After several months of putting it off, I finally called my doctor to schedule an appointment. I'm not sick. I'm not injured. I'm not in any pain (other than the ridiculous neck pain - see previous post.) I'm not seeing double. No unusual moles. Nope. Perfectly healthy. My only reason for seeing the doctor is to renew two prescriptions I've been taking for well over 8 years. Allergy medicine and inhaler. In fact, I've been on some sort of inhaler for 26 (gulp!) years. But my prescriptions have expired and now I must follow the rules and visit the doctor for what will be, in my opinion, a completely unnecessary appointment.
Though I understand liability and all that jazz, I don't understand why I have to go through these shenanigans every year. I will be weighed (ugh), have my blood pressure taking (probably will be high to match my level of irritation) and asked a litany of questions about my allergies and wheezing. Nothing has changed in years. All the information will be the same. In the end, the doctor will write out 2 prescriptions and send me on my merry way. I'll get my prescriptions and everything will be as normal until the insurance statement arrives in the mail. This is when I will get grumpy all over again.
Don't get me wrong. My husband and I are truly blessed to have great medical insurance. And we're double covered, so my mind, along with my litany of medical "quirks", is at ease. I had surgery a year ago that required an extended hospital stay, and bills and coverage were never a concern. That being said, the whole system irks me. My teeny little visit, which could be handled over the phone, comes with a pretty hefty price tag. My husband had a similar experience and I was so shocked by the cost of a 5 minute conversation, I called the office to make sure it had been billed correctly. The conversation went a little like this:
Me: Can you explain this recent charge?
Billing Person: It is the standard charge for an office visit.
Me: But it was only to renew a prescription. It took just a couple of minutes.
BP: It is the standard charge for an office visit.
Me: But he didn't see the doctor. He saw the NP.
BP: It is the standard charge for an office visit. (OK, it didn't go EXACTLY like this...)
Me: It seems pretty expensive for what took place.
BP: Did your insurance cover it?
Me: Yes. But...
BP: Did you have to pay a percentage?
Me: No. But...
BP: This is the way it works. If you didn't have insurance, we would adjust the bill. This compensates for those without insurance. (I guess I didn't think they'd actually admit that.)
Me: (Silence.) Um, okay.
The billing person was very nice and all, it just seems wrong. And maybe it is how the system works, but it still ticks me off. Yeah, it is nice and all that I'm at the end of the spectrum where I have no out of pocket costs and hence, no worries, but it makes me incredibly sad that there is a spectrum. Because I know people are at the other end, and that worries me.
1 comment:
Unfortunately the fault lies with the insurance companies. Since it varies all across the board how much an insurance company will reimburse, doctor offices charge the highest amount that the insurance will cover. If the staff costs for an exam is $50, and Medicare will pay $60, and Insurance X will pay $150, then they will charge $150 so that every time they bill that company they get the maximum amount. But if you don't have Insurance X, you have Medicare or Insurance Y, then they adjust it down so as not to penalize you.
If the insurance companies would standardized their reimbursement rates, the doctor offices wouldn't need to have such inflated rates. But since insurances DON'T standardize, it would be stupid to bill Insurance X for $60 when they'll pay up to $150.
Mis dos centavos!!
Post a Comment