Sickened by Doctor's Office Charges

[MIGrandma]

Someone posted a thread a few days ago about being sickened by hospital charges, so I am going to start one about doctor's office charges. I think it is ridiculous what they charge, and just keeps getting worse every year.

The last time I went to the opthalmologist to have my pressures checked it was $90. I thought that was pretty high but didn't grumble about it, except to DH. Fast forward to this spring. It had been a long time since I'd had them checked but with other medical bills I just couldn't go. They are charging me $210 this time. And I had to go back two weeks later for a re-check as he added a second type of drops. $140 for the re-check. Come on!! I was even told after the re-check (when I questioned the charges at the time) that they wouldn't charge me for the re-check, but it did appear on the bill so when I called today I asked about it. They had to figure things out and call me back, and when they did she said they gave me a $30 "discount", well that is not what they told me in person.

My insurance pays very little on stuff like this (and we still pay $8,000/year in premiums!) so it looks like I'm going to have to pay the whole thing.

I just hate these high charges they get away with, and keep going up and up each year! It's ridiculous, and just getting completely out of hand. When is it going to stop?!!!

 

[Deb in IA]

I just hate these high charges they get away with, and keep going up and up each year! It's ridiculous, and just getting completely out of hand. When is it going to stop?!!!

Probably when the doctor doesn't have to pay his staff or give them annual raises, or buy new equipment, or pay for overhead, or pay for his malpractice insurance, or pay for his license or DEA registration, or buy supplies, or get less and less from third party payors . . .

 

[Anjelica]

Probably when the doctor doesn't have to pay his staff or give them annual raises, or buy new equipment, or pay for overhead, or pay for his malpractice insurance, or pay for his license or DEA registration, or buy supplies, or get less and less from third party payors . . .

That is a HUGE expenditure in our area. We live in some of the worst judicial hell holes in the country. So many doctors have fled its ridiculous - my OB/GYN's malpractice insurance, over a period of 4 years, went from $32,000 to $110,000 - and that was without any lawsuits filed against his office, etc.

 

[stichy]

maybe when he pays off the 6 figure student loans

 

[IloveDMB]

Someone posted a thread a few days ago about being sickened by hospital charges, so I am going to start one about doctor's office charges. I think it is ridiculous what they charge, and just keeps getting worse every year.

The last time I went to the opthalmologist to have my pressures checked it was $90. I thought that was pretty high but didn't grumble about it, except to DH. Fast forward to this spring. It had been a long time since I'd had them checked but with other medical bills I just couldn't go. They are charging me $210 this time. And I had to go back two weeks later for a re-check as he added a second type of drops. $140 for the re-check. Come on!! I was even told after the re-check (when I questioned the charges at the time) that they wouldn't charge me for the re-check, but it did appear on the bill so when I called today I asked about it. They had to figure things out and call me back, and when they did she said they gave me a $30 "discount", well that is not what they told me in person.

My insurance pays very little on stuff like this (and we still pay $8,000/year in premiums!) so it looks like I'm going to have to pay the whole thing.

I just hate these high charges they get away with, and keep going up and up each year! It's ridiculous, and just getting completely out of hand. When is it going to stop?!!!

So please tell exactly how much do you think they should charge for helping you from not going BLIND?

 

[MIGrandma]

So please tell exactly how much do you think they should charge for helping you from not going BLIND?

I think a jump from $90 to $210 is a pretty steep increase for a 5-minute pressure check. He wants me to have it done 4 x year, I can't afford that. I wish our insurance helped to pay more, but we'd have to pay higher premiums and we already pay about $8000/year for just the two of us.

 

[S. C.]

So please tell exactly how much do you think they should charge for helping you from not going BLIND?

 

[IloveDMB]

I'm not quite sure what you are rolling your eyes at, but the doctor is preventing her from going blind.

High intraocular pressure which goes untreated, will slowly cause a person to lose their vision, with the end game being blindness.

 

[Chelley00]

I'm so glad our insurance covers one physical a year, because DS14's sports physical was $316. For 5 minutes.

 

[EeyoreEma]

The sad thing is - your dr will probably see very little of what you pay. There is malpractice insurance, rent on the building, equipment, vaccines, nurses, receptionists, and the list just goes on and on. Insurance doesn't pay well, medicaid/medicare can be a total joke. Dr's work very hard, with not as much pay as people seem to think.

 

[Art 1]

I know 3 doctors who fly at their own expense to the Dominican Republic each year and spend a week treating patients for free. One brought an African boy in and preformed multiple surgeries for no cost. Very generous of these guys.

 

[Stacerita]

I just hate these high charges they get away with, and keep going up and up each year! It's ridiculous, and just getting completely out of hand. When is it going to stop?!!!

What are "they" getting away with? Most fee schedules are set by insurance with little room. And they keep going up because the cost of everything keeps going up. What it cost last year to run the machine, is not what it costs this year. You may think that the doctor running the test on your eyes should cost only a certain amount, but think of everything that went into that test. Machine maintence, steralization, and such. I am sick of eveyrone complaining about bill costs. Yes they are high, but you have a choice to not go and deal. Or suck it up and pay. That simple.

 

[kilee]

We set our prices based on a combination of the national pricing index and the Medicare fee schedule. If we charge self-pay patients less then the insurance company will pay less and we will not be in business.

One of the most driving factors is we are living in a "sue-happy" world and malpractice insurance is through the roof. Factor in all the other costs and it gets ridiculous. Most insurance companies are mandating that they will not pay unless a doctor is fully electronic w/ the billing. For small offices this means a huge expenditure out of pocket as well. We just had one of the biggest payors in our area mandate this. It was to a tune of $65,000. Most may think this doesn't seem like much, but this was for a small practice I do billing for on the side and they only bring in $25,000 ish a month.

The large clinic I work for is implementing electronic records, this has been mandated that we must do for our type of organization. We are a non-profit company and some is being paid for by grants but in the end it is still costing over $500,000.

 

[lillygator]

The sad thing is - your dr will probably see very little of what you pay. There is malpractice insurance, rent on the building, equipment, vaccines, nurses, receptionists, and the list just goes on and on. Insurance doesn't pay well, medicaid/medicare can be a total joke. Dr's work very hard, with not as much pay as people seem to think.

exactly

 

[Anjelica]

This thread reminds me of a saying I recently heard:

"People want 2010 medical technology but 1970's medical prices for that technology".

 

[dejr_8]

probably when the doctor doesn't have to pay his staff or give them annual raises, or buy new equipment, or pay for overhead, or pay for his malpractice insurance, or pay for his license or dea registration, or buy supplies, or get less and less from third party payors . . .

well said!

 

[OceanAnnie]

That is a pretty steep change and with no mention of why, it would raise my eyebrows too!

 

[MIGrandma]

This thread reminds me of a saying I recently heard:

"People want 2010 medical technology but 1970's medical prices for that technology".

Sounds good to me!!

That is a pretty steep change and with no mention of why, it would raise my eyebrows too!

Exactly. And I even mentioned it when I was on the phone with her. I said last time I was there it was $90, now it's $210, it's gone up THAT much? She just said "yup." I could understand a $20 jump, or even $50 maybe, but MORE than DOUBLE? Not so much.

 

[Deb in IA]

Sounds good to me!!



Exactly. And I even mentioned it when I was on the phone with her. I said last time I was there it was $90, now it's $210, it's gone up THAT much? She just said "yup." I could understand a $20 jump, or even $50 maybe, but MORE than DOUBLE? Not so much.

Why don't you shop around and find out what other opthalmologists in your area are charging????

 

[MIGrandma]

Why don't you shop around and find out what other opthalmologists in your area are charging????

I decided yesterday that I'm going to do that. I hate to, because I'll have to drive further as there is only the one opthalmologist in this area. Maybe his prices are so high because he knows he's the only one.

But there are a few in other nearby cities/towns so I'm going to do some "shopping around."