Anyone have to pay an annual "Administrative Fee" to their doctor??

[ReneeQ]

I just received a letter from one of my specialists that they are implementing a $50 ANNUAL "administrative fee!" The letter says that "insurance pre-authorizations, insurance filings, prescription refill requests, prior approvals and maintenance of medical records are all adding additional costs to providing healthcare." AREN'T THOSE THINGS PART OF THEIR JOB?? I work in a medical facility myself, and without those "duties" I wouldn't have a job!

I go to this doctor twice a year, every six months. They have never had to do anything "extra" for me. I go to my appt., get my refills, that's it. And I have NEVER been in and out of this doctor's office is under 3 hours! The waits are ridiculous! One time I was there FIVE HOURS and they acted like "I" was the one with a problem, since "I" had a problem with it! Problem is, he is one of only two doctors in this specialty, so the choices are slim. Still, I'm thinking of switching doctors.

Has anyone ever heard of this "paperwork fee?" I am just floored!

 

[Praying Colonel]

I just received a letter from one of my specialists that they are implementing a $50 ANNUAL "administrative fee!" The letter says that "insurance pre-authorizations, insurance filings, prescription refill requests, prior approvals and maintenance of medical records are all adding additional costs to providing healthcare." AREN'T THOSE THINGS PART OF THEIR JOB?? I work in a medical facility myself, and without those "duties" I wouldn't have a job!

I go to this doctor twice a year, every six months. They have never had to do anything "extra" for me. I go to my appt., get my refills, that's it. And I have NEVER been in and out of this doctor's office is under 3 hours! The waits are ridiculous! One time I was there FIVE HOURS and they acted like "I" was the one with a problem, since "I" had a problem with it! Problem is, he is one of only two doctors in this specialty, so the choices are slim. Still, I'm thinking of switching doctors.

Has anyone ever heard of this "paperwork fee?" I am just floored!

No, and the day my doc tries to charge such a fee, I'll be looking for a new doc.

Sounds like he's trying to pass along his overhead to the patient, and because he's 1 of only 2 docs in that specialty, he figures he can get away with it.

 

[Ava]

I've never heard of an annual fee for paperwork, but my daughter's pediatrician charges $20 for filling out a medical form (like the type required for camp or sports). I can kind of understand this, since these forms are in addition to the office's regular paperwork, but in your case I'd definitely see about switching doctors! Paying an extra $50/year for a doctor you only see 2 times in that year is a bit ridiculous.

 

[ReneeQ]

I totally agree! I can understand paying extra to have a specific form filled out. That actually seems fair. But an across the board fee to every patient "just because they can" has me pretty angry.

 

[ShannonMB]

I've never heard of an annual fee for paperwork, but my daughter's pediatrician charges $20 for filling out a medical form (like the type required for camp or sports). I can kind of understand this, since these forms are in addition to the office's regular paperwork, but in your case I'd definitely see about switching doctors! Paying an extra $50/year for a doctor you only see 2 times in that year is a bit ridiculous.

My DD's pediatrician does the same thing, but we also have a choice to pay a once a year fee for getting all the forms filled out we want over the course of the year. I guess that would make sense if you had multiple kids in lots of activities that need forms filled out, but we just pay for them as we need them. I still think it's kinda a crock -- like it costs them $20 to fill out a form. But they are super busy, we love the docs, Nurse Practitioners, and medical assistants (even though the ladies at the desk are a little snotty), so I go with it. Sounds like we're not the only one whose Ped does this, so that's good to know!

 

[dawson5]

I think I would be looking for a new Doc. I think if enough people rebel against this new fee, he might rethink it. Especially when he doesn't have any patients to charge this fee to. Just MHO though.

I need to give my pediatrician a big hug. I take my boys in once a year for their yearly exam. If I have the paperwork (physical forms) with me, I just fill out what I need to and they fill in the rest. Never charge me for it. If I don't have it, I call and explain what I need (usually drop off the form), they fill it out and mail it back to me. I always thought we had a gem for a ped, this just seals it.

 

[mrsklamc]

I would go to the dr's office and say 'haven't you always done things things? Then how are they adding to the cost of healthcare?'

 

[LuLuO]

That's crazy.

 

[DVCBELLE]

My doctor's office charges an administrative fee if you want to use their prescription line, have him call you after hours, etc. But you have to see him at least once a year to have him call in prescriptions for you and since I never need him to do that - I just pay for the office visit.

 

[starann]

I work in the medical field.....

I would write a letter to the dr office and state, "if they want me to pay a Fee for those things (that you don't seem to use anyway) then you will bill them for each 15 minutes they are running behind at any prescheduled appointment, your hourly wage, since you are most likely missing work to be there at the appt and your time is just as valuable as theirs. Becuase with this new 'administrative fee' you assume they will hire a person to handle preauths/precerts/script refills so the office runs more smoothly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At my OB/GYN office they have posted that any forms that need to be filled out will have a $20 fee for the 1st page and $5 fee for each additional page/per visit that need to be filled out! Meanwhile as a nurse I fill most of the form out myself....so when I have another baby, I have to pay them so I can get the short term disability I have already paid for! My Dr and me will be having a talk about this when I get pregnant again, as my last 2 pregnancies he was in an office alone and I had no such thing, now he and 6 other drs share an office and have less overhead and now he wants to charge me? UGH!


Another Dr I go to charges

if you miss an appt, the full bill of the visit or cancel in less than 24 hrs (standard at most offices)
$20 for a returned check (again standard)
$5 if you don't have your co-pay at the time of your visit
$5 if you want to use a credit card or debit card for payment
$5 to fax a script to your pharmacy or call one into your pharmacy!!!!!!

And he doesn't even have any good magizines in the office!!!!!!!!

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

If this specialist is a contracted provider with your health insurer ask them to bill the fee to your insurer. Your insurance will not pay for it and contractually the physician may be unable to bill you thereafter. It's certainly worth a try.

 

[Belle2667]

If this specialist is a contracted provider with your health insurer ask them to bill the fee to your insurer. Your insurance will not pay for it and contractually the physician may be unable to bill you thereafter. It's certainly worth a try.

I kind of thought that was one of the benefits of having insurance, that the office takes care of all the paperwork. Why would I pay for that if they are required to do it? If I have to pay for it, I want the option of filling it out myself, too.

 

[Calliaz]

I Why would I pay for that if they are required to do it?

Actually, doctors aren't required to file your paperwork with the insurance. Most do it as a service, but it's not required. They could give you a superbill and have you file yourself. I have to do this with two doctors who no longer accept insurance payments directly.

 

[RNMOM]

The Cleveland Clinic is now charging "facility fees" for their doctor's visits. Each doctor is employed by the Clinic itself so no matter which of their many offices you go to you will be hit with this. I believe it is to begin this month. If it weren't for patients they wouldn't have any business. I just don't get it. I know reimbursements are lousy but to do this is just weird.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

Never heard of these fees, and while they sound crazy I am in some ways I am not surprised, some will charge what they can get away with.

I don't know if we get charged for paperwork at our doctor, I haven't needed any forms filled out. But we don't have to pay at the pedetrician. They fill out a standard form at your kids' physicals and give it to you. I personally make copies but I know if you do need another in the following year they will make you a copy for free.

I would not pay this $50 for DH and my doctor, but for the kids' I'd pay a lot more, because he's WONDERFUL, but I wouldn't be pleased. Hope his office doesn't start that.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

All of my docs now have that fee. It's a one time only per year fee and was 30.00 last year. I haven't been to any of them yet this year to find out what the new fee will be.

It's not required for mine but if you don't get it and need copies of anything, it costs a ridiculous amount of money to get copies of stuff.

The only time I pay it is if I know that I'm going to be changing to another doc or dentist and want copies of all my paperwork.

I wanted to add that my kids Pediatric office charges a special fee to fill out paperwork like sports physical stuff but they don't charge a base annual fee for anything - yet.

 

[skw444]

It's common here. Our pediatrician charges $10 annual fee or you can pay a per form fee of $20. It's cheaper for me to pay the $10 fee. My ob/gyn also does this. For OB patients, it's $75. For gyn patients, it's $30. They also offer a per form fee as well. I pass on paying the annual fee and just wait for the form since I don't have any forms to fill out. However, when I had my dd, I did pay the $75 fee since I needed disability forms filled out.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I've never even heard of an administrative fee. I would assume those services are built in to the cost of the office visit.

 

[Serling126]

Some doctors charge for filling out those school forms? Seriously? It takes my pediatrician about one minute to fill out the form when she is already in the room with us for the appt.. just checks the appropriate boxes, fills out the height/weight/etc info, and signs it. Charging $20 for something like that is just greedy.

 

[wshupnastar]

I think I owe all of my family's doctors a big "thank you".

I go to an Internal Medicine doctor and my OBGYN, and neither of them charge for paperwork. Same goes for my kids pediatricians.

As for charging to use a credit card (I believe one poster mentioned this) I know that with retailers that it goes against their agreement with the credit card company. I am guessing that would be the same with a doctor's office. There is no way I would pay $5 to use my credit card. For one thing, we have a Flex Pay account that has a Visa logo and is processed as a credit card. I would hate to be putting money on this out of DH's check and still have to pay out of pocket...even if it is just $5. (Hey, all of you on this board know what we can get out of $5! )