Has a doctor ever asked for your credit card up front?

[LoveMyBostons]

I’ve been to a new urologist twice now. I really like the staff there and I was all hopeful that they were going to help me.

On my first visit they asked for a credit card to bill later. I told them I don’t use credit cards as part of my newly-adapted “life plan” so they said I could do a $15 payment that day. I asked if it would be applied to my balance and the receptionist said yes. I did this on both visits.

I got a bill yesterday and to my surprise the $30 was not deducted from my balance! I actually had an appt scheduled this morning so I asked the same receptionist what was up with my bill. She said “Oh yeah, that’s the payment processing fee. It’s not deducted from your balance.”

So apparently I am expected to pay $15 per visit for the privilege of receiving a bill in the mail. To me, receiving a billing statement for a medical visit is a right, not a privilege.

How is this legal? It’s my understanding that they want the credit card to bill a patient once an EOB is received from the insurance company.

I don’t know about you guys, buy my insurance company makes mistake often. They didn’t want to pay for my MRI and it took 6 months to get that straight. Could you imagine if they had billed a credit card for the full price of it? I don’t even think my visa’s (emergency card) limit is that high!

So I left this morning without seeing my new favorite person, the urology tech. I’m so bummed that this happened and that it doesn’t look like my bladder problems will be solved anytime soon.

[HVAC]

I am having surgery Monday and the hospital left a recorded message telling me how much money to bring with me. This will not be close to the whole bill but this is what I have to pay to have surgery. I am responsible up to $10,000 a year under my insurance. I have never been hospitalized or had surgery under my insurance because I of the cost. I have not had surgery in eleven years, the last time I had insurance I could afford.

Alex

[doublevision1]

Paying for health care by credit card, cash, cheque, whatever, sounds as crazy to me as forking over cash to the police if I was the victim of a crime or to the fire dept for hosing down my burning home.  

[HVAC]

One Hospital told me if I pay the bill at the time of service I only have to pay fifty percent of my part of the bill. I was only told this because I said something about more charges after my copay. If I had not asked like most people do not I would have paid twice as much for the procedure.

The truth since my insurance is a PPO I should only have to pay a copay. They get around it by making you sign something saying you will pay the difference.

What is nuts is you can have ten people having the same procedure and each person is charged differently mostly by what insurance you have.

Alex


Alex

[johnniebear]

My MRI bill for the brain & cervica spine W/O contrast was nearly $11,000 in the Chicago area at a hospital,  however the lower insurance rate was reduced to $6,850.  
I had a co-pay $400.  they wanted it Up front -I refused,  guess what? I got them to write it off,  six or seven MRI done there just this year. I'm sure they could afford to write it off.
I found out the true cost of MRI is around $700- $900

                   THEY ARE OVER  CHARGING US BECAUSE THEY CAN.



Then add another $900 for each MRI for the radiologist to give you a report,  that may I repeat may spend on Five minutes at best looking at the data.


My local neuro was outraged at what the hospitals are charging. I now threaten to take my MRI orders to a out of network provider & I've called them.  they are glad to accept only what the insurance will pay them...

                       We have to play hard ball  with providers that overcharge us..

Try  it  if your able..

Wish you all the best,

John..

[RedFlame]

This whole thing sounds shady to me--sorry to hear your bladder problem is still acting up too

[Lulu54]

This really confuses and concerns me.  With your insurance you should have a co-pay or an amount that you are responsible for.  

People without insurance are often asked to pay for services in advance.  My nephew's partner is uninsured and  was recently in kidney failure (she's 22years old) and they would not do the kidney biopsy until she paid 50% of the bill.  Crazy, huh?


I can see requiring the copay at the time of service and in fact I do pay that copay to my neuro's office before I see him.  It is part of my checking in process.  Co-pays are a set, predetermined dollar amount.

But paying your part of the bill is difficult to do as you pointed out, when you are not sure what the insurance will cover.  That bill should come to you after the insurance has paid their share.

The $15 processing fee is just nonsense, and doesn't sound right to me.  Since you like this doctor, I would take a few minutes to write a letter and explain why it is not possible for you to continue with this practice.  Perhaps the doc doesn't know about this billing setup.  I would also contact your insurance company and ask about this, too.  

sorry you are dealing with this - good luck in finding a new uro!
Lulu

[Sailorsong]

I Neuro I was seeing started asking to be payed up front in CASH, No checks or credit cards. I stoped seeing him because of this and the fact I was getting nowhere with him A few months later I heard he closed his practice.

Dennis

[tonyad]

Yep!  Count me in. A PCP I used to go to required pymnt Before
services were rendered.

    ~Tonya

[HVAC]

All the time.I had to pay for my MRIs and then was reimbursed once my insurance the biggest group plan in the state paid.

Alex