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We had a doctor who used to do this OFTEN. I would bring one of my kids in for a wellness check and if I asked any type of question that could indicate a cold or something else we would be billed for a sick visit in addition to the well visit. Once I asked about my son's belly button when he was a newborn and if it looked like it was healing properly and we were billed for both. I got tired of arguing with them about it and eventually changed pediatricians. This has never happened with other doctors which I'm thankful for because when you have 3 kids those extra co-pays and billings really start to add up.
In my experience, this is fairly common for most doctors.
It's too bad that the doctor didn't tell you ahead of time though. Mine always have. I would consider finding a doctor that is more open with his patients.
In my experience, this is fairly common for most doctors.
It's too bad that the doctor didn't tell you ahead of time though. Mine always have. I would consider finding a doctor that is more open with his patients.
So your Dr would say "it looks like your child has an ear infection. Do you want me to prescribe medication or would you rather go elsewhere?"
I know doctors have special training and command a high salary, but this just seems low to me. It's not like I took my daughter in for a wellness visit and asked for a free mri.. she looked in her ears and told my wife her ear was infected and she would write a prescription. I fail to see what extra service I was given. Certainly not to the point as to be charged the same as if I came back again the next day for a seperate appointment. Rich will get richer I guess.
How do you only pay 40 bucks for sick pay? My deductible is 2500. It was 1500 last year, but due to massive Obama care charges, they were forced to raise the deductible.
No. Obama care gave them a convenient excuse to massively raise deductibles and premiums. Its not like the insurance company ceo was about find himself out on the street unless they raised your deductible. Obamacare just means he can get his 3rd wife that second diamond-encrusted learjet for their poodle that she's been after him about, and then distract john q public by pointing to Obamacare and poor uninsured people who are now "getting" to shell out 2k for insurance and 5k in "deductibles" for the $90 worth of medical services they actually use every year.
If you take your car for an oil change and the mechanic notices it needs a new air filter do you not pay for it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by tonybarnaby
Correct or not, I feel like they took advantage of me. Just because they followed some protocol doesn't make it right. Seems a lot in here agree with me.
I recently got a bill from my daughter's doc for something like this. I called and told them it didn't make sense, they looked and saw that I had been billed for two visits for the same appointment, and that I had already paid the appropriate amount for one visit. So they told me forget about it, you don't have to pay this, we will void it out.
Also, our well visits are very thorough and last significantly longer than 10 minutes.
And our doc has certain criteria that must be met before he will prescribe antibiotics for an ear infection. We usually do not get antibiotics, but it's not never.
My son went to the family doctor for chicken pox and got out his debit card to pay. The doctor said, "I'm going to code this as a wellness visit. No charge." Gave us a wink and a smile and sent us on our way.
My 3 year old just went to the Dr for her yearly wellness visit. 2 days before the visit she got a cold and a cough. When we took her in, they said she had an ear infection and prescribed medicine. The wellness visits are always covered by insurance 100%, but I was billed $180 for a separate doctor visit. Checking her ears was part of the wellness check, but apparently the fact that she had an ear infection means they provided additional service in telling us about it and prescribing medicine.
I'll spend ANY amount of money on my kids, but I can't help but feel this is a cash grab. Was 30 seconds of additional work really worth charging us for a separate visit? I called the billing office and appealed it. They denied it and said they would need to have it paid in full.
How do you only pay 40 bucks for sick pay? My deductible is 2500. It was 1500 last year, but due to massive Obama care charges, they were forced to raise the deductible.
This is what I want to know as well. I don't pay for wellness visits. My doc would have noticed the infection and written a script for a Z-pac and continued checking my child out. When we go for sick visits we pay $20 and that's it. Is your peds out of network for your plan?
Correct or not, I feel like they took advantage of me. Just because they followed some protocol doesn't make it right. Seems a lot in here agree with me.
I'd look for another doctor. I've actually been through many peds (it took a while for me to land on one I liked) and no one did this. Maybe it's regional, but it's wrong.
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