Skin Cancer Screening and Mole Checks in Chicago

Q: How often should I get a skin check?

There is no single rule for everyone. The right timing depends on your risk factors, like your history, your number of moles, and your sun exposure, and we set a recheck cadence with you. A visit is always reasonable when a spot is new or changing, or concerning you for any reason.

Q: What happens if something looks concerning?

If a spot needs a closer look, we may take a small biopsy in the office and send the sample to a pathology lab. We reach out once we have received and reviewed the report, walk you through next steps, and help you schedule follow ups as needed.

Q: Is a skin cancer screening covered by insurance?

It depends on your plan and the reason for your visit. A skin check or biopsy for a changing, symptomatic, or suspicious spot is medical care and is typically billed to insurance. Removing a mole purely for appearance is usually cosmetic and self-pay. We participate with select plans, and we ask that you check with your insurance company if you have any questions.

Has a spot been on your mind? At our South Loop practice, a skin check gives you a careful assessment, a clear answer, and a plan.

Physician-directed care, part of the Northwestern Medicine Physician Network.

Schedule a Screening

Call (847) 802-9667

DOWNTIME: None for the exam itself
MOST OFTEN USED FOR: New or changing spots
RESULTS AND FINDINGS: Benign findings discussed same visit; Biopsies may be done at the same visit or scheduled based on physician or provider assessment
MAINTENANCE: Annual Maintenance screening or Risk-based recheck
PAYMENT: Typically insurance when medically indicated

What a Skin Check Involves

A full-body skin exam is a careful head-to-toe look at your skin, so nothing slips past us. We check the face, ears, neck, trunk, arms, legs, between the toes, the soles, and the nails (we ask that you come with your nail polish off for the visit).

For spots that need a closer look, we use a dermatoscope, a handheld magnifier and light that shows pigment and vessel patterns your eye alone cannot. The goal is simple: find skin cancers and precancers early, and tell harmless spots from the ones worth watching.

Why Schedule This Visit

Routine annual skin cancer screening
A spot that is new, changing, itching, bleeding, or not healing
A personal or family history of skin cancer
Many moles or atypical moles
Fair or sun-sensitive skin, past blistering sunburns, or tanning-bed use
Long hours outdoors, on the water, on the course, or at work
Being older, or taking a medication that suppresses your immune system
Having had an organ transplantation

What Happens at the Visit

You change into a gown, and we look at your skin from head to toe in an organized way. We use a dermatoscope on any spot that warrants a closer look.

We also check the areas that sun-focused advice can miss, like the palms, the soles, and the nails. We note what we find, may photograph anything we want to watch over time.

Possible Next Steps

Most visits end in one of two calm ways. Either everything looks benign and we recommend timing of your next check (annual or earlier if necessary depending on your risk), or a spot needs more information.

If a spot needs testing, we may take a small biopsy in the office either the same day or schedule you for it. The process involves numbing the area first, and removing a small piece of the area that needs further testing. Some biopsies may need a stitch. Once the sample is obtained, we send the sample to a pathology lab.

We reach out once we have received the report and walk you through next steps. Some results call for Mohs surgery, which we coordinate with a Mohs surgeon while staying involved in your dermatology care.

Using Insurance?

We participate with select plans, and coverage depends on your plan, network, and the reason for your visit. A skin check or biopsy for a changing or suspicious spot is medical care, typically billed to insurance, while removing a mole purely for appearance is usually self-pay.

We participate with select plans from insurers such as Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield (PPO and Options), Cigna, Corvel, Humana, Imagine Health, Multiplan, The Alliance, TriWest Healthcare Alliance, United Healthcare, and Zelis. We also accept Medicare Part B and select Medicare Advantage plans. Participation varies by plan and network.

View Accepted Insurance Schedule a Screening

Why Patients Choose Advanced Dermatology

01 Physician-led

Dermatologist-Led Care.

Every treatment performed or supervised by a board-certified dermatologist — Dr. Monica Rani, MD (Medical Director) and Dr. Stavonnie Patterson, MD — or Sydney Freedman, PA-C.

02 Skin of Color