TLDR: Pros: Dr. Halem and staff have a generally pleasant demeanor, minimal waiting time (seems to be a big improvement vs. older reviews), was easily accessible via phone when I reacted unfavorably to an antibiotic Cons: Dr. does not take any accountability for miscommunication in her office and is no longer an in-network provider for *any* insurance, so a visit will cost you $400 minus whatever your insurance reimburses for out-of-network. I also should have listened to the low reviews on Zocdoc - she will only advise her own skincare line along with EltaMD and prescription medications. Her prescribed regimen consisted of 7 items (1 EltaMD sunscreen and 6 products in her own skincare line) which in total cost $456. 3 of her products are basic oil-free moisturizer, salicylic acid face wash, and benzoyl peroxide body wash which really could have drugstore alternatives. To her credit, the EltaMD sunscreen was not up-charged more than what it goes for outside the office. I initially called Dr. Halem's office as it's currently one of three in-network dermatologists with Anthem in Manhattan. Her front office staff confirmed that they do take insurance, but since December 2021, have instituted a new policy wherein patients pay up front for the visit and insurance will reimburse. I said as long as they definitely take Anthem, that was fine and proceeded to book the appointment. On the day of, I waited less than 10 minutes after my appointment time. Dr. Halem energetically introduced herself and asked how I found her, so I said she's one of the few Anthem providers in Manhattan. At this, she said "Did the front desk tell you we've changed the billing policy?" to which I said yes. She proceeded to listen to my concerns and history and then let me know she was going to have me stop my own routine and recommend a full regimen. This lasted about 10-15 mins and then Dr. Halem left. I heard her outside, relaying the regimen to her medical assistant or medical aesthetician, who came back with a written copy and 6 products (and 2 prescriptions that I needed to fill). When I asked about the application and order of a couple products, the MA confused the topical and oral, and when that was cleared up, did not seem to understand that the topical was not meant for my face, but for my back concerns. At the front desk, I was told $400 for the visit and $456 for the products. Semi-shocked that the products were more expensive than the visit, I asked for a breakdown along with alternatives for any of the items - the receptionist responded that she would not be able to give me a breakdown for the items, that I would have to wait for billing who would mail me a receipt, and that the only item that was not Dr. Monica Halem's personal skincare brand was the sunscreen, which is the only thing I could get outside of the office. When I pressed about alternatives for the other items, the receptionist offered no solution or even a "you'll need to ask Dr. Halem." At this point, I felt like maybe I needed to just commit to this full regimen to see if my acne could be resolved, so I paid the full $856. 2 weeks later, after phone calls with Angela, the billing administrator, and Dr. Halem, I was told that in fact, Dr. Halem's office has 1 provider who takes insurance, who is not Dr Halem but Dr. Chang (? not sure if this the right sp, this provider is not listed on her website), and if I wanted an in-network doctor, I could not see Dr. Halem but I could see the other doctor. After letting her know that I specifically told her staff that I wanted an appointment only if it was in-network, Dr. Halem repeatedly said that she and her staff had told me that the billing policy had changed and that she was not in-network. Absolutely, they let me know the billing policy had changed to be up-front payment, but I was *NOT* told that my visit would be with a provider who didn't take my insurance? Why would I agree to that?! Dr. Halem said that she specifically wanted to provide "quality care," and letting insurance companies pay "whatever they want" to her was not letting her spend time with patients and provide the care they needed. While I understand that, I confirmed that I was never told that my visit with her was *out of network* and asked about a middle-ground solution for the miscommunication that the front office had told me they DO take insurance but still booked me with Dr. Halem. Dr. Halem was "unable to do anything" or offer any middle ground resolution for the $400 dollars for the office visit, as opposed to the $40 co-pay it would have been. Truly disappointed that she speaks about providing high quality care, but doesn't spend more than 15 minutes with a patient, insinuated I lied about "knowing" she was out-of-network, her MA is not knowledgable, and that there aren't affordable alternatives she can recommend to her most basic products (not even my usage of Cetaphil and Cerave, which other derms recommend) read more

Monica L Halem, MD - Dermatologists Near Me - Manhattan, New York

I have been taking me daughter for her acne treatment to Dr Halem... our first visit went well. She spent a good amount of time with us in regards to her acne treatment. In our second visit she made us wait 50 minutes before seeing us and her excuse for making us wait was because she was pregnant. I stopped by a third time to buy products and she was sitting at the front desk and was extremely rude and told me to wait because she didn't have time. The receptionist told me that her entire staff quit and it was her first day on the job and she apologized for Dr. Halems behavior. So many other qualified dermatologists with amazing bedside manners in the UES. read more

I would not recommend this physician to anyone. She is dismissive and pushy to purchase her products and receive cosmetic attention such as Botox and fillers. read more

I feel so,fortunate to,have found dr Monica Halem through a friend! Dr Halem has such an outstanding way of diagnosing and treating skin issues That no one else has been able to! I love her warm and caring personality and have also had some cosmetic help that has made such a difference in my,face from a previous unfortunate experience! I now travel,from Arizona where I moved to,be checked and discuss my dermatology issues with her! I have such trust and respect for her natural instincts ! No one like dr,Monica Halem a true gift to,the dermatological Profession! read more

First appointment set up because my dermatologist of 40 years retired and recommended Dr. Monica Halem. Arrived for an 11 am appointment at 10:56. Six people already in waiting room. It took over 25 minutes before I was told, by Dr. Halem herself, that my Blue Cross card didn't work, and I was basically out of luck. I told her my wife was the primary card holder, as she has been with Citibank for over 30 years, and there was nothing wrong with the card. I told D. Halem, who was sitting at the computer the entire time, trying to enter my Blue Cross dard in her system, while the six people who were in the waiting area sat, presumably in other rooms, waiting for her! She then told me I would have to wait until after she saw 2 or 3 other patients ahead of me, before she would be able to clear up my Blue Cross card issue. After I asked if there was anyone else who could do that while the Doctor went back to work, and after 2 minutes of her whispering to her fake french staff, she said someone would attempt to straighten out the billing matter in her absence. That person proceeded to take numerous calls, and neglected to follow up on my behalf. After watching this for another 10 minutes, I asked for my Blue Cross card back and left! when your there, be sure to check out all of the products in the glass cases with her name emblazoned on the labels! I'm sure they're very reasonably priced! This was like going to Guy Fieri for a gourmet meal! The celebrity cosmetic dermatologist! Such fun! read more

To preface, I've never felt compelled to write a review of any doctor / service provider in my life; however, my experience with Dr. Halem was so poor that I believe I should. I saw Dr. Halem for an appointment for severe acne. Not only did she have me wait well over an hour, but she didn't even apologize nor did she as much as introduce herself when she walked in the room. She was clearly in a rush and by the end of the appointment was essentially running out of the room even though she had spent maybe 10 minutes with me. In terms of a course of treatment, we did not see eye to eye, which is fine as I respect her opinion. However her advised treatment seemed very dependent on her own dermatology products. This made me very uncomfortable and judging from reviews on other sites this seems to be a pattern. I find a significant ethical dilemma to push personal products on patients and for that reason alone I would never recommend her to anyone. That, compounded with her awful bed side manner and rude demeanor, I would discourage people seeking a professional and empathetic doctor to visit her practice. read more

terrible experience with Dr. Halem - our first appt we waited over 45mins to be seen, the excuse was we were first time and they had to get us in the system. If that's the case why not send paperwork prior to appt. I felt very rush because all our time was waiting. Forward to my 2nd appt, I arrived very early and waited for the office to open. No one showed up till 9:04am a min or two later Dr. Halem shows up, 5 people waiting. Apparently 2 of the 5 are going to be interviewed and she takes one of them back and starts interviewing. I'm beyond shocked by this behavior - and not a care for my time. I would never recommend Dr. Halem for this reason alone. read more

Upon recommendation from my son, I made an appointment with Dr. Halem for cosmetic improvements. I did not have to wait very long at all. Dr. Halem was very efficient and she and her aesthician, Cynthia, spent a lot of time with me giving me a skin care guideline and offering their help on what treatments can be done do regarding anti aging for a 60 year old. I was extremely pleased, bought the products and love them! I will be going back when I visit my son in NYC. read more

Dr Halem is the best dermatologist out there. If you are looking for someone amazing in NYC, look no further. Her office is beautiful, modern and clean. The front staff are friendly, accommodating and professional. Dr Halem is so warm and calm that you instantly feel at ease. She addressed all of my concerns and fixed some of my issues right there on the spot. I look forward to continuing treatment and going back! read more

Dr Harlem is one of the most professional,caring doctors I have ever met. Some years ago, I was diagnosed with squamous cell skin cancer on my face. It was very frightening indeed. After undergoing the Mohs procedure in her office, I knew I had had the BEST possible care. She followed up with many caring phone calls and today there is no trace of the ugly scarring I had feared. Her expertise is unquestionable. I return to her regularly for my skin scans and have always felt she was a great listener busy as she is. As far as her skin care line, I feel the products are high quality and are never forced upon me. In fact, I am always interested in learning about how to better care for my skin. I am 55 and my skin has never looked better. Cynthia Rivas' facials are also a wonderful treat. I trust Dr. Harlem immensely and wish more were like her. read more

I was appalled at the derogatory treatment by Dr Halem and will never go back, nor will I recommend her to anyone. There must be more respect for patients by doctors going fwd and it is surprising that a relatively young and modern female doctor would behave so rudely by having me wait for close to an hour in a cold waiting room in my underwear. read more

Dr. Halem is an exceptional dermatologist. I am well-equipped to comment on both her skill as a cosmetic dermatologist and her talent for addressing more serious skin complaints--in addition to addressing skin clarity and aging, Dr. Halem successfully removed a cyst from underneath a mole on the side of my nose which had come back twice before Dr. Halem had the chance to look at it. The site of incision healed marvelously with no scarring, and she was the first dermatologist who was able to successfully eradicate the cystic 'sac' to prevent the bump returning. The breadth of treatment options offered at her clinic is very impressive (Botox, fillers, laser therapy, chemical peels, vein treatments et cetera) and her staff are professional and kind. Importantly, Dr. Halem herself is attentive and she always follows up with her patients to make sure they're happy with the results. She's a kind person, and I look forward to my visits. A quick word about wait time--anyone who's human will understand the world doesn't run like clockwork, so sometimes, you might have to wait a few minutes for your appointment. That's not indicative of the clinic's disorganization, it simply means that a previous appointment may have run over and Dr. Halem isn't the type of doctor to rush a session simply to reduce waiting time. Besides, if you do find yourself waiting, her clinic has coffee and magazines. Overall--trusting someone with your face has to be one of the highest forms of trust. I have full faith in Dr. Halem, and that should say it all. read more

Dr. Halem is the absolute best. She works with precision and caution, ensuring the best cosmetic and medical results. I've been going to her for nearly 3 years, and I've never been disappointed. Her staff is top notch - each person you encounter is friendly and makes you feel ease. Couldn't ask for better! read more

After going through three dermatologists I finally found Dr. Halem. She never keeps me waiting for long, takes the time to answer my questions and is a very skilled practitioner. I followed her from Columbia and her new office is beautiful. I also don't have to wait too long to get an appointment. I just wish she was located downtown but it's worth the 30 min of travel for a good doctor. read more