UT Physicians Dermatology - Bellaire Station — Local services in Bellaire

Our child sees Dr Hebert at UT Physicians for a condition that she is an expert on - and we see her for that reason. If we could find care that was as knowledgeable and familiar with options, and more conveniently located, we would. Unfortunately for us we have not. Dr Hebert’s office refused to see our child at first because it insisted that a “referral” was required for a consultation, and this was in spite of numerous calls with us and our insurance company repeatedly confirming a “referral” was not necessary. Our insurance is a PPO with in and out of network benefits - a referral from a PCP to a specialist is not required. Our insurance company finally even went so far to memorialize that it was not needed in writing. Then after finally consulting on the case, UT Physicians billed us in error for sums that were not collectible - because as it turns out they ARE an authorized provider with our insurance. We have since been trying to get in for treatment for a procedure that does require pre-authorization to show medical necessity (again this is an extreme case of the condition and treatment is only approved after showing that other less involved treatments do not work). However, the office staff, reportedly acting at the instruction of Dr Hebert, refused to submit the paperwork until the bill in error was satisfied. After spending 2 weeks trying to resolve the billing issue with UT Physicians, including sending the EOB 2x and making numerous calls in follow up, we paid the bill in error so that our child’s treatment would no longer be held up. Miraculously, 1 week after we paid the bill, we received a call that our refund was on the way, but would take up to 4 weeks!! Are you kidding me??!!?!?!? IMHO this practice needs to seriously rethink how it handles its billing and ethical practices, as well as it phone call procedures. The representatives at the numbers provided on bills cannot resolve any billing issues - that has to be escalated and it takes more than 2 weeks to get a call back - assuming you ever do - we certainly DID NOT until we were called and told our refund would take 4 weeks. The office is not practicing their ethical responsibilities - care should never be held up over finances and the supervisor who called to notify us of our refund confirmed that fact. And since when does a refund in 2021 made via CC take 4 weeks to process?!?! If you can avoid this practice - we...

Please don't waste time coming into this office. I had an appointment at 9:45, was seated in a patient room at 10:00 waiting for Dr. Silapunt to give me a quick consultation. Guess when J finally saw her? Past 11:30! This is the most inefficiently run office I've ever waited at. I was told the extra wait time was due to more Harvey flood patients wanting to see the doctor for unexpected skin conditions. At what point does the office turn down appointments and forego profits in order to take care of their patients with the right kind of quality care and compassion? Definitely not here. When did doctors decidedly become so afraid to push back and fight for the services patients are paying for? Physicians and staff memebers forget that people from all circumstances and socio economic backgrounds take the time to see them and yet we're held at the will of poor management. I'm paid hourly and considering I took public transportation here meant that between commuting and waiting, I lost 3.5 hours of wages as well as my copay cost. It was baffling to see how some offices have degraded into high patient volume revolving door and be so unapologetic about it. Not once did a staff member check on the patients and let us know that they were running behind. Maybe you can only fight the system so much but I'm truly disappointed that there isn't at least any sense of verbal communication to quell any patient concerns. Did I mention I called ahead to ask if my office visit would be covered by my insurance and no one called me back to confirm? I just showed up hoping that it would be covered. Also when you show up, expect to fill out 7 pages of paperwork, only to asked AGAIN by the physician assistant who referred you and what medications you're on. This system is clearly so dated and inefficient. Just absolutely baffling that an office can be run this way, because somehow, everyone here has accepted that compassion and efficiency are not necessary when it comes...

Update: I reached out to their patient experience team via phone and email, but never received a follow-up. I would advise others to consider alternative providers, especially for minor skin concerns like acne, as they may lack the necessary expertise.

After reading other reviews, I believe UT Physicians Dermatology may need to reconsider its approach to patient billing. I have been visiting this clinic for acne treatment since May, spending about $200 per visit due to my high-deductible insurance. While the lack of noticeable improvement after six months was a little disappointing, I was still hopeful for positive results.

However, during my last visit, I was informed that my case was beyond their expertise, and I would need to find another specialist. Although I appreciated their honesty, I was shocked to receive a bill that is 50% higher than usual, despite not receiving any treatment.

When I called to clarify, I was told the charges are based on the length of the appointment, not the care provided (though I also don’t understand why telling me to find another provider makes the appointment longer). I was also repeatedly informed during the call that ‘this is how dermatology works’ and that it’s not uncommon for dermatologists to be unable to offer effective solutions… I wish this had been communicated from the beginning, before I spent over $1,000 out-of-pocket with UTP dermatology. And I hope to share this information here as well to help other patients make informed decisions about their...