PhDermatology is an extremely convenient location for me, and since I couldn't really find much better reviews for any other dermatologist online, I kept going back, but no more.
Every time I've been here, I've felt that the doctors were rushing me to get out. I know that time is money, and that there are a lot of constraints on a doctor's time, but this is by far the most unwelcome I've ever felt at an office (and it isn't just me, my fiancée felt the same way the handful of times she's been here too, and all because I went here).
Worse, that feeling of being rushed through seems play out in tangible ways, since several errors have occurred on their end. The first was an inaccurate recording in my records/chart, then they forgot to phone in a prescription to my pharmacy. And then they did not phone in a prescription to my pharmacy for a second time in a row. Of course, both times as the doctor left the room, they said that they were immediately going to get the prescription fulfilled.
I should have looked for a different dermatologist at this point, but I needed to have a procedure done, and they had my most up to date record, so I just went ahead a scheduled an appointment. While they addressed my main concern, I had a similar procedure done when I lived in California, and that dermatologist seemed much more knowledgeable and skilled, and the California procedure healed with no scar or issues, which is not the case for my procedure that was done at PhDermatology.
But here's where things get really fun. I have another appointment, and one of the assistants come in and say that my biopsy came back negative. My procedure did not require a biopsy. My insurance had also changed, and I get a letter from my new insurance saying they're not covering anything since they thought I was already covered under my old insurance. A week before, I had went my to primary care doctor, and then a week after, I had gone to my dentist, and neither of those had any issues with my new insurance. Maybe my insurance just kicked things back due to the biopsy coding not making sense with my procedure?
Anyway, it takes me several phone calls with my insurance to sort things out. Making these calls are no phone, and you gotta block out a good chunk of time since you're going to be on hold for a bit, so of course it takes me awhile to get the calls done. In the meantime PhDermatology sends me notes saying my bill is past due (fair, standard procedure I would assume). I finally get things sorted out and call PhDermatology, and they tell me great, they'll wait for the updated bill from my insurance and then readjust my bill, and then send me an updated invoice. The person on the phone specifically told me to DISREGARD the notices and the previous bills that were sent to me.
So I go on about my life, but then what do I find in the mail? That PhDermatology had sent my outstanding balance to a debt collector! Funny enough, the updated amount reflected the payment from my insurance, but they couldn't be bothered to send me the follow-up bill that they told me they would send.
Lesson learned, learn from me, just don't go to this place. The doctors here seem to be in a rush or do not care and there are way too many sloppy clerical errors (if not going through with their word). The person I talked to at my insurance company ended up sending me a handwritten note thanking me for calling them and apologizing for the inconvenience (while for the majority of my procedure), while PhDermatology couldn't bother sending me an updated invoice!
Oh, and that last appointment where they told me about a biopsy report that should have never been ordered, or was mixed up in my chart, or was sneaked in for extra fees, or for whoever knows what reason, the doctor did not put in my prescription at the pharmacy again. read more