Twenty Five Dollars for a missed doctor visit.

United States
October 19, 2011 3:27pm CST
To be treated by a doctor among the many documents you are requested to sign is one that states you agree to pay for a missed appointment if you do not give a 24 hour notice. I refuse signing that form. It's bad enough when you do have an appointment they don't see until an hour or more later. I think it is ridiculous that doctors would expect patients to pay for services not received. I'm tired of the way doctors treat their patients. If I have an appointment and I am not seen at the time scheduled I leave and if it happens again I find a different doctor.
2 people like this
7 responses
@webzap (884)
• Philippines
20 Oct 11
If I miss my appointment time, would my doctor just sit and wait for me for say half an hour before calling for the next one in line? I don't think so. I'm sure the next one will be called, so there will be no time wasted. I hope I am correct. And the 24-hour notice is, oh my gosh . . . absurd!!!
2 people like this
@Galena (9110)
19 Oct 11
I used to be a dental nurse, and we would do the same. and I think it's entirely fair. when you miss an appointment, everyone is sat there waiting. they still need to be paid, even if no one is there. and on top of that, we would often have to give patients appointments far in advance as it was often so busy. if that person had bothered to let us know they were unable to make the appointment, then we could have given someone that NEEDED the appointment, but had to wait longer for it, an earlier appointment. so when you miss an appointment without notice, you're not just letting the staff down, but the other patients too. if there's a charge, people will make more effort to let people know when they can't make it, and someone else will not have to wait so long for an appointment.
2 people like this
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
19 Oct 11
even here in Ontario (Canada) where we have socialized medicine, they often charge for missed appointments. its not ridiculous, because these doctors have set aside time for you and your health issues. the ownness is on you to call and cancel.
2 people like this
@prinzcy (32305)
• Malaysia
20 Oct 11
This is the first time for to hear this, probably because it's not practice in my country (or I haven't come across it yet) But I think it's a good idea. When you make an appointment, the other party will allocate time for you and put other matters aside. If you intend to cancel the whole thing, just give a simple call. If not, the doctor already waste money that he/she should receive if he/she accepts another patient who actually show up.
1 person likes this
@TrvlArrngr (4045)
• United States
20 Oct 11
My doctor and my dentist both charge this fee! It's crazy!
1 person likes this
@stary1 (6612)
• United States
20 Oct 11
I have heard doctors claim to charge if you miss an appointment but I have never known anyone who has had to pay. I am always careful to call in advance but if it's a last minute thing I don't believe I should be charged. Doctors often keep us waiting and I understand and try to be patient with them and expect the same respect. Now, if someone is chronically late and misses appointments then on an individual basis I think they should have the right to do something.
1 person likes this
• Canada
20 Oct 11
Actually, you wouldn't be paying for services not received... you'd be paying for the staff's time in sitting there waiting for you to show up when you don't. My dentist's office has a sign posted that there is a fee for any appointment cancelled within 24 hours of the scheduled time or for any appointment that is completely missed. People tend to miss dental appointments a lot, I've noticed. Maybe because so many people fear the dentist and it's often easy to miss dental appointments for cleanings or check-ups because it's not a health crisis of any kind. However, they still have a business to run and, for every person that missed an appointment, another patient could have been booked at that time. We routinely have to wait months (even years, as a new patient) to get appointments because doctors and dentists are so booked up and, for every appointment that's skipped, there would definitely be someone else that could have shown up instead ~ if the original patient had the courtesy to call in advance and cancel.