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I took my little one to Cary Pediatrics for the first time last week. I was surprised by one of the forms I had to sign. Not only did it have the standard returned checks fees, etc., it also stated they would charge for: calling to speak with a nurse/doctor after hours and for after hours visits, unscheduled visits, and I can't recall the rest. I was surprised, as I have not encountered this at any other doctor offices. Can anyone tell me if this is common practice or if I should switch offices?
I know the charging to speak to a nurse or doctor after hours is common practice, I think in the practice we go to, it is 10 dollars, but if you have a baby who is 3 months or younger it is free.
I haven't seen anything about unscheduled visits, but then again, I have always been able to get appointments, even when I call late in the day.
The thing that always burns me about Cary Pediatrics is their policy that they need 48 hours to get you a copy of your child's medical history. Not sure if every other pediatric office has this same policy. We've been going there for 4 years and this is my only complaint.
Those fees are pretty standard around here. I was surprised by them too when we moved here several years ago. In my previous town none of the peds offices charged such fees. I talked to several offices before choosing one and they all had the after hours fee. The unscheduled appt fee is new to me.
I take my child to Carolina Kids Pediatrics and they do not charge to speak to the nurse or dr after hours. I used to take him to Cary Peds but I can't describe how terrible our experiences there were and I was very happy to leave.
It is pretty common. However, a pediatrician I know pointed out to me that if a practice is doing this then they can't be handling a lot of Medicaid patients, as Medicaid won't reimburse for that (at least it wouldn't when we last discussed it). I've seen the other side of it, and you'd be shocked how many parents call well after hours with questions that truly could have waited until daytime.
It also sounds like the "unscheduled visits" is just to get you to call in advance rather than showing up.
And NewUser -- based on my experience getting medical records since our move, 48 hours sounds really really good!
And NewUser -- based on my experience getting medical records since our move, 48 hours sounds really really good!
Medical records. . . .yes. . . . but I'm talking about that sheet of paper required for daycare registration that proves they have all their vaccinations.
The fees are pretty standard, and the 48 hour thing is standard too. Our Ped said she gives needs about 2 days to do all of her paperwork on top of seeing patients.
My ped charges those to but honestly I have (or really my wife) has called them after hours and they never enforced the charges. I would think it there b/c some parents will call left and right for every little thing. This just makes them think twice about it. UNC Hospitals has a 24hr nurse line I know that we have used that is free.
My pediatrician is a sole practitioner and doesn't charge for stuff like that, but I can certainly see how and why the larger practices do. Unless you've worked behind the scenes in a busy medical practice, it's difficult to understand how many of these types of requests come through the door. It takes time and administrative resources to tend to each one, and that's on top of all the other duties you're saddled with.
In my experience, many practices have rules like this in place to prevent those who would otherwise tend to abuse the system. Whether they actually bill for these types of things is a different story. And no, Medicaid would not reimburse for these types of fees, nor would NCHC.
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