Terms of Service

1. Medical Practice and Formation of the Physician-Patient Relationship

Dermatologic Services, PLLC is a professional medical practice. Clinical services are provided by licensed clinicians exercising independent professional judgment.

No physician-patient relationship is created solely by browsing the Site, checking eligibility, submitting a contact form, uploading records, completing an intake form, reserving an appointment, or paying a consultation fee.

For the direct-pay live-video service, the physician-patient relationship ordinarily begins when a licensed clinician commences the scheduled synchronous audio-video encounter and undertakes individualized clinical evaluation. If a clinician provides individualized clinical advice or undertakes clinical evaluation earlier, or if applicable law recognizes a relationship earlier, applicable law controls.

Administrative screening, scheduling, payment processing, and non-clinical staff communications do not constitute acceptance of a patient for clinical care.

No term on this Site eliminates a duty that applicable law imposes once a physician-patient relationship has been established.

2. Adults Only

The direct-to-consumer cash-pay pathway is limited to patients age 18 or older. A person under 18 may not book or receive care through this pathway. Any care of a minor, if Dermatologic Services elects to offer it through a separate referral workflow, requires legally sufficient parental or guardian consent and identity verification before clinical care.

3. Physical Location and Licensure

You must accurately identify where you will be physically located at the time of the telemedicine encounter. The treating clinician must also verify and document your physical location at the start of the encounter before substantive clinical care proceeds.

Telemedicine may proceed only if the clinician is legally authorized to provide care in the jurisdiction where you are physically located. If your location cannot be verified or the clinician is not authorized to practice there, the clinical encounter will not proceed except for appropriate emergency redirection.

4. Medicare and Medicare Advantage

The direct-pay booking pathway is not available for a Medicare or Medicare Advantage beneficiary seeking a service that may be covered by Medicare unless Dermatologic Services has first confirmed that a lawful cash-pay arrangement applies.

The booking workflow may require you to answer whether you are enrolled in Medicare or Medicare Advantage.

If you answer yes, online direct-pay booking may be blocked and you may be directed to contact the practice. A cash-pay visit will proceed only if Dermatologic Services confirms compliance with applicable Medicare rules, including any opt-out and private-contract requirements or other lawful exception.

You must not misrepresent Medicare enrollment status to obtain direct-pay services.

5. Telemedicine and Clinical Limitations

Telemedicine is a limited method of clinical evaluation. It does not permit all elements of an in-person dermatologic examination. A clinician may require in-person evaluation, dermoscopy, biopsy, laboratory testing, imaging, a procedure, urgent care, emergency care, or another clinician.

A telemedicine visit does not guarantee a prescription, diagnosis, medication, laboratory order, procedure, referral, or particular outcome.

6. Emergencies

The Site and telemedicine service are not emergency services. If you believe you have a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number or go to the nearest emergency department. Do not wait for a website response, appointment, email, or text.

7. Scheduling, Intake, and Patient Responsibilities

• Provide complete, accurate, and current information.
• Provide accurate contact information and physical location.
• Complete required intake and consent materials before the visit.
• Provide photographs and records of adequate quality when requested.
• Join the visit on time from a private location with a working device and connection.
• Tell the clinician about medications, allergies, pregnancy status when relevant, major medical conditions, and material changes in symptoms.
• Follow instructions for testing, monitoring, follow-up, urgent care, emergency care, or in-person evaluation.

8. Payments and Refunds

The standard direct-pay fee is $250 for an initial comprehensive consultation and $150 for an established-patient follow-up consultation unless a different fee is clearly disclosed before payment.

Payment reserves professional time but does not itself create a physician-patient relationship and does not guarantee a prescription or treatment.

Cancellations, refunds, late arrivals, no-shows, and practice-initiated cancellations are governed by the Cancellation / Refund Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms.

9. Insurance Referrals

Insurance and institutional referrals are handled separately through DermatologicServices.com or another designated workflow. Eligibility and benefits are verified separately. Patients should not route an insured referral through the $250 / $150 direct-pay checkout unless instructed by the practice.

10. Prescriptions

Prescriptions are issued only when clinically appropriate. The clinician may decline, change, discontinue, or defer a requested medication based on safety, diagnosis, contraindications, monitoring requirements, applicable law, or professional judgment.

11. Electronic Communications

You may receive electronic appointment, intake, payment, and care-related communications. If Dermatologic Services offers unencrypted email or SMS and you choose that method, your election is governed by the separate Unencrypted Electronic Communication Consent. A reasonable alternative method will be offered when required by law.

12. Privacy and Third-Party Systems

Use of personal and health information is governed by the Privacy Policy and, for PHI, the Notice of Privacy Practices. The workflow may use Google Workspace, Stripe, Office Ally / Practice Mate, pharmacies, laboratories, and other approved service providers.

Thea is a separate service with separate terms. The comprehensive consultation offered by Dermatologic Services is provided and billed separately and is not included in Thea's asynchronous service.

13. Website Content

Public educational content is general information and is not individualized medical advice. Online content may not apply to your particular circumstances.

14. Acceptable Use and Intellectual Property

• Do not provide false identity, location, payment, insurance, or medical information.
• Do not attempt unauthorized access to systems or data.
• Do not introduce malware, scrape protected data, or interfere with website operation.
• Do not copy or commercially exploit Site content except as permitted by law or written permission.

You retain rights in content you submit. Dermatologic Services receives only the rights reasonably necessary to provide care, maintain records, comply with law, and operate the Services.

15. Non-Clinical Website Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Dermatologic Services is not liable for indirect or consequential damages arising solely from failure of the non-clinical public website or an independent third-party website. This section does not alter the professional standard of care or waive rights that cannot lawfully be waived.

16. Termination of Access and Clinical Discharge

Dermatologic Services may suspend website access for fraud, threats, misuse, security concerns, or other lawful reasons. Termination of website access does not authorize improper termination of an established physician-patient relationship. When a clinical relationship exists, discharge from care will be handled in accordance with applicable professional and legal obligations.

17. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by applicable federal law and the law otherwise applicable to the relevant dispute. Mandatory state law governing clinical care, licensure, malpractice, privacy, consumer rights, venue, or other non-waivable patient rights is not displaced by these Terms. Any dispute will be resolved in the forum and manner provided by applicable law unless the parties later enter into a separate, legally enforceable dispute-resolution agreement.

18. Changes and Severability

We may update these Terms. If any provision is unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain effective to the extent permitted by law.

19. Contact

Questions may be directed to manager@dermatologicservices.com or 347-291-1877.