you in and out. I feel at ease even in my strange pink robe and would recommend her to anyone who is looking for a Gyno doc upgrade. read more

Dr Kaler is a warm and thorough doctor. She is knowledgeable and trustworthy. She is professional and kind. I feel lucky that she is my doctor. read more

I am so grateful to my friend that referred me to Dr. Kaler! I've been to 5 different OB/GYN's since moving to the area (6 yrs ago) and the first four docs were awful compared to Dr. Kaler. Dr. Kaler was very friendly, professional, and you can tell she really cares. The other women that work in her office are also very polite and professional. read more

I just moved to MD and I was looking for an OB/GYN, I decided to go to Dr Kaler based on the reviews here and I am glad I did. She is a great doc and I felt very comfortable talking with her. She addressed all my issues and was very thorough. Her office is clean and there was very little wait time. I will be going back. I totally recommend Dr Kaler. read more

The first time I saw Dr Kaler, I was impressed with her warm demeanor and ability to advise me on future high-risk pregnancy issues (she refers to maternal fetal health for management of high risk pregnancies). However, the second time I came to her, I was less impressed. I have been a nurse for awhile and worked in the ICU the entire time. So, when I started having severe left lower quadrant pain, I knew it could be several things. I had the ultrasound tech at work do a quick look and, sure enough, I had a rather large (4.5 cm) ovarian cyst on the left side. Not to get into the nitty gritty, but this area hurt during sexy time and I didn't have any symptoms of diverticulitis or hernia. I went to see Dr Kaler and told her about the sono. Since she doesn't have an in- office ultrasound machine (ding #1), she refered me back to get a full pelvic ultrasound. Once she received the radiologist's report, she called and told me that I had an ovarian cyst, but that could not be causing me pain since "those types of cysts don't hurt" so we need to look for other sources of the pain. I talked it over with the docs that I work with and several lady friends (also nurses) who have had that type of cyst, and all of them told me how much pain their cysts caused. I went back to see Dr Kaler on a Saturday and she basically told me the same thing, only this time she was much more impatient, cold, and began to raise her voice. I explained to her that the pain is directly over the huge ovarian cyst. If its a horse, call it a horse. Don't go looking for a zebra. Also, Dr Kaler, diverticulitis does not hurt during sex! Oh, and i have an IUD so im at increased risk for cysts. She was very unhelpful, so I suggested the conventional treatment for the type of ovarian cyst (progesterone birth control pills). She finally obliged this and said to finish the pack and see if the pain subsides and then get another ultrasound. Well, the pain subsided and the cyst went away... And now I'm finding another GYN. read more