ComplaintsforSurgical Dermatology and Laser Center

• Initial Complaint

  02/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On January 16, 2024 I visited the Vivida Dermatology office and informed the staff and medical provider that I would be paying with cash because I have no insurance. After learning about the procedure, the service they provided was short and minimal and I was quoted $247 which I paid in full right after the short consultation. I made sure they understood that I was NOT going to receive any other service and have not reached out again to them for any medical treatment.Since then however, I have received a bill from Quest Diagnostics in the amount of $413.28 (bill and my personal notes attached). The lab was ordered by the dermatologist who did not inform me nor asked for my permission. I have reached out to both Quest Diagnostics who assures me a call from the dermatology office will erase this from my record. I have reached out to Vivida Dermatology MULTIPLE times without any success. Nor the receptionist nor the billing staff are able to help me and what's more frustrating is that they refuse to put a "person in charge" on the phone. Just last Monday 02/12/24, I was finally able to reach a supervisor *********************. He again told me there was nothing he could do but instead create a "task" for ************************************* who is "required" to attend to it within 24hrs. He assured me that this is the "office procedure" and it is ************ job to follow through. In addition to this, I left her a voicemail with my explanation and to try to resolve this as quickly as possible.No one at the office, not ****************** nor ********** have called - no attempt (missed call, email, text) to reach out to me has occurred and I am afraid they are just hoping I go away.Your time and help to open up the communication and get this resolved is greatly appreciated. Any questions you have about this, please do not hesitate to contact me. Best,*********************** ********************

  Business response

  04/05/2024

  Thank you for this feedback. We apologize for the delayed response, however, this is the first time we have been made aware of any issue. *********************, who is mentioned as the supervisor who originally took this complaint is no longer with the company and did not forward this task to ************************************* as he told the patient he would, nor did he make any other current employees aware of the complaint.  I have made her aware of the situation today and she is working to research this promptly. We anticipate completing our investigation and being able to resolve this within the next ***** business days.

  Customer response

  04/21/2024

  Hello,

   

  Last communication i received was that you were waiting for the business to answer this complaint.  I have not received ANY communication, explanation or resolution bout this inquiry and I am a bit surprised you would close it.

   

  Please tell me if I have to open another case.

  Business response

  04/29/2024

  Thank you for your feedback. I apologize for any confusion caused by inaccurate information provided to you by a former employee, *********************. We have investigated the matter and found that he did not create a task for ************************, and she did not receive any tasks, emails, or voicemails. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention as it is the first actionable notification that we have received.We understand that receiving an unexpected bill can be frustrating. However, our records show that our staff counseled you on the procedure and received your consent. Furthermore, we have signed consents (attached) from you accepting financial responsibility for non-covered procedures.It is important to note that this bill is from a third-party vendor, Quest Diagnostics, and not Vivida Dermatology. Unfortunately, we are unable to adjust billing for services, such as pathology testing, provided by another company. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you and appreciate your understanding

  Customer response

  05/13/2024

  Dear friends at BBB:

   

  I would like to pursue this further because the response from the dermatology center is not what we discussed.

  Do I have any other options in how to get this resolved??  Thus business requested OTHER services that I was not aware of after my consultation was over and that is why I have an outstanding bill.

   

  The services they performed at their office were paid in full.  I am beyond upset that they want me to pay for something they ordered when I told them I was done.

   

  Please tell me what other steps I can take to resolve this.

  Business response

  05/14/2024

  I understand that this situation may be frustrating for you, but unfortunately, we are unable to refund you for the procedure. We have signed consents on file for the procedure performed, and as a third party service provider, we do not have the ability to forgive debts owed to Quest Diagnostics. If there is anything else we can assist you with, please let us know.

  Customer response

  05/15/2024

   
  Complaint: 21308868
  
  I am rejecting this response because: it was stated clearly to your medical staff and office that I was paying my consultation and treatment in the office at the time it was performed. -- I left your facility taking care of my responsibility 

  Whatever your doctor ordered afterwards was not what we discussed - again, I made sure to tell them I was a cash patient and no other payments were due.

   

  How can you add extra services without the patient knowing what they will be charged??  You took it upon yourselves to send/create this, not me.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Business response

  05/15/2024

  The patient has provided no additional information or proof of her position. We have signed consents and visit notes stating verbal approval and understanding of the procedure to be performed and of the potential costs. The bill she is disputing is from a 3rd party lab, which we had her conset (as in the signed forms) to utilize. We cannot forgive a bill from another company as it is not ours to forgive. I'm not sure what more we can do at this point. We have all the signed documents to support our position and it feels like she is unwilling to accept that and intends to fight it until we forgive a debt that isn't ours to forgive. 

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩