Wake Forest Dermatology

The bill for service was deceptively over-stated. My co-pay was not deducted off the total charge.At the time of my visit, I paid a $52.00 co-pay. When I received my bill in the mail, it was for $340.50, which was the total amount of the visit. While the $52.00 I had paid was stated at the bottom of the invoice as 'Pre-Pay' it was not noted in the body of the invoice with the visit charges nor was it deducted off the 'Pay this Amt' amount. The 'Pay this Amt' total should have been $288.50. To make matters worse, there was no description in the body of the invoice to explain what care had been given, only medical codes. Therefore, my health insurance company would only cover a portion of the bill when, as a yearly check-up for cancer, it should cover all of it. I wrote two letters to this practice, first asking them for a detailed bill to send to my health insurance company to contest the amount they were covering, and second to ask the practice why my 'Pre-pay' amount wasn't noted in the body of the invoice or deducted off the total. I received a detailed invoice but was not sent an explanation for why I was overbilled. I sent this detailed invoice in to my insurance company and thanks to that, the $340.50 was changed to $0.00. In the second letter to Wake Forest Dermatology informing them that my billed had been reduced to $0.00, I asked them again why I was being asked to pay $52.00 too much, and to send me my refund.They didn't send me any communication, but put the $52.00 credit on my credit card. In order to get the money part of this resolved, it required my writing three letters, making a number of copies, and all of it completely unnecessary if Wake Forest Dermatology had simply handled the billing correctly.Desired SettlementI want an explanation for the way my visit was billed. I also want to have this on record for other people in case they have a similar experience. I don't have a dollar to spare and I'm sure many other people feel the same. I'm not going back to this doctor. Business Response Contact Name and Title: [redacted] administratorContact Phone: XXX XXX XXXXContact Email: [redacted]@wakeforestderm.comWe are sorry Ms [redacted] had a bad experience at our office as we strive to do better. I have reviewed the complaint with our AR manager and front desk staff. No letters were received from Ms [redacted], however she did request and receive a detailed bill re: services provided during her visit, and her insurance company evidently changed how they viewed whether these services would be applied to deductible or not. In February the EOB indicated all services would be applied to deductible. She received a credit to her credit card for $52 the same day we were noitified of her insurance company's reversal of the claim processing- March 31st- but until that time the services provided during her visit were being applied to deductible. We have no control over an insurance company's discretionary process when they review a claim submitted, and can only go by the guidance they provide to us initially at the point of service. They do occassionally change the manner they choose to process a claim and on those occassions we appear as the bad guys but we truly have no control over what is ultimately an insurer's prerogative.