Dear MIT Health Dermatology Service Patient,
MIT Health’s partnership with APDerm is changing, and beginning July 21, 2025, there will be differences in how you will be notified and billed for your upcoming dermatology appointments. While you will see the same clinician, and your appointment location and time will not move, other changes will occur. Answers to commonly asked questions appear below.
Will I see a different dermatologist?
No. Dr. David Li will continue to see his current patients at MIT Health.
Will my scheduled appointments change?
The dates and times of your existing appointments will not change, but after July 21, you will get appointment updates and reminders from APDerm, not MIT Health. This means these notifications will come from a different phone number and email address. These different notifications will be real and not spam. In addition, after July 21, you will not see your dermatology appointments listed in HealthElife. You will also get a message from AP Derm inviting you to set up a portal account.
Will the cost of my visit change?
Yes. Going forward, the charge for your APDerm visit will be the same as if you were seeing an off-campus, in-network doctor. If you are on the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), these visits will apply to your deductible and will be charged at a rate of $25 per visit after your deductible has been met. If you are an employee or an individual covered by a different insurance plan, check your policy to see how in-network specialty visits are charged.
What happens if I need lab work as part of my dermatology visit?
Because APDerm orders your lab tests, your MIT Health laboratory visit will be charged as if you visited an outside clinic. This means that after July 21, dermatology-based laboratory visits will be subject to your insurance plan’s in-network deductibles and copayments. Check your insurance plan’s policy documents for more information.
In addition, though you can use the MIT Health laboratory for APDerm lab tests, you cannot book these lab appointments online. Instead, you will need to bring your paper order from APDerm to the laboratory service front desk check-in area on the first floor. Once you have checked in, you will be seen as quickly as possible.
What will happen to my dermatology medical records?
Records of any dermatology visits you had before July 21, 2025, will remain available in HealthELife, but records of all visits after that date will be located only in the APDerm patient portal. Contact APDerm at 617-430-5955 or https://www.apderm.com/contact to learn more.
Why has the partnership between MIT Health and AP Derm changed?
AP Derm and MIT Health have made this change to ensure that MIT Health patients continue to have convenient on-site access to dermatology services with lower average wait times than most practices in the greater Boston area. AP Derm will now completely manage the on-site dermatology practice at MIT Health, similar to the on-site Bay State Physical Therapy practice.
This change means that AP Derm will be able to dedicate additional resources to the on-site practice and over time, further increase appointment availability to our patients. Patients will also now have expanded access to the full AP Derm network of clinicians and services.
What if I have additional questions?
Consult the APDerm at MIT Health FAQ, or contact the APDerm patient services team at 617-430-5955 or https://www.apderm.com/contact.