POSTED UNDER Laser Resurfacing REVIEWS
Office review: Totally Unprofessional
ORIGINAL POST
Office review: Totally Unprofessional
I contacted Dr. Emer's office to inquire about whether he could treat a condition that I have been diagnosed with called rhinophyma, which would most likely require laser treatment of some type. I also requested a video call because I live several hundred miles away from Dr. Emer's location. I received a reply message from somebody named Douglas or Doug informing me that there is a $500 (FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS!) fee to have an evaluation with Dr. Emer by video, after which the $500 could be applied to the treatment if I decided to go ahead. Of course, there's no way to know if I want to go ahead until I have the video consult, because they won't quote a price for the treatment until they have the consult -- in other words, it costs $500 just to find out how much it will REALLY cost to treat your condition. I ignored Doug's email because I'm not willing to spend $500 to find out how much it's going to ACTUALLY cost for my treatment. I figured case closed.
A day or so later, Doug called me on my mobile phone. (There is no way not to leave a mobile # when submitting an information request at Dr. Emer's office.) At first Doug said that I wouldn't be treated by Dr. Emer at all, but by a different doctor in the office, apparently because the other doctor does rhinoPLASTY (and Doug may not have understood that I was talking about rhinoPHYMA). Doug then repeated what I just said -- it costs $500 for even a video consultation, so you basically have to spend $500 to find out how much actual treatment will cost. I objected to this as silly, and Doug then offered that I could have a call instead with a "treatment coordinator" for the price of $150 ("please pay $100 now by phone"). The problem is this: a treatment coordinator isn't a doctor, and so can't really advise me whether my particular rhinophyma can actually be treated in Dr. Emer's office. Doug said well, at least if I paid the $150 I could get an "estimate" of the treatment amount, and I would also be able to look at pictures of other people who have had similar conditions treated in the office. I asked why there was a $150 fee to basically look at some pictures, and he responded that otherwise it's illegal to share the pictures with me. What Doug didn't know is that I am actually a lawyer, and therefore I am aware that if a person gives consent to share his pictures, the consent is valid as far as it goes. There is no requirement that a "patient coordinator" collect a $150 fee before being able to share the pics. It's true that HIPAA and other privacy laws prevent sharing pictures without the patient's consent, but simply collecting $150 doesn't cure this issue -- what cures it is the consent of the patient (for which no $$ is required). The call went downhill from there, and at the end Doug told me that (a) there are lots of good doctors in the area, and (b) I'm not a good "fit" for their office. DOUG THEN HUNG UP ON ME!! Brief comment (my own observations): in my opinion, it's totally unprofessional to ask somebody to pay $500 to find out if a condition can even be treated -- especially for something as brief as an online video consult. Other doctors on Real Self offer a brief consultation for free. Even worse: it's completely unethical to (mis)represent that a doctor's office can't share pictures of prior patients, but that if the potential new patient coughs up $150 it suddenly becomes OK. Either Dr. Emer obtained consent or he didn't. The "we need to collect $150" story is just an excuse to collect some money from a new patient up-front -- and that's for a consultation with somebody who isn't even a doctor, but the plastic surgery equivalent of the maitre de. Overall I was left with the strong impression that this office doesn't care in the slightest about actually treatment patients -- particularly ones with a sensitive condition such as rhinophyma -- but rather, with figuring out ways to separate the patients from their money. And apparently the more money they can separate the patients from, the better! I won't be calling this office back, nor will I go there for treatment.
A day or so later, Doug called me on my mobile phone. (There is no way not to leave a mobile # when submitting an information request at Dr. Emer's office.) At first Doug said that I wouldn't be treated by Dr. Emer at all, but by a different doctor in the office, apparently because the other doctor does rhinoPLASTY (and Doug may not have understood that I was talking about rhinoPHYMA). Doug then repeated what I just said -- it costs $500 for even a video consultation, so you basically have to spend $500 to find out how much actual treatment will cost. I objected to this as silly, and Doug then offered that I could have a call instead with a "treatment coordinator" for the price of $150 ("please pay $100 now by phone"). The problem is this: a treatment coordinator isn't a doctor, and so can't really advise me whether my particular rhinophyma can actually be treated in Dr. Emer's office. Doug said well, at least if I paid the $150 I could get an "estimate" of the treatment amount, and I would also be able to look at pictures of other people who have had similar conditions treated in the office. I asked why there was a $150 fee to basically look at some pictures, and he responded that otherwise it's illegal to share the pictures with me. What Doug didn't know is that I am actually a lawyer, and therefore I am aware that if a person gives consent to share his pictures, the consent is valid as far as it goes. There is no requirement that a "patient coordinator" collect a $150 fee before being able to share the pics. It's true that HIPAA and other privacy laws prevent sharing pictures without the patient's consent, but simply collecting $150 doesn't cure this issue -- what cures it is the consent of the patient (for which no $$ is required). The call went downhill from there, and at the end Doug told me that (a) there are lots of good doctors in the area, and (b) I'm not a good "fit" for their office. DOUG THEN HUNG UP ON ME!! Brief comment (my own observations): in my opinion, it's totally unprofessional to ask somebody to pay $500 to find out if a condition can even be treated -- especially for something as brief as an online video consult. Other doctors on Real Self offer a brief consultation for free. Even worse: it's completely unethical to (mis)represent that a doctor's office can't share pictures of prior patients, but that if the potential new patient coughs up $150 it suddenly becomes OK. Either Dr. Emer obtained consent or he didn't. The "we need to collect $150" story is just an excuse to collect some money from a new patient up-front -- and that's for a consultation with somebody who isn't even a doctor, but the plastic surgery equivalent of the maitre de. Overall I was left with the strong impression that this office doesn't care in the slightest about actually treatment patients -- particularly ones with a sensitive condition such as rhinophyma -- but rather, with figuring out ways to separate the patients from their money. And apparently the more money they can separate the patients from, the better! I won't be calling this office back, nor will I go there for treatment.
andersonsb's provider
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