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Author Topic: Doctor or Hospital Visits--either good or bad  (Read 14538 times)

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Fierofool

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Doctor or Hospital Visits--either good or bad
« on: March 10, 2017, 07:40:20 pm »
Roger's signature line about billing your doctor for time sitting in the waiting room brought a couple of things to mind.

Melanie and I had lived in Brookhaven (Atlanta) when we were first married.  Our primary physician was in Chamblee.  We later moved to New England for 7 years. 

During our time up there, we usually came down on vacation to Atlanta to visit my family.  One year we rode our motorcycle.  There were some memorable happenings on that trip, but those are best told some other time.  The similarity in this and Roger's suggestion is that we did bill our old primary doctor for time sitting in his waiting room.

Our trip was in June and temperatures down here were already in the high numbers.  Our last stop was in Washington, DC and from there, we were trying to make it to Atlanta in one day.  I had on a pair of blue jeans and a shirt, Melanie had shorts and a halter top. 

When we crossed from South Carolina into Georgia, we stopped for fuel at the first exit.  The temperature underneath the station canopy was 95*.  Melanie didn't realize how badly she had become sunburned until there was no air movement across her back and arms.  Putting on a blouse in the bathroom really made the sunburn most unbearable as it whipped against her as we continued.  But it was only about 100 miles to Mom and Dad's house. 

The next day she wasn't feeling very well.  Nausea, headaches, fever, chills, dizziness.  She suffered through the day and the next morning we called our old primary to make an emergency appointment.  Got one for 1:30PM and we were signed in prior to the appointment. 

At 4:30, they still hadn't called her even though she'd been to the restroom several times to throw up.  She decided she wasn't waiting any more and asked that we leave.  I told the receptionist that we had waited long enough and would seek other treatment, possibly at an emergency room.  I asked her to cancel our appointment because we were leaving.

About a month later, we received a bill from the doctor, requesting payment in full for breaking the office visit without prior notice.  We responded with a letter that broke his charges in half, then divided each of our waiting times into those two halves halves and sent him a return bill  which equaled his. 

We never heard anything else.
« Last Edit: March 10, 2017, 08:10:44 pm by Fierofool »
There are three kinds of men:

1.    The ones that learn by reading.
2.    The few who learn by observation.
3.    The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.    Will Rogers

Fierofool

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Re: Doctor or Hospital Visits--either good or bad
« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2017, 08:10:05 pm »
After my first major hospitalization, I added a number of medical specialists to my payroll.  One of those was a Nephrologist (kidney doctor). He was added while I was in the hospital, so I had followup visits scheduled as part of my discharge. 

On my first visit to his office, I had a 1:00appointment.  They requested I be there an hour early to take care of various paperwork.  I was actually there a little before 12PM.  Signed in, got the paperwork, completed it and returned it to the desk.  Took a seat. 

The day wore on with patients coming and going.  At some point after my scheduled appointment, I asked when I would see the doctor.  They said he was running behind due to having been at the hospital in the morning.  So I sat back down.  Even took a short nap.

A couple who had arrived after my appointment time was called in and they asked if I shouldn't be ahead of them.  The nurse said that they would get to me soon.  Sure!

At 4:30, one of the nurses came out to lock the door in preparation for closing the office for the day.  Oh, she was so surprised to see me sitting there.  Even wanted to know what time my appointment was.  Well, they held the doctor over to do a rush-through office visit with me.  They were even courteous enough to waive my copay of $40 to compensate me for the long wait. 

Upon leaving, I scheduled my next monthly appointment.  I was there the next month at the appropriate time and was called into the exam room in a much more reasonable amount of time.  But I sat in there for nearly an hour before the doctor came in.

When I checked out, they told me that I owed them for my first visit copay.  I polinted out a particular young lady sitting at a desk over to the side who had waived the copay due to my extremely long wait.  The nurse replied that the girl didn't have authority and I owed them $80.  I paid it, set up my next month's appointment and left. 

I know!  Dummy!  But I needed a kidney doctor.  But the next month I wised up.  After waiting in the exam room for 45 minutes, the doctor opened the door, peered in, closed the door and it was another half hour before he came back.  When I left, I walked right past the nurse's station without a word, made no new appointment, wrote no checks for a copay.  Never returned and refused to pay the bills I received for the unpaid copay. 
There are three kinds of men:

1.    The ones that learn by reading.
2.    The few who learn by observation.
3.    The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.    Will Rogers

GTRS Fiero

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Re: Doctor or Hospital Visits--either good or bad
« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2017, 10:24:31 pm »
Gotta love healthcare.  I had to go to urgent care.  Supposedly, a $20 office visit, but they charge emergency room rates.  They told me I could pay $125, using my insurance, or $100 flat rate without.  I just left.  After a few months, they offered to take the office rate.  I told them what my hourly rate is, complete with an invoice.  5 years later, I haven't heard a word.

GTRS Fiero

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Re: Doctor or Hospital Visits--either good or bad
« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2017, 10:33:46 pm »
When I first started coughing up blood, I went to see the doctor.  Over the next year, I saw him twice a month, at $20 a pop.  He ran tests for various things.  I repeatedly asked for a referral to see a specialist.  He always had more tests.  Finally, he gave me the referral.  More visits, more tests--at $20 a pop.  A few months later, I got a bill for about $15,000 for all the tests the original doctor did.  Insurance refused to pay, because they deemed the tests unnecessary.  I told the doctor that, if they wanted to get paid, they'd have to go through the insurance.  Further, I went after him for the unnecessary tests.  I got all but the first $20 and the referral $20 back.  Lots of visits and tests later, no improvement, but about $60,000 in bills.  Insurance refused to pay.  I was on the hook for a third of that.

I went to see a holistic specialist.  4 visits, and $160 out of pocket.  She told me my lungs were dry, and I needed a humidifier and to drink more water.  Basically, I was coughing up lung tissue.  I rarely cough up blood, now.
« Last Edit: August 26, 2018, 10:04:43 am by GTRS Fiero »

GTRS Fiero

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Re: Doctor or Hospital Visits--either good or bad
« Reply #4 on: August 26, 2018, 10:06:03 am »
If you go to the doctor, and they say you're cancer-free, how long is that good for?

Fierofool

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Re: Doctor or Hospital Visits--either good or bad
« Reply #5 on: August 26, 2018, 01:13:17 pm »
Until the next exam or lab test.  In my case, the first cancer was treated in mid-2000.  Yearly checkups show I'm still free of cancer of that form.

The second cancer was of a different kind, and was treated almost 3 years ago.  Lab tests every 6 months report I'm cancer free of that form.  After my Monday office visit, if I'm still clear, I'll go to yearly checkups. 

Some cancers are more agressive than others.  Some can metastasize into other organs and even though the original area was removed or in remission, it can be growing elsewhere. 

I was told that cancer is never cured.  It's only put into remission. 
There are three kinds of men:

1.    The ones that learn by reading.
2.    The few who learn by observation.
3.    The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.    Will Rogers

GTRS Fiero

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Re: Doctor or Hospital Visits--either good or bad
« Reply #6 on: August 26, 2018, 01:17:29 pm »
Checked at 10am.  Declared cancer-free at 1pm.  In after 10pm for low blood pressure.  Advanced cancer.

What's the point of the test, since it was clearly inaccurate, as was proven less that 12 hours later?

GTRS Fiero

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Re: Doctor or Hospital Visits--either good or bad
« Reply #7 on: August 26, 2018, 01:18:22 pm »
I was told that cancer is never cured.  It's only put into remission.

Death cures cancer.