HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE -- RETURNING PATIENT. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS PRACTICE…read more
I am a returning patient who previously completed the same melasma treatment with Dr. Shirazi. I came back because I trusted the practice based on my previous experience. Unfortunately, this time I spent months dealing with insurance problems, a prescription I never received, additional expenses, and repeated attempts to get the office to resolve the situation.
I originally paid over $300 out of pocket because I was told I needed to pay as self-pay/out-of-network, even though the provider was in-network with my Cigna insurance. The office told me they would not submit the claim, so I had to submit it myself. My Cigna EOB confirmed the provider's in-network status and applicable in-network processing. I then spent months trying to resolve the billing/payment issue, including communications between Cigna and the office.
Separately, I paid $175 for the online evaluation and another $175 for RenewRX, the prescription component of my melasma treatment.
I NEVER RECEIVED THE RENEWRX.
The first shipment was returned before reaching me. A second shipment was marked delivered, but I never received it. I have a locked mailbox, checked my mailbox and around my apartment, and was also out of town from the 6th through the 17th. The office initially directed me to USPS and suggested I could reorder through HealthLens with additional shipping.
The prescription was not optional for my treatment. Without RenewRX, I could not start the melasma regimen as intended. I had also spent additional money on non-prescription skincare products from the practice's affiliated website, including DermaBright. Because I never received the prescription component, I could not proceed with the treatment as planned, making that additional spending effectively wasted for the purpose I purchased the products for. The DermaBright product also arrived leaking.
Eventually, the office offered a replacement RenewRX. I was required to purchase the shipping label myself, which I did and sent to them on September 15 as instructed.
After I complied, I was told I needed another medical evaluation and another applicable evaluation fee before they would dispense the replacement. I explained that I had never received the original prescription and was willing to provide updated photos or other information needed to determine whether it remained appropriate, but I did not believe I should have to pay another evaluation fee for a prescription I had already paid for and never received.
After months of back-and-forth, the office ultimately told me that the appropriate resolution was for me to pursue a USPS claim because the package was marked delivered.
This was not simply a lost package. I paid for the evaluation, paid for the prescription, spent additional money on accompanying skincare products, could not start the treatment, paid for a replacement shipping label, and then spent months trying to resolve the situation.
What makes this especially disappointing is that I was a returning patient who trusted this practice. Instead, I experienced months of insurance issues, shipping problems, additional expenses, and being redirected between the office, HealthLens, USPS, and Cigna.
I am sharing this experience so patients can make an informed decision before spending their money with this practice. Keep every receipt, EOB, email, shipping record, and written communication.
