A doctor's referral is a request for our services, and is often called a consultation request. It is also a correspondence from one doctor to another stating treatments, medications, history or illnesses/conditions that have been tried on a patient prior to being referred to our office.
An insurance referral is a requirement of a managed care insurance company. If a patient has Managed Care insurance (such a an HMO), they will always need an insurance referral to be seen by a specialty department. The insurance referral is written by the patient's primary care physician.
No matter what type of insurance you have, we request that you obtain a referral to our General Dermatology offices from your primary care provider (PCP) because your PCP can successfully treat many skin problems. Seeing your PCP first helps U-M Dermatology keep more appointments available. As a result we are able to keep the time to our next available appointment as short as possible.
Back to Top
Our office visit charges vary due to the complexity of your visit. New patient consults/office visit charges can range from $95 to $300. This amount is for the office visit only and does not include any surgical procedures.
Back to Top
All of our physicians are expert in the treatment of all skin types.
Back to Top
The referring doctor can either fax a medical consult request form to our office, or their staff can call and give us the appointment details. After the consult form is received, the patients will be contacted by our office to schedule the appointment. If the doctor's office is calling, the appointment will be scheduled with them at that time. If the patient has a Managed Care insurance, an insurance referral/authorization may also be required.
Individuals with a biopsy-confirmed melanoma diagnosis are encouraged to make appointments directly, by calling the University of Michigan Multidisciplinary Melanoma Clinic at (734) 936-6360.
Otherwise, to schedule an appointment, please select the appropriate service:
| General Dermatology (non-cancer related) |
| Skin Cancer/Mohs Surgery/Melanoma |
| Unconfirmed Skin Cancer |
| Biopsy-confirmed Skin Cancer |
| | Non-melanoma skin cancer (Mohs surgery; basal cell, squamous cell carcinoma, and other non-melanoma skin cancers) |
| | Biopsy-confirmed melanoma skin cancer |
| Cosmetic Dermatology and Laser Center |
| Referring Physicians |
| | |
Back to Top
An average wait time for an appointment in Dermatology is approximately 2-3 weeks. However, exceptions are always made for urgent appointments.
Back to Top
You will need an insurance referral if you have Managed Care insurance. Your Primary Care Physician (PCP) will be able to provide that referral for you. If you are uncertain whether you need an insurance referral, you should call the number on the back of your insurance card and speak to a representative.
Back to Top
A referral comes from your Primary Care Physician (PCP). It lets the specialist know the reason for your appointment and what services the PCP will allow us to offer to you. It is a requirement of Managed Care insurance. Without a referral from your PCP, you will be responsible for payment at the time of service.
An authorization comes from the insurance company. In some cases, both a referral (from your PCP) and an authorization (from your insurance company) are needed for a visit to Dermatology. If you are uncertain whether you need an insurance authorization, you should call the number on the back of your insurance card and speak with a representative.
Back to Top
Our physicians specialize in many diseases of the skin, including psoriasis, severe acne and eczema, dermatitis, cutaneous t-cell lymphoma, alopecia, lichen planus, tinea versicolor, vitiligo, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, among many other skin conditions.
Back to Top
Your first appointment is for a consultation. However, many times a biopsy will be performed at that visit if your insurance will allow it. The decision to do a biopsy at your consultation appointment is always the physician's decision.
Back to Top
We generally advise patients to plan on being in our office for 30 to 60 minutes. The actual time will depend on the complexity of your skin problem and if a biopsy is needed. We also suggest you arrive 15 minutes before your appointment to complete any paperwork prior to being seen by our physicians.
Back to Top
A list of all of the medications that you are currently taking, as well as a list of those to which you are allergic, would be very helpful to the physician you are scheduled to see. Please bring that list of medications with you to your consultation appointment.
Back to Top
|
