Does your dr charge co pays for follow ups?

[shinysparklybubbles]

My son has been sick and we had his initial apt and then a few follows ups (lung checks for asthma) and we have 2 more next week. I'm charged my co pay every time. My mom said back in the day that they didn't have to pay co pays on follow up visits. Does anyone have a dr that doesn't charge co pays on follow ups? All I know is I'm insanely thankful for insurance!

 

[minkydog]

Of course doctors charge co-pays for follow up visits. They are in the healthcare BUSINESS. Their services are not free. They have staff to pay, rent, malpractice insurance. Now, it's nice when the doctor occasionally gives me a break but I certainly would not expect it or ask for it (unless it was a very unusual circumstance.)

 

[Pikester]

Sometimes. My DS has had surgery and the follow up appointments were grouped with the surgery price.

 

[powellrj]

We have never not paid for follow up visits. When we were first married 35 years ago, our insurance didn't pay anything on Dr visits which was really hard.

 

[shinysparklybubbles]

Sometimes. My DS has had surgery and the follow up appointments were grouped with the surgery price.

Good point, my OB bill I paid one co-pay for the whole 9 months of office visits.

 

[Pikester]

Good point, my OB bill I paid one co-pay for the whole 9 months of office visits.

My DS14 only cost me $5! My DS11 was a little more; he was $10.

 

[Southernmiss]

I remember my mom paying $35 for our Dr visits when I was a kid. Not going to find that as the whole charge these days.

Yes, we pay for all follow ups except (as already stated) OB visits included in the 1 package and surgery type follow ups.

There were also housecalls and drs accepted chickens as payment, too. But those days are long gone.

 

[Hrhpd]

Sometimes. My DS has had surgery and the follow up appointments were grouped with the surgery price.

Same here. I had surgery in June and am still seeing the surgeon 3x per week. It is all follow up so no copay.

Now that I think about it, most of my docs don't charge a copay if they are the ones that request a follow up visit.

 

[JessicaR]

It depends on what the visit is for. If I make a follow up with my doctor because of an illness and he wants to check my lungs or something specific then yes I pay a co-pay. If it's a re-check for blood pressure then I just walk in and see anyone - just like for blood-work and no co-pay.

 

[shinysparklybubbles]

There were also housecalls and drs accepted chickens as payment, too. But those days are long gone.

House calls would be nice or if they could just run out to my car when my son is sick so I could avoid going in the office and picking up some new germs lol!

 

[tvguy]

My son has been sick and we had his initial apt and then a few follows ups (lung checks for asthma) and we have 2 more next week. I'm charged my co pay every time. My mom said back in the day that they didn't have to pay co pays on follow up visits. Does anyone have a dr that doesn't charge co pays on follow ups? All I know is I'm insanely thankful for insurance!

Laughing at the "back in the day" line. Until about 30 years ago, or back in the day if you prefer, when HMOs grew in popularity, you paid the entire doctor's bill everytime you went. Your insurance was "hospitalization" insurance. Wasn't until 1992 that half those covered by insurance were covered by an HMO, which covered Doctor's office visits, and copays came into existence.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/rgs_dissertations/RGSD172/RGSD172.ch1.pdf

 

[Southernmiss]

House calls would be nice or if they could just run out to my car when my son is sick so I could avoid going in the office and picking up some new germs lol!

I'd like that, too. Always scarier to think about what you/kids could pick up could be worse than what you/they are going in for.

 

[Bonniec]

Sometimes. My DS has had surgery and the follow up appointments were grouped with the surgery price.

Ive worked for ophthalmologists. Post operative vists after surgery are covered for a certain amount of time and do not have copays.

Normal follow ups (flu, colds, etc) normally have a copay.


I also remember back in the day when you just paid for a visit with no insurance. But my visit was $25 plus $10 if I got a shot. Not the $150+ it is now.

They are indeed a business. Not always a good thing in my experience.

 

[SandrA9810]

Depends on what the follow up is for. My bf was on meds for high blood pressure and they wanted to see him 2 weeks later to see if the meds were working. He didn't see a doctor and all they were doing was a blood pressure check. Something that could be done for free at Walgreens/Walmart. They also tried to charge him for reading the results to his blood work. The front desk made it seem like it was something urgent and important. It took all of like 2 minutes for the doctor to look it over and say everything was normal. She then told the front to refund his money for the visit. It's a clinic for those with no insurance, and he already paid over $200 for the blood work to get done in the first place, I think for $200 they could tell him his results for free.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Unless, the charge is part of a surgery package, then yes, you will pay a co-pay each visit.

Laughing at the "back in the day" line. Until about 30 years ago, or back in the day if you prefer, when HMOs grew in popularity, you paid the entire doctor's bill everytime you went. Your insurance was "hospitalization" insurance. Wasn't until 1992 that half those covered by insurance were covered by an HMO, which covered Doctor's office visits, and copays came into existence.

HMOs and copays destroyed healthcare. They've have driven up healthcare and insurance costs.

 

[Sadie22]

Must not have been much blood work if it was only $200. Some single tests alone cost that much.

For us there's a copay for each doctor visit except for an annual well woman exam. I had a podiatrist charge me a copay every other visit during a series of minor surgeries.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

Good point, my OB bill I paid one co-pay for the whole 9 months of office visits.

That's the way it was or all three of mine too.

I went for my yearly check up yesterday and I didn't have a copay, but I always have them for the kids. It's kind of crazy.

 

[SandrA9810]

Must not have been much blood work if it was only $200. Some single tests alone cost that much.

For us there's a copay for each doctor visit except for an annual well woman exam. I had a podiatrist charge me a copay every other visit during a series of minor surgeries.

It was the hold nine yards, but this is also a place that accepts people without insurance and most the people don't have coverage. Cash prices are usually cheaper than what they charge insurance companies for the same work.

 

[ORMom2Four]

My DS14 only cost me $5! My DS11 was a little more; he was $10.

Ahhhh, back in the days when healthcare was good

We were lucky, our last two are twins--we paid $7000 and got two babies for the price of one!

With most healthcare now, everytime you visit the Doctor you are charged your co-pay, even if it's a follow up visit.

 

[wdwmom2]

My son has been sick and we had his initial apt and then a few follows ups (lung checks for asthma) and we have 2 more next week. I'm charged my co pay every time. My mom said back in the day that they didn't have to pay co pays on follow up visits. Does anyone have a dr that doesn't charge co pays on follow ups? All I know is I'm insanely thankful for insurance!

It is your insurance plan that determines whether a co-pay is due or not. Not the doctor.

Most follow-ups for sick visits require a co-pay for each time you see the doctor. Surgeries and obstetrical care are often "bundled" procedures. You pay a co-pay on the first visit and the covers the following care you receive for this occurrence.