Business ProfileforDermatology Specialist Of Florida

Watch out Military Veterans! for a scheme used by Aqua Medical Spa (aka: Cosmetic Dermatology of Florida circa August 2021). If you make an appointment for treatment of the disease Rosasea they will tell you it is not covered by Humana Military (Tricare) but, it certainly is--call Tricare yourself to confirm. Aqua will give you a treatment then switch the procedure to a cosmetic treatment and invoice you for $275 using their new company name so the contract between them and Humana Military does not apply. The company makes $37.60 more that way and they won't file an insurance claim or support your filing!

Coding of medical procedures is performed according to specific insurance guidelines and all insurance claims are filed. The details of this procedure, including the fact that it is considered a cosmetic procedure and therefore not covered by this insurance carrier, was discussed in detail with the patient prior to treatment. Patient understood information provided and agreed to move forward with the procedure, including paying upon completion. Our coding and billing department reached out on multiple occasions explaining that we are required to code using strict guidelines provided by the insurance carrier, which we did in this case. Dermatology Specialists of FL & Aqua Medical Spa (both using the same tax ID number), have always supported our military community and will continue to do so.

The explanation given by the business is not factual or accurate. First, by changing the appointment from a dermatology procedure for Rosacea to a cosmetic procedure and using a different company name (Aqua Medical Spa instead of Dermatology Specialists of Florida), the company avoided their contractual obligations to both accomplish the Tricare approved laser treatment and file the insurance claim. Furthermore, when the Tricare customer service agent helping me talked with the company's billing department on a three-way call, she told the the company representative to file the claim using the medical code they had been using and submit the claim. The Tricare agent also told the company representative "you are required by contractual law to file." The billing person responded by telling the Tricare agent "our new company policy" is not to code the treatment as a medical procedure and not to file the claim." When I spoke with Tricare a couple of days later, Tricare told me they would not pursue the matter further because they did not have a contract with Aqua Medical Spa. Finally, at the end of the company's response above the company says they "have always supported our military community and will continue to do so." That is real easy to say but very hard to prove as many of us Vietnam
Veterans know from experience. I can almost assure you the company will not help resolve insurance issues they will simply repeat their "new policies" over and over again like they are talking with children.