About

Westlake Dermatology is a well-known dermatology chain in Texas, with multiple locations throughout Austin and beyond. The practice offers both medical and cosmetic procedures and markets itself as a premium skincare provider. While many patients may have positive experiences, others have reported concerns about billing practices, pricing transparency, and consent procedures. This site was created to share one such experience and to encourage patients to understand their rights before signing any consent or financial forms.

The Problem

Medical consent forms are meant to protect patients and ensure they understand what will be done — not to force them into financial agreements they don't understand or can't reasonably decline. When clinics require patients to sign forms as a condition of receiving care — even when those forms include terms that allow extra or undisclosed charges — it undermines the concept of informed consent. Patients deserve the right to:

  • Understand exactly what services will be performed
  • Know the expected costs before treatment
  • Decline additional procedures or fees without losing access to necessary medical care

Unfortunately, some clinics use the consent process to limit a patient's ability to dispute future charges. This can lead to surprise bills and financial frustration long after the appointment is over.

Person Experience

I visited Westlake Dermatology in Austin for what I believed would be a routine medical appointment. During the visit, a biopsy was performed. Later, I was surprised to receive an additional charge for this procedure — one that had not been clearly explained or approved in advance. When I contacted the office to dispute the charge, I was told that I had “signed the consent form” and therefore had agreed to all charges. However, I was also told that I would not have been able to receive care unless I signed the form. In other words, there was no real choice — it was either sign and agree to everything, or be refused treatment. This experience made me feel that the clinic prioritized legal protection and profit over patient understanding and transparency. What should have been a straightforward medical visit became a frustrating and costly experience.