Business ProfileforDr. Dina D. Strachan, MD

Buyer beware of a bait & switch / surprise billing scheme. On a visit on 6/8/2022, Dermatologist Dinan ********************** (dba ***** Dematology) offers to do skin peel therapy on my skin to treat chronic acne. On that visit on 6/8/22, a I tell her that, I didn't think that chemical peels are a service that is paid for by insurance. Dr. ********************** says, and I quote "yes it is covered because I am treating your condition, and that is part of the plan".7/1/2022, the peel was done. On 7/29/2022 - Insurance DENIES the claim for $300 for that same peel that Dr. ********************** herself suggested (and assured me it was covered by insurance), Dr. **********************'s office then charges (WITHOUT my knowledge, nor advance invoice/****/statement) my credit card $275. When I called the insurance company (****************), to inquire as to why the claim was denied, the ***************** informs me that Pre-Authorization should have been filed by her office. But was NEVER filed.When I called Dr. **********************'s office on 7/28/22 and 8/2/2022 to request that Dr. **********************/***** Dermatology file the necessary Pre-Authorization (after-the-fact) forms to ****************, I was told by ****** in billing that, the $300 is now my responsibility because insurance denied the claim. I explained that the claim MAY have been (might still be) approved had required the PreAuthoriztion been sent to the insurer by Dr. ********************** (dba ***** Dermatology). I also requested that they file the PreAuthorization "after-the-fact" as suggested by insurance. ****** from ***** Dermaology declines to do so.So buyer-beware. You will first be offered a service you never asked for. Then ***** Dermatology will file the WRONG paperwork into insurance, which will inevitably be denied. In which case, the cost for a precedure that was done, only at Dr. **********************'s prompting, will be denied by insurance and thus entirely your responsibility.

When a patient's insurance card represents that the patient has **************** we know this service is covered. Sometimes cards are presented that say ***************, but the patient has another insurance that does not cover this service. Often patients don't even know themselves, although it is their responsibility, that they don't have ****************. When the insurance company responds that we are to charge the patient we charge the patient-- it's actually illegal not to. As this was an oversight that is neither our nor the patient's fault, as a courtesy we may refund. In this case we have.

This has been addressed.