Doc office wants CC on file??

[tinah159]

My primary care Doc has my card number on file. When I have gone for a visit and the insurance did not cover all my treatment, I called and asked the office to charge my card. They refused and told me I had to pay my balance in person at the next visit. They hold the credit card number for missed appointments and fradulant insurance claims of new patients. Established patients cards are never charged. (even when I wanted them too!) As someone else said, If I dont trust them with my personal information, how can I trust them with my life?

 

[princessmom29]

I didn't "lie" to them... I gave her my debit card info but, after thinking about it and after speaking to my insurance company, I decided to cancel the card because it's not a "routine" thing for docs to keep your cc on file to charge you for things you shouldn't be charged for. The reason I was that upset about it?? The person on the phone (office manager?) was so adamant about having the card number and insisting that I couldn't get an appointment without it, etc.... Very strange if you ask me.
A lie by omission is still a lie. You gave them a card number that is now invalid and di not inform them. If you cancelled it, you should call them back and tell them that. Otherwise you are not being truthful with them.
As I stated in my earlier post, I'm using a money order because I don't want them having my checking information. She stated they will "just charge" your card if there is any excess billing and would only call to let you know ahead of time if they're going to charge more than $250. Do you think I want her having access to my checking account to "just charge" things to my account???? I'll say it again: If there are billing issues, the provider's office is supposed to address it to the insurance company, NOT the patient.
Not for items not covered under your insurance that come up during the course of treatment. Lots of insurance companies don't fully cover extra diagnostics ect. Even though you think you won't owe anything except a copay you never know what else will come up inthe course of treatment. It happens to me all the time. My insureance has a extra copay due for certian tests. Many do. I have no problem with a doctor wanting to ensure they get paidI plan on having a talk with the doctor himself about all this before my exam starts. If he comes off the same way as his office manager did, I won't be seeing him again.

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[Leajess99]

I also wouldn't trust a Dr. with my life that I couldn't trust with my credit card!!!!

I find this kind of assinine because the doctor may be great but what's to say one of his staff isn't willing to steal cc numbers for a little extra cash?? You just never know what someone is capable of especially if they get into debt and want out quick. For example I have watched youth sports leagues get embezzled from their treasurers. A city back home was embezzled from by one of their long time employees who had gotten himself into a bad financial situation. He had worked for that city for over 15 years before he started embezzling money. You just never know and it is not like they get caught right off the bat.

So just because she does not trust the doctor's office with her credit card does not mean that she shouldn't trust the doctor with her life. How many doctors actually handle all the billing and credit card information themselves?? All of the doctors my family has has office staff that handle the paperwork while they take care of their patients. This would be the reason one of our doctor's offices ended up losing out on money when the billing clerk was not doing her job. She would not bill insurance companies and once sent me a bill for over a thousand dollars for one of my kids. I called the insurance companies to ask why they did not pay and their response was they were never billed. If they just automatically charged to my CC than I would have been messed over and very peeved.

 

[Leajess99]

Slightly off topic but...
It is the patients responsibillity to pay - not the insurance company. Any paperwork I have signed said the patient must pay what the insurance company doesn't cover. If the office has a contract with an insurer then that is to taken into consideration but not necessarily at the time of the appoint.
In my case, our family has coverage under a High Deductible plan and we only see in-network participants. In the three offices where my family has been seen since we have had this policy has required FULL COST payment up front regardless of what the negociated rate is. So the doctor charges $175 for my child's visit - I pay it at check out on my HSA debit card or other card if I don't have funds in HSA. Then two weeks later I get the EOB from the insurance company saying they arranged with the doctor the negociated fee of $98. Then about a month later i get the $77 check from the doctor for the difference. The $98 I paid is credited to my insurance deductible. It is just part of the process.
Therefore assuming that you will pay only the insurance rate at time service is rendered is not always the case...

That seems odd to me. My kids' deductible is $750 each child each year and I never pay upfront. I had one office tell me that they do not bill our secondary insurance but they ended up billing them so in the end I paid nothing. Our insurances have a set agreement already on what the fees will be so they pretty much know off the bat what is to be paid. For the dentist I do have to pay the copay and then when it comes back from insurance I have to pay what is not paid but never have to pay upfront and wait for a refund.

 

[BellaSheli]

Yes I have experienced the same thing. It was with my daughters pediatrician. We are there maybe twice a year (they are hardly ever sick). It was for their well checks and they refused to see us unless we put a credit/debit card or checking account on file. I explained we do not give out that information. She got mad at me and said well that is policy and we won't see you till we have it. I looked at her and said then I guess you won't see us. She could not believe that I would rather leave then have it on file. I requested copies of my childrens records and left.

When I returned to get the records there were 3 others there that were refusing to give their information also. I understand doctors trying to protect themselves but there are plenty out there and if I am uncomfortable with any aspect of the practice then I will find a new doctor. I am sad because we have been going to them for almost 11 years and all of four my kids have had them but I just didn't agree with them having that kind of information on file.

As a side note, we did that for a bill (hospital) that fell through the cracks and we found out about after it was in collections(they had the wrong address for us). We had set up an automatic recourring payment plan that was suppose to deduct a certain amount each month for 12 months. They deducted the entire $3000 at one time. That put us in a tight financial position and after that we vowed never to have that kind of information on file again.

 

[NYCDiane]

I find this kind of assinine because the doctor may be great but what's to say one of his staff isn't willing to steal cc numbers for a little extra cash?? You just never know what someone is capable of especially if they get into debt and want out quick. .

You're so right about this!! I worked part time for a mortgage company about 5 or 6 years ago. A woman who worked in the upstairs office (who processed credit reports, mortgage apps, etc) was arrested one day --- the detectives walked in, cuffed her, and walked her out. She had been with the company many years. Turned out that in the last year or so, she got into a bad financial situation and was stealing customers' information and sellling it -- in other words, ID theft. She stole CC info, social security numbers, banking info, etc. Like I said, she had been with the company many years and was well liked and respected. NO ONE thought she would ever do something like this but she did.

 

[mamalle]

came across this at my ENT's office last fall.. filled out some forms and was told this was their general practice now to keep on file just in case.. I told her I didnt have my credit card on me and paid my copay in cash.. she said well that is okay. I didnt care for it either.. I have been a patient there all of my life..

 

[kaytieeldr]

A lie by omission is still a lie. You gave them a card number that is now invalid and di not inform them. If you cancelled it, you should call them back and tell them that. Otherwise you are not being truthful with them.

Why? She gave them her number for a debit card that was valid at the time she provided it. She's not lying in any way. Now, if she were to provide the original card number at any time after she cancelled it, THAT would be lying.


She has entered into no transaction with them. She has received no service from them. She has given them NO authority to charge her card for anything.

Let's say she re-rethinks the whole thing, and cancels the appointment (yes, outside the office's time limit) with no intention of rescheduling. Now the doctor's office has a debit card number from a nonpatient. What assurance does she have that the record is destroyed/inaccessible to anyone at any time in the future?

 

[ohlas]

Im to upfront I would tell the doctor not the staff NO you cannt have my credit card to charge and then if the doctor said sorrywe have too, id say ok sorry you dont want my visit, in a nice polite way and find different doctor.

I can just as easily call the cc company and tell them i do not autorize these charges and make them un charged.

I pay my doctor up front, and what my insurance doesnt pay my doctor bills me if i dont pay i dont get to see that doctor till its payed.

I would never give anyone permission unless im married to that person to charge cards when they think they need too or have access to my bank acct.

Is it just me or has the world gone crazy

You also forgot that medcare/medcaid pay time is 6 months most of the time who is will to work today and then wait 180 day to maybe get paid.

 

[rbork]

While it may not be common practice in some areas yet, beware it may become the norm in the future. Do I like the CC on file policy? no. Do I understand why docs do it? Absolutely.
If they had my CC for no show charges, would that be an incentive to show up for my appt? Heck Yeah! Do you know how many no shows a doc gets? I have pts waiting 8 weeks for an appt sometimes longer. Then I have 3 no shows in a day where someone who really needed an appt could have been seen. Pts are responsible for charges that the insurance does not cover. They make you sign something to this effect prior to the first visit. Insurance may say yes but there is a disclaimer that it is not a gaurentee of payment. I can't even get some pts to pay their copays at the time of service let alone the bill for service.
I understand someones fear about the security of their info but don't we hand over that card to the waiter/tress in a restaurant without a blink of an eye. I'm thinking that's not so secure. right?
So OP do I find the request odd? not really.

 

[balletmom97]

I recently encountered the same situation at the lab associated with my dr.

I just told them that I don't use credit, only debit, and was not comfortable with the policy, so I would not be providing it. They were okay with it, but if they hadn't, I was prepared to find a different provider.

It may become more common in the future, but I don't for a moment believe that "everyone" will have this policy. As unbelievable as people may find it, there are people who don't use credit (me!) or even debit cards (my brother)! Cash is king...

Businesses certainly have the right to set such policies and consumers have the right to decline to do business with them.

It sounds to me like the OP has some misgivings about the office, not just the policy. Call and speak to the office manager and explain how you feel...if you are still uncomfortable, consider another office.

YMMV..

 

[badblackpug]

While it may not be common practice in some areas yet, beware it may become the norm in the future. Do I like the CC on file policy? no. Do I understand why docs do it? Absolutely.
If they had my CC for no show charges, would that be an incentive to show up for my appt? Heck Yeah! Do you know how many no shows a doc gets? I have pts waiting 8 weeks for an appt sometimes longer. Then I have 3 no shows in a day where someone who really needed an appt could have been seen. Pts are responsible for charges that the insurance does not cover. They make you sign something to this effect prior to the first visit. Insurance may say yes but there is a disclaimer that it is not a gaurentee of payment. I can't even get some pts to pay their copays at the time of service let alone the bill for service.
I understand someones fear about the security of their info but don't we hand over that card to the waiter/tress in a restaurant without a blink of an eye. I'm thinking that's not so secure. right?
So OP do I find the request odd? not really.

But when you hand a waitress your credit card you are paying for good and services already rendered, and, hopefully, the restaurant does not keep your card "on file" so that they can make random charges when they see fit. ....and yes, your card being "on file" means that everyone in the office has your credit card info, and the ability to use it. While the doctor may be brilliant, there is no guarantee his entire office staff is on the up and up.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

NO. RED FLAG. BIG TIME.

I don't ever give anyone my credit card number to "have on file." Maybe it's because anyone who worked there would have access to it and besides........if you owe them money more than the co=pay, it's up to them to let you know that IN ADVANCE.

No no no.........

did I say that I have had my credit card stolen by someone who worked at an office that kept my visa on file to renew a magazine subscription? mmmmmm. maybe that makes me even more determined not to release my credit card information to others.

 

[KandD]

Just a thought, but they might have a no show charge. If you sign their paperwork, it might be in the wording. If you don't show for an appointment without cancelling it, they can charge you a fee which IS NOT covered by your insurance. In these hard economic times, no show rates increase and it is lost time and wages for the doctor's office to do the work and then have the patient not show. Also, if you write a check for the copay and it bounces, the doctor is out his copay AND bank fees. This has happened in the past and these people routinely are hard to find after this. Most people bounce checks on accident, but some people do it on purpose.
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This is what I was thinking as well. I know of a specialist in my area that is booked up for a few months and their appointments take about two hours so they tell you when you make an appointment that you WILL be charged if you no show, no exceptions.

 

[Disney Doll]

I would not give my physician my CC# to keep "on file" and if he/she insisted on it or they wouldn't see me then I guess I'd be finding a different MD.