DEAR ABBY: As an established patient with a specialized doctor, I recently went for my annual checkup. My appointment was scheduled a year ago. As I was checking in, I was informed that my doctor now collects all insurance co-pays before seeing patients.
As a senior citizen, I was shocked. Being expected to pay before the service makes me feel like he doesn’t trust me. I can understand a convenience store expecting me to pay for my gas upfront because of drive-offs, but not a professional medical provider.
I pay all my bills on time and have excellent credit. It may be my age, but I want to feel respected and trusted.
Shouldn’t a doctor’s office trust its established patients enough to allow them to pay once the service has been rendered? Has our country fallen so low that we are all guilty until proven innocent? — FRUSTRATED PATIENT IN OKLAHOMA
DEAR FRUSTRATED: The reason you were asked for your co-pay in advance may have nothing to do with YOUR personal trustworthiness. Your doctor may have had more than a few patients who were delinquent in paying.
Because you were offended, this is something you should discuss with your physician who, because of your long relationship, may be willing to make an exception. However, if that’s not the case, you might be more comfortable taking your business to another doctor.
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LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
Abby response is terrible here. The plain truth is that in our litigious society, when doctors are forced to make rules like this because of deadbeats, they have to apply them across the board so as not to be accused of discrimination.
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LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
You pay "up front" for a lot of things, or at least immediately after. So, what is wrong with paying up front? That is the way that healthcare is going and will continue to go. You can talk to the doctor about an "exception" but many doctors no longer run their own practices and are now employees of larger hospitals, etc and they have nothing to do with the billing.
I have never been to a doctor who didn't collect the co-pay before the visit. The only exception is staying in the hospital because they don't yet know what the charges will be.
Working in the dental office, we ALWAYS collected payment before treatment. It's considered assault to repossess a crown. Lol
We did have a couple of patients not pay, leaving us out several hundred dollars.
We only had one patient object to paying up front and he was fine with it after we explained that some people had walked out without paying.
Once a guy told us he left his checkbook in the car and just drove off. We sent him to collections, but never did get the $3000 he owed us.
I've never had the co-pay collected up front. I am always charged at the end of the visit, even the dentist who did several thousand dollars worth of work. But I wouldn't be offended if they collected up front.
It has a lot to do with the insurance companies not paying as well.
Depending on the company.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
I would rather pay up front and get it out of the way. I don't want billed for a $50 copay. I have asked to pay it at offices that don't collect it up front. They always take it with a smile!
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Out of all the lies I have told, "just kidding" is my favorite !
The LW can be "mad" all he/she wants too. Things change. That's life. Deal with it. Not sure what the diff is if you pay now you pay later. Nothing wrong with talking to the doctor and the office, but most likely even if the doctor says it's OK, there will be assorted people doing the front who may or may not know what your exception is. So, why make life difficult?
When you live on a fixed income, you need time to get the money together.
Every cent is accounted for and even the smallest new cost can be financially devastating.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
That was t the reason though Lily. The OP says all bills are paid on time and he/she has excellent credit. Doesn't mention money being an issue, just mentions being shocked that a professional would ask for payment up front.
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Out of all the lies I have told, "just kidding" is my favorite !
Doesn't mean every cent doesn't need to be accounted for.
I pay my bills on time. I have good credit.
But a surprise bill that needed to be paid right now would mean I'd be in trouble.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
But that isn't the reason the OP gives for being upset about asking for payment up front. The OP doesn't say "I need the extra time because I am on a fixed income". The OP says he/she feels disrespected because of the way things used to be. Read what's written.
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Out of all the lies I have told, "just kidding" is my favorite !
Doesn't mean every cent doesn't need to be accounted for.
I pay my bills on time. I have good credit.
But a surprise bill that needed to be paid right now would mean I'd be in trouble.
But it's not a surprise - she made the appointment. And I'm sure if she said something when she went in that time about not knowing, they would make an exception, but going forward - she doesn't have the "surprise" excuse. And it's going forward she is complaining about.
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LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
I was also bringing up another point in response to LGS' post.
There are many layers to a conversation.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
I have never been to a doctor who didn't collect the co-pay before the visit. The only exception is staying in the hospital because they don't yet know what the charges will be. Working in the dental office, we ALWAYS collected payment before treatment. It's considered assault to repossess a crown. Lol We did have a couple of patients not pay, leaving us out several hundred dollars. We only had one patient object to paying up front and he was fine with it after we explained that some people had walked out without paying. Once a guy told us he left his checkbook in the car and just drove off. We sent him to collections, but never did get the $3000 he owed us.
Next time walk out yo his car with him.
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The Principle of Least Interest: He who cares least about a relationship, controls it.
I collect copays all day. If you have an insurance that requires copays you know that you'll have to at it whenever you see the doctor. I wouldn't go to an appt without money since I signed up for the insurance and I know about it.
If so own shows up for a sick visit and doesn't have their copay sure we see them but you pay copays everywhere these days.
I collect copays all day. If you have an insurance that requires copays you know that you'll have to at it whenever you see the doctor. I wouldn't go to an appt without money since I signed up for the insurance and I know about it. If so own shows up for a sick visit and doesn't have their copay sure we see them but you pay copays everywhere these days.
And it is your responsibility to have some clue about your own insurance.
I collect copays all day. If you have an insurance that requires copays you know that you'll have to at it whenever you see the doctor. I wouldn't go to an appt without money since I signed up for the insurance and I know about it. If so own shows up for a sick visit and doesn't have their copay sure we see them but you pay copays everywhere these days.
And it is your responsibility to have some clue about your own insurance.
