The high cost of a simple doctor's appointment.

treeguy64

treeguy64

Hari Om, y'all!
Location
Austin, TX.
I went to have two warts frozen. I really like my dermatologist. In the past, I went in as self-insured. He always charged me $47, no matter what procedures he did.

I just got my statement. He billed Medicare $379 for my visit. Apparently, once you use insurance, it gives your doctor the option to shoot for the moon, money-wise. They paid him $39, used part of the charges to fulfill my deductible, and that left about $120. If I get a bill from him, for that, I'll certainly protest. I suppose my pleasant office dealings with him and his staff will then be over.

The whole medical system in the US seems absurd, to me. Everyone talks about the high cost of healthcare, but few ever mention where, exactly, it starts. No doubt in my mind that it starts with greedy doctors playing the greedy insurance companies, including government plans, for all they're worth.
 

treeguy64 said:
I went to have two warts frozen. I really like my dermatologist. In the past, I went in as self-insured. He always charged me $47, no matter what procedures he did.

I just got my statement. He billed Medicare $379 for my visit. Apparently, once you use insurance, it gives your doctor the option to shoot for the moon, money-wise. They paid him $39, used part of the charges to fulfill my deductible, and that left about $120. If I get a bill from him, for that, I'll certainly protest. I suppose my pleasant office dealings with him and his staff will then be over.

The whole medical system in the US seems absurd, to me. Everyone talks about the high cost of healthcare, but few ever mention where, exactly, it starts. No doubt in my mind that it starts with greedy doctors playing the greedy insurance companies, including government plans, for all they're worth.
Click to expand...
Sounds like he's getting under your skin.
 
Do you have a Medicare supplement policy, often called Medi-Gap plans? If so, they will pick up the rest of the charge (according to the contracted price with your provider) less the remainder of your annual deductible for Medicare.

Yeah, it is screwed up, but it is the system we have and don't expect any real changes any time soon. Just learn how to best use the system so that you pay the lowest cost possible.
 

Exactly why many doctors won't accept cash patients.
12 years ago at my diabetes diagnosis, the first doctor I saw wanted to hospitalize me immediately for "dehydration," even though lab tests showed I wasn't dehydrated. But after I told him I'm a cash patient & had no medical insurance, his diagnosis changed to "Just drink Gatorade."
He wanted to bill my insurer for $10,000.00 per day - until he found out I had no insurer.
 
"Money" is the driving force behind the U.S. Health Care System. Some day, our people are going to wake up and demand that our politicians look at what is working quite well for most other nations, and begin to implement similar policies here. However, so long as our Health Care System remains one of the biggest contributors to political campaigns, we probably shouldn't expect any progress until millions of people are going bankrupt, or being unable to afford to go to the doctor.
 
Don M. said:
"Money" is the driving force behind the U.S. Health Care System. Some day, our people are going to wake up and demand that our politicians look at what is working quite well for most other nations, and begin to implement similar policies here. However, so long as our Health Care System remains one of the biggest contributors to political campaigns, we probably shouldn't expect any progress until millions of people are going bankrupt, or being unable to afford to go to the doctor.
Click to expand...
Another factor is that the politicians don't have the same health care as the rest of us in the USA. I feel even worse for veterans, they should have the best health care and retirement the country can offer, anything less is simply criminal. Ship the politicians off to war and see if they don't agree.
 
Aunt Bea said:
".........an example of the Robin Hood approach to medicine where he gives the folks without insurance a break and soaks those with insurance to balance things out. I'm not saying that it's right but I do understand it.
Click to expand...

That's a large part of it. I worked for a hospital for several years as part of a hospital group. They were trying to balance their profit from hospitals in more 'upscale' areas that made money because people had insurance against the city hospitals that were losing money.
 
Don M. said:
"Money" is the driving force behind the U.S. Health Care System. .... shouldn't expect any progress until millions of people are going bankrupt, or being unable to afford to go to the doctor.
Click to expand...
We're already there. We have had millions of people over the past couple of decades file bankruptcy due to medical expenses. And 44 million people right now have no insurance, another 38 million have 'inadequate' insurance. That's roughly a quarter of the population. But, less than half the country votes, so no progress until people get off their collective butts and start participating.
 
treeguy64 said:
"..... No doubt in my mind that it starts with greedy doctors playing the greedy insurance companies, including government plans, for all they're worth.
Click to expand...
No. It starts with the $600,000 my niece is in debt for med school.

Median medical school debt
In 2018, that figure was $200,000. Unsurprisingly, most of doctors' college debt is from medical school. The median medical school debt, not including loans from premedical education, was $195,000 among 2018 graduates with medical school loans.
 
I worked in the medical insurance billing arena for years. Once HMO came into play doctors get paid for some procedures/office visits next to nothing. Example: Insurance company billed for procedure that cost $1200... the doctors office may get $450 and the patient responsible for $250 co insurance..write off $500...some instances even worst. Its interesting to say the least. I feel once HMO took over, patients do not get the quality of care they once did. Doctors get you in and get you out... they see as many patients as they can in a give day. And if you are hospitalized.. depending on the situation, you will be sent home after a few days even if you need to stay longer.
 
I had to go to see a private doctor yesterday simply because the waiting list for an appointment with my own NHS GP is way too long. It's free at source to see my GP and for any prescriptions, (as I'm over 60).. and free hospital care should I need it but the waiting lists are horrendously long, and if you have a chronic condition which I have, I can't afford to wait sometimes.

So yesterday I saw the Private doctor, and it cost me 75 pounds for 20 minutes, and then a further #18 for the usually free prescription.

There's a 50 percent chance that if the meds don't do what's expected of them I will need some urgent indepth procedures , which the doctor feels have to be done by next week and she will refer me to the consultant at the nearest Private hospital. . if that's the case and I'm praying the medication I've been given will work.. obviously.. but if it is the case, then I will have to pay out of pocket expenses to the consultant , his anaesthetist and his team.. which will be several thousand ..if I don't want or cannot wait for several months or more to be seen, which I can't in this case.!!
. We have no private insurance you see, too expensive now at our age to take out in the UK , and unlike the USA the private insurance here doesn't always cover everything anyway. ..so in circumstances such as I find myself in currently, I have no option but to pay mucho dinero or become seriously ill before intervention by the NHS ...
 
Last edited:
hollydolly said:
I had to go to see a private doctor yesterday simply because the waiting list for an appointment with my own NHS GP is way too long. It's free at source to see my GP and for any prescriptions, (as I'm over 60).. and free hospital care should I need it but the waiting lists are horrendously wrong, and if you have a chronic condition which I have I can't afford to wait sometimes.

So yesterday I saw the Private doctor, and it cost me 75 pounds for 20 minutes, and then a further #18 for the usually free prescription.

There's a 50 percent chance that if the meds don't do what's expected of them I will need some urgent indepth procedures , which the doctor feels have to be done by next week and she will refer me to the consultant at the nearest Private hospital. . if that's the case and I'm praying the medication I've been given will work.. obviously.. but if it is the case, then I will have to pay out of pocket expenses to the consultant , his anaesthetist and his team.. which will be several thousand ..if I don't want or cannot wait for several months or more to be seen, which I can't in this case.!!
. We have no private insurance you see, too expensive now at our age to take out in the UK , and unlike the USA the private insurance here doesn't always cover everything anyway. ..so in circumstances such as I find myself in currently, I have no option but to pay mucho dinero or become seriously ill before intervention by the NHS ...
Click to expand...
I hope the meds do the trick. Can the private doc's diagnosis get you into your NHS GP any faster as it's a medical emergency?
 
Gardenlover said:
I hope the meds do the trick. Can the private doc's diagnosis get you into your NHS GP any faster as it's a medical emergency?
Click to expand...
Thank you so do I with regard to the meds.
Unfortunately no, the private docs recommendation holds no further sway than my own NHS GP'. It's a matter of not enough NHS hospitals, and very long waiting lists, so the only thing she can do is fast track me to a private hospital to see the specialist there.. who ironically would be the same specialist I would see on the NHS if I could wait for months....
 
hollydolly said:
Thank you so do I with regard to the meds.
Unfortunately no, the private docs recommendation holds no further sway than my own NHS GP'. It's a matter of not enough NHS hospitals, and very long waiting lists, so the only thing she can do is fast track me to a private hospital to see the specialist there.. who ironically would be the same specialist I would see on the NHS if I could wait for months....
Click to expand...
Are you able to get private medical insurance as well? If so, is it affordable?
 
Oh dear hollydolly, I am sorry to hear this and yes, I too hope
that the medicine works quickly, we don't need you getting
old, there are enough of us here at the moment.

Mike.
 
Mike said:
Oh dear hollydolly, I am sorry to hear this and yes, I too hope
that the medicine works quickly, we don't need you getting
old, there are enough of us here at the moment.

Mike.
Click to expand...
oh bless you Mike, 🧡 ..I'm not exactly young at 64, but the point is that if I don't get this treatment, I probably won't get old.. !! I'm not being dramatic unfortunately it's fact!!
 
hollydolly said:
I had to go to see a private doctor yesterday simply because the waiting list for an appointment with my own NHS GP is way too long. It's free at source to see my GP and for any prescriptions, (as I'm over 60).. and free hospital care should I need it but the waiting lists are horrendously long, and if you have a chronic condition which I have, I can't afford to wait sometimes.

So yesterday I saw the Private doctor, and it cost me 75 pounds for 20 minutes, and then a further #18 for the usually free prescription.

There's a 50 percent chance that if the meds don't do what's expected of them I will need some urgent indepth procedures , which the doctor feels have to be done by next week and she will refer me to the consultant at the nearest Private hospital. . if that's the case and I'm praying the medication I've been given will work.. obviously.. but if it is the case, then I will have to pay out of pocket expenses to the consultant , his anaesthetist and his team.. which will be several thousand ..if I don't want or cannot wait for several months or more to be seen, which I can't in this case.!!
. We have no private insurance you see, too expensive now at our age to take out in the UK , and unlike the USA the private insurance here doesn't always cover everything anyway. ..so in circumstances such as I find myself in currently, I have no option but to pay mucho dinero or become seriously ill before intervention by the NHS ...
Click to expand...
Hmmm. Back in Mid December, on a thread about going to a different country for health care you said:
Well we get our health care FREE so there is nowhere cheaper..
and followed that up with a gihugant defense of you system in an additional post.

Hope the new meds work for you. Best wishes.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top