Bill Your Doctor!

yes to all that - but I must consider the reason why he may be running late - and if I am his patient getting his attention at the time and some problem arises and more time is needed than expected to take care of my needs - I would want my doctor to be patient with me and take his time to serve me... if he tries to cut me short in order to make up for the lost time from someone elses appt. then that would disturb me.

I used to take my son to a pediatrician where they typically ran 1 1/2 to 2 hours behind schedule. They opened at 9 AM and we would have 9 AM appointments and still have to wait 2 hours for them. We changed to a different group, that kept their appointments and a year or so later, the groups merged and there we were waiting all of the time. We walked out one time and they billed us. I agree, we should be able to bill our doctors. I have been saying that for a long time. The difference is the large egos of the doctors who think they have more intrinsic value than we do. I did complain once and say that I was going to bill them for my vacation time that I took to come there. They don't care.

In a perfect world this would be great. But it, of course isn't going to work. Why? "he who has the gold, makes the rules". They have the power and the money to do it, but most of us don't. Do you think any doctor is going to pay the bill a patient sends them for their "waiting" time? If it is deducted from the doctor's bill, do you really think the doctor is going to say "okay, I'll allow the deduction". Of course not, they will just send you another bill and if you don't pay in their time, they willl send it to collections. You going to argue with the collection agency about it? You will, but it won't do any good. Then it will go to your credit report. You call the credit report, tell your story, do you really think they are going to mark the collection with "person doesn't really owe this amount, cause they billed the doctor for "waiting time" and he didn't pay so this is not owed by this person". Again, in that perfect world. The doctor has that power to do all those things, and it will work in his favor and against you and of course, you will now have to find another doctor. Plus, if he doesn't pay, where do you send your "outstanding" collection? No collection agency is going to take it, and the credit agencies are not going to take it and put it on the doctors credit report. I remember years ago someone (who was a high salary earned and could afford it) did bill a doctor - it went on for about 2 years, went all the way to state court and the court sided for him and made the doctor pay him the "waiting" time, but the guy had to pay all his own court costs, plus the time missed from work and all that. Doctors do this cause they can. I have been many doctors nad when I sign in they have the "appointment time" to be filled out and I see 2 other people that signed in before me and we all three had the same appointment time. They do it cause they can - if you like the doctor, you'll wait. If you don't you go somewhere else, but they are greedy, not stupid, they know all the other doctors do this same thing so you won't get any better 'service". Plus, if you do make issue about it, he has the perfect right to terminate you as a patient. All these things cause us patients tons of problems and hassels...the doctors know it and use it to their advantage...because they can. Last doctor I went to, I waited 1hour and 45 minutes after my appointment time, was taken into the exam room, waited another 35 mintues(i layed down and literally fell asleep) and then when the doctor walked in, she was walking out 7 minutes later and I followed in another 2 minutes. Literally, I do not exaggerate. Next doctor I went to - I waited 2 hours past my appointment time, sat in the exam room for another 20 mintues and he hardly said a word to me, but wrote things in the file and handed me a prescription and started to walk out. I said "Wait, I have questions!". He grudginly answered them and the was out in about another 10 minutes. They do it cause the can.

At the very least, they should deduct the same amount from your bill that they would charge you for being late, for being late themselves. You are totally right. Why is their time more valuable than ours? I work so, when I have to go to the doctor, I have to take time off from work. If my wait is too long, I have to just call and tell the bosses that I will be taking an entire vacation day instead of a half of a vacation day. So, I lose out of vacation time. That time is very valuable to me and then I have to pay a co-pay? WTF? Shouldn't my missed vacation time be payment enough to them? I am never late to my doctor's appointments so, I have never had this problem but, I see the signs warning about tardiness and the cost to your back pocket. And, I have waited very long in my doctors' offices wasting precious, valuable vacation time only to see my doctor for a grand total of 3 minutes. With my co-pay being $35, that doctor just made $11.67 a minute! That is freaking insane. Wow! You really opened my eyes and now I am ticked off! I feel taken advantage of and abused!

I agree! It drives me crazy when I take time away from work (unpaid time) to go to a doc appointment then wind up sitting there waiting. I'll normally just give them 15 or 20 minutes past my appointment time before I walk out. The only excuse is if the receptionist were to inform me that the doc was in the middle of a medical emergency, that I can understand. That's a good idea! Next time that they keep me waiting I will send them an invoice on my company letterhead for my lost time and gas too.

I wish this could really happen. I'd probably be rich by now, from all the time doctors have made me wait. In fact, I think I should be able to go back and collect on all unpaid doctors visits waits that I've ever had to endure. That should cover all the doctors bills that I still owe.

There was a time when I would get very upset having to wait for an appointment.Now i realize the only person I am hurting thru this is myself.I do not need the additional stress.I now carry a book with me (plus my diet cola) and plan my day accordingly.Admittedly I am not in the same situation as you time-wise,but I want to take better care of myself and that includes stress,blood pressure and relations. I do NOT agree with them billing me for a no-show,but I understand why they do.If I believe I have a good reason,I will talk to the biller.I have done this before and got fair results.But if I just decide not to go in to my appointment,then I have to consider in advance what may happen and accept the penalty.

haha well you have a point in there. i do not actually go see a doctor and pay them from my own money. our company shoulders all medical consultations and expenses even medicines. :) but i understand your sentiments. doctors have seemed to make it a habit to make people wait.. is it because the more they let you wait, the more they feel wonderful about themselves?

A very good point. I do not get sick pay from work nor paid for time spent at doctors or dentists etc, so if I do have to go to a doctor it has already cost me at least an hours pay so to be left waiting for hours too costs me even more so your suggestion about billing them for delay sounds excellent in theory. Could you imagine if people did start doing that. They wouldn't pay but it might make them run their appointments situation a little better, allowing a longer time between apointments to allow for the ones that may take longer. My doctors will actually book a double appointment if you tell them that you will take some time so maybe if someone knows they are only going to be five minutes they could shorten the 10 minute slot to five also. I know not every case is this cut and dried but it might help if at the time of maiking the appointments the patients were asked how much time they require. Ellie :D

What a great idea. We couldn't do it here because our healthcare is free at the point of service and there are no guarantees. Therefore he is not charging you, so the only thing that you could do is sue the Local Health Authority for the time that you lost waiting. That said, my own doctor is very good and in 15 years I have never waited more than 5 minutes beyond my appointment time. But I can think of other areas where that might apply.

This is a very good discussion and a geart point. I guess because the doctors make so much an hour why not drag it out so your tab will be more? Wonder if this has anything to do with it. I tell you what the most annoying is though is taking a toddler to the pediatrician and waiting four hours for the doctor to enter the room for five maybe ten minutes and tell you that everything is fine. And then look at you like you are crazy because your child is a little anxious to leave like a two year old is suppose to have patience for four hours.

Well, I must say that's a wonderful idea and very well written! It's very frustrating waiting around and not fair. I completely agree with everything in your post! Right on.

I've never thought of that! It always happen to me, especially when I was still undergoing medication for my allergies. My doctor was one of the top three doctors in allergies in the country. Whenever I will go to his clinic, I need to make an appointment days ahead so that I'll be given a number. That number represents your patient number. So come appointment day, you come very early. Even though you are number 1, you still have to wait for half a day! So whenever I have appointment with him, I spent the whole day in the clinic. And you are right...the assistant will say "the doctor will be late because.....". But what can I do? I need to be treated! I hope the doctors would also consider their patients' time in waiting for them. We do understand that sometimes doctors need to attend to more important cases, but not at all times. I hope they consider evaluating their schedules properly to avoid this.Time is precious to patients too.

Excellent question!!! And you are absolutely right. They do not seem to care that a person had to take off from work, had their paycheck docked and probably needed the missed income to pay the doctor bill. I have refused to pay the radiologist bill. I have x-rays done, then the radiologist expects me to pay her to read the x-rays to the doctor, and then pay the doctor to read the x-rays to me. If I have to pay her, then I feel like she can tell me what is on the x-rays. If she has to read them to the doctor, then he can pay her or go back to school and learn to read them himself.