tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5154018758799451116.post1269978507846011697..comments2023-11-05T06:01:46.501-05:00Comments on Solo Docs, So Long: Is It Illegal to Waive Co-Pays?OnaColasantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12516818299832410490noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5154018758799451116.post-33514004928837865592013-02-18T19:16:33.758-05:002013-02-18T19:16:33.758-05:00I am really, really glad that doctors like you exi...I am really, really glad that doctors like you exist. I only wish I lived in Gainesville, FL!<br /><br />If I were a doctor, I would accept no insurances, and would charge patients $50 a month to be my patient - which would cover everything I could do for them in-office. I am living on disability and money is a real problem, but I'd JUMP at a deal like this, because it would give me peace of mind that in my sickest & poorest circumstance, I'd be able to see MY doctor, not some nameless, faceless person at an ER. I would also offer to barter with my doctor - clean the office, sweep the parking lot, make copies, answer phones. Barter feeds the economy and is a win-win.<br /><br />Just my $0.02. Thanks for being a great doctor!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5154018758799451116.post-31669120181778272092012-08-08T18:11:24.228-04:002012-08-08T18:11:24.228-04:00I am constantly measuring the cost of downstream c...I am constantly measuring the cost of downstream crises with immediate preventive measures. Getting IV medications in the office may have saved you hospitalization with its attendant risks and gargantuan charges. Why do insurance companies prefer to take the risk of a $60,000 hospitalization over the cost of a $600 outpatient treatment, over three days, with IV antibiotics? Why does the government have statutes in place making it illegal for a physician to administer care even if a patient doesn't have a co-pay? Why am I being investigated for "forgiving co-pays" against the law--when the documentation for patients who attested that they couldn't afford the co-pay are in every one of the charts confiscated by the FBI? I wonder if the real intent is to purge the country of doctors.OnaColasantehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12516818299832410490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5154018758799451116.post-42326139925871903532012-08-08T18:00:49.307-04:002012-08-08T18:00:49.307-04:00There are other scenarios which make it unlikely, ...There are other scenarios which make it unlikely, if not impossible, to collect co-pays from patients. Some insurance companies, for instance, pay a small fee for telephone consultations with patients. If those patients call, and we speak with them by phone (email is covered, too)--but they have a $250 deductible--how do we collect that payment on the spot?OnaColasantehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12516818299832410490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5154018758799451116.post-85342359531929655222012-08-05T13:08:01.212-04:002012-08-05T13:08:01.212-04:00Dr. C,
What does the government expect from a doc...Dr. C, <br />What does the government expect from a doctor? Should a doctor collect money from a patient immediately after they order a test or make a diagnosis? Should the patient have to make multiple trips to the reception desk as tests are performed? Do they expect doctors to install cash registers and credit card machines in each examination room? Should a doctor dismiss a patient halfway towards a diagnosis if one additional test is required? In my case, I had a serious case of pneumonia that I had allowed to progress to a dangerous condition. I guess the feds would rather I would have called 911 for transport to the UF emergency room. Do you think that the ambulance would have given me a ride home? Well, thanks for your care. This co-pay thing confuses me. You treated me and my treatment included an x-ray and some other tests. When it came time to pay, I was not able to pay my co-pay. That was my fault. Were you supposed to hold a gun to my head? I explained my financial situation and completed a statement of financial hardship. What more could the feds want? The government has a health care program for poor people but then forgets that they are poor. I'm sorry if my testimony that portrayed you as an honest, compassionate doctor might have hurt you in any way. <br /><br />John D.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com