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As someone said 'doctors are not Gods, I agree, they are people and if you pay people a lot of $ to do nothing, they will do nothing.
Prescribing meds that most likely would have fatal consequences is close to negligence.
I think more people should hold doctors accountable. If they do nothing, they get nothing.
So to know it's not imagining symptoms, Sept 2022 one day my heart rate started fluctuating with a high of 222 bpm and a low of 38 bpm, extreme joint and muscle pain, falling down type dizzy spells were the 3 worst symptoms.
Doctor says 'I don't know, but let's talk about your blood pressure and recommends bad meds.
Pretty sure I'm not paying this doc. With perfect credit, I'm not concerned with a ding on my report.
- I would like to hear a good reason why I should pay -
(the post about being theft ? seriously ? (that doc should have the medical license pulled)
Is this a one time occurrence? Did you get a Covid Vax or booster prior to the episode? Any new medications? It could be Vasovagal syncope, Myocarditis, and Arythmia or any number of things. If this was just a one time thing it really is no wonder the doctor can't find a reason. He listens to your heart, does blood work and everything seems ok now. Even if he did an EKG nothing may show unless you are having an episode. I think you should pay. If you pushed he could have referred you to a heart specialist.
Went to the primary physician. After the usual 20 minute consultation he referred me to a specialist. Went to the specialist and did the usual stuff, fill out papers, blood pressure, weight, temperature. Specialist comes into the room and asks "What can I do for you" ? (or something like that)
I tell him and he says "Sorry, you were referred to the wrong place, I don't do that". You'll need to go back to your PCP. Spoke to him for a total of 2-3 minutes for that conversation. So I leave. 2 weeks or so later I get a bill from his office for $235.00.
Who should pay this specialist ? or should he even request payment ?
Now that one is a bit much. My PCP sent me to have a colonoscopy and I went to the pre appointment only to find out that it wasn't 5 years since my last only 3. No bill was sent to Medicare or me.
Is this a one time occurrence? Did you get a Covid Vax or booster prior to the episode? Any new medications? It could be Vasovagal syncope, Myocarditis, and Arythmia or any number of things. If this was just a one time thing it really is no wonder the doctor can't find a reason. He listens to your heart, does blood work and everything seems ok now. Even if he did an EKG nothing may show unless you are having an episode. I think you should pay. If you pushed he could have referred you to a heart specialist.
What is your new doctor doing?
The heart fluctuations have been a daily thing since Sept. 2022 and continue today. Averaging 25-30 a day.
With new Doctor I have worn a heart monitor ( which showed the above results) 2 more blood tests and echocardiogram (which have not gotten the results yet).
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Regarding Post #33
I would like to hear thoughts from other posters as well.
The heart fluctuations have been a daily thing since Sept. 2022 and continue today. Averaging 25-30 a day.
With new Doctor I have worn a heart monitor ( which showed the above results) 2 more blood tests and echocardiogram (which have not gotten the results yet).
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Regarding Post #33
I would like to hear thoughts from other posters as well.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,567 posts, read 81,147,605 times
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You can't just refuse to pay, their billing people will persist, and eventually it can affect your credit. Doctors are not magicians, it can take a lot of tests sometimes referrals to specialists and even then may not find the problem. You still have to pay them for their time, as well as the imaging people, Phlebotomists and lab techs, because you took up their time and materials. In your case, I would go ahead and pay it, but then find another doctor. I ran into a similar problem when I ended up with a urologist and a nephrologist actually arguing over what was wrong with me. When the nephrologist turned out to be right, I got a new Urologist, but still paid the other one.
The heart fluctuations have been a daily thing since Sept. 2022 and continue today. Averaging 25-30 a day.
With new Doctor I have worn a heart monitor ( which showed the above results) 2 more blood tests and echocardiogram (which have not gotten the results yet).
******************
Regarding Post #33
I would like to hear thoughts from other posters as well.
Pay the specialist ? tell him and he says "Sorry, you were referred to the wrong place, I don't do that". You'll need to go back to your PCP. Spoke to him for a total of 2-3 minutes for that conversation. So I leave. 2 weeks or so later I get a bill from his office for $235.00.
Pay the PCP ?
Pay no one ?
I would call the specialist's office and ask them to delete that bill. Explain what happened and that you shouldn't have received a bill.
I don't know why people think you should pay a doctor that you were sent to by mistake that said they couldn't help you.
To me, this is different than a doctor not having an immediate solution and wanting to do tests or try meds for awhile.
The heart fluctuations have been a daily thing since Sept. 2022 and continue today. Averaging 25-30 a day.
With new Doctor I have worn a heart monitor ( which showed the above results) 2 more blood tests and echocardiogram (which have not gotten the results yet).
******************
Regarding Post #33
I would like to hear thoughts from other posters as well.
Pay the specialist ?
Pay the PCP ?
Pay no one ?
You should pay everyone. Even the specialist who saw you probably had to do paperwork and review your records. If it is a situation where you called yourself and they said they could help you, it might be worth talking to the front office. If it was a situation where your PCP referred you to the wrong specialist, then you probably need to take it up with the PCP.
Either way, you may never get an answer. I have a few family members and friends who have mystery heart issues and despite the testing they don’t seem to understand WHY it is happening. I think one has seen no fewer than 6-7 specialists. They know he clearly has problems based on the testing, but they can’t figure out why it is happening. Apparently after the pandemic, issues like POTS and other fluctuations are increasing and no one really has any answers as to why.
PCPs are not useful anymore. Anyone who is reasonably healthy can never get an appointment if they get sick and need an antibiotic. I don't know anyone who goes to the PCP for a 'sick visit.' They all go to urgent care.
And if someone has specific health issues, they go to their specialists.
Who sees an actual PCP MD on a regular basis? What's the point?
I find my PCP very helpful, I see her for routine visits twice a year, doing so has picked up at least one condition that would have been fatal over time had we ignored it. I have also seen her for sick visits, have gotten appointments either the same day or the following day- though I don't call or request those visits very often, don't bother her for every little thing. She's addressed the problems in those visits and life went on. I wouldn't go to an urgent care center unless I thought I really needed medical attention on a weekend or holiday and it wouldn't wait till my PCP was available.
She has called me herself to let me know of and to discuss abnormal test findings, and any plan of action ( as needed) going forward.
When I have needed the services of a specialist, my PCP has facilitated my getting appointments with them timely, so I didn't have to wait for months to see them. When it involved a matter of some urgency, she spoke to the specialist personally, ensured my records were sent to them, and her staff made the first appointment for me with the specialist, depending on what was going on, within a day or two to a week after she spoke to them.
My PCP really does a great job in her role as my healthcare "gatekeeper". I'm grateful to have found her and I know I'm healthier because of her help.
You should pay everyone. Even the specialist who saw you probably had to do paperwork and review your records. If it is a situation where you called yourself and they said they could help you, it might be worth talking to the front office. If it was a situation where your PCP referred you to the wrong specialist, then you probably need to take it up with the PCP.
Either way, you may never get an answer. I have a few family members and friends who have mystery heart issues and despite the testing they don’t seem to understand WHY it is happening. I think one has seen no fewer than 6-7 specialists. They know he clearly has problems based on the testing, but they can’t figure out why it is happening. Apparently after the pandemic, issues like POTS and other fluctuations are increasing and no one really has any answers as to why.
I'd see the doctors listed by the OP were paid- in my case that would be by my insurance company ( Medicare and secondary insurance). Though I'd probably want to discuss the bill with the specialist who said he couldn't help the OP, I'd probably expect a no charge for that visit, but the doctor would most likely have to instruct the billing office not to process charges for an office visit. Discussing this charge and the circumstances with the billing office/office manager/doc might result in a reduced charge or even no charge. Not too long ago I had a specialist I see regularly not charge for a visit because the test results which were the main reason for this visit ( ie, to discuss the results and plans of action forward) were not back- these were complex tests and take some time to complete-. It still was an office visit, though, they addressed some issues, the doc wrote additional orders, and I would not have expected a freebee, but the doc instructed their billing department not to bill the insurance, me or anyone.
I'd hope the OP would see a cardiologist, preferably a electrophysiologist- this is a cardiologist who specializes in arrhythmia disorders of the heart. Often ( and perhaps this is what happened to the OP?), the PCP will send the patient with heart rhythm issues to an interventional or other cardiologist, who may have the patient wear a monitor to see what the nature of the arrhythmias may be, but not go much further than that. Electrophysiologists ( EP's) seem to be few and far between, it can be very hard to get an appointment with them ( they are generally booked many months in advance for new patients), and some may insist on referrals coming from cardiologists, not PCPs or cold calls from patients.
I know how time consuming and frustrating chasing problems with cardiac electrical systems ( ie, arrhythmias) can be. I've been there myself and have several close family members who have made that journey as well. This was well before covid, and fortunately my problems reared their ugly heads at times I was wearing monitors ( repeatedly, in fact), were documented, found to be significant, were treated ( ongoing) and are under control. But that doesn't always happen, sometimes due to the intermittent nature of arrhythmias, questionable significance of the findings in context with the patient's overall health. I can only imagine how having to put multiple symptoms from covid or any other illness would complicate that picture.
Unfortunately, there isn't often a quick fix for these or other medical conditions. And the docs can be just as baffled about what's going on as the patients are.
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