What would you think if your doctor told you he was now charging you an annual fee to be his patient?
More and more doctors across the country are asking patients to pay a fee for services that insurance doesn’t cover. Most of us have seen charges for missed appointments, but fees are also being charged for such services as filing out school physicals, work questions and athletic forms, according to USA Today.
William Jessee, president of the Medical Group Management Association says “It’s not unlike the airlines. They’ve gone from all-inclusive to a la carte”.
It appears that the number of doctors charging these fees are in the minority, but the trend is on the rise. Jessee says primary care doctors face increased financial pressures as insurance reimbursements haven’t kept up with costs. More and more doctors are seeking to charge annual administration fees. Tony Brayer, MD, a 20-year old physician who wrote a response piece on OpposingViews.com is in favor of a flat administrative fee of about $125 a year rather than “nickel and diming patients”.
It makes sense to check with insurers before implementing these fees. John Syer, a vice president over provider contracting at WellPoint, which operates 14 BlueCross BlueShield plans, says such fees may violate provider agreements if doctors charge for items insurers consider included in their payments.
Share
#1 by Robert Alpert on June 16th, 2010
Quote
I have had some physcians claim it is to cover their mal practice fees. They made it voluntary but made you feel like a cheap skate if you did not pay the fee. I do not agree with these extra fees.
#2 by Jane Loxley on June 17th, 2010
Quote
I would tell the doctor to check his contract language. It is illegal in the state of AZ to charge patients extra fees. Most commercial contracts forbid charging patients for anything beyond copay, coinsurance, deductible or non-covered services…
#3 by sharon wilson on June 17th, 2010
Quote
i have worked for physicains for over 32 years,. my first job was with a Physician that was both family and surgeon. When i filled out waht was called a street policy. he charged a 5.00 fee. all the physicians did this. so why the big deal for charging for extra policies. The Physicain that i work for has to pay my salary to fill out these disability , street policy and etc. We haved to accept the form with a prolonged explanation from the patient. we have topull the chart and review. fill out the form, take it to the Dr. for review and signature. copy it, mail it with an envelope and stamp. take it to mailbox, finally file chart away, and then if the insurance co has any questions. we repeat the sme procedure. so what is the beef..??
tired.
#4 by anand roy on June 18th, 2010
Quote
yes! i fully agree. doctors should & must exercise their rights like JOe Plumber who charges what he wants even for drive time & back to his home even without education & license.
look termite guys, membership & yearly fees? do not you pay for your house health?
Then your personal health is more important! If you are alive , then you gonna enjoy life & do what you are dooing?
why you tie hands of doctors only?
yes, by allmeans, all doctors should rapidly get into this & charge $1000.00 / year membership. this will avoid doctor shopping from one to another also. bring loyality in patients to doctors as well while doctor will try to keep good members!
Dr. anand Roy.
#5 by Kara on June 18th, 2010
Quote
I am a Nurse Practitioner who accepts insurance payments for services I render. Each insurance plan makes their own rules about what is a covered service and what isn’t in addition to setting the amounts I am reimbursed for covered services. Sometimes the reimbursements do not cover the actual costs incurred. And there are many instances in my daily life that are services that are given for free. Example: medication refill requests—the bane of my existence! Each patient requests requires the chart to be reviewed, allergies checked, last visit note about the medical diagnosis attached to the medication to be read in order to determine the request is valid and if it is safe to refill the request, and then calling or faxing a response to the pharmacy(sometimes twice if the first response is lost). This takes me between 5-15 minutes depending on the type of request. If it is a controlled substance, I have to review the state database which adds another 5 minutes. I spend about 60-90 minutes a day on erroneous and valid medication refill requests. And this is not a covered service according to insurances, nor is the time I spend documenting a patient visit or other nonvisit phone calls. Right now all that time is spent for FREE. I work 60 hours already. So I don’t think it’s unfair to charge a fee for extra services that are not covered by insurances, such as the various forms outside agencies might require a person to have that isn’t related to an covered insurance concern. Time is something that costs money and you only get the spend it once. It is not a renewable resource. Do you work for free? And if you don’t why do you expect me to? Read Ayn Rand—eventually even the stubborn entrepreneur will give up when the cost is too high to succeed.
#6 by Arnold Robbins MD on June 18th, 2010
Quote
Doctors-especially in medical specialities, but even in surgical specialities, are grossly underpaid. This is not gouging–it is survival!!!!
#7 by Shawn on June 19th, 2010
Quote
I agree with charging additional fees. Insurance companies are not doing their part on behalf of the patients and the incredible premiums patients are paying. They are placing more and more responsibility on doctors and their staff and this should not be tolerated. Patients are becoming more demanding and doctor’s should be compensated accordingly. Nothing is free and my husband’s education certainly wasn’t. Time is money and the time doctors spend completing lengthy forms should be compensated.
#8 by Linda Seim, DC on June 20th, 2010
Quote
I don’t know the answer to the problem but I wonder when the insurance companies became doctors and make all the decisions on health care. I have taken a pay cut every year for the past 15 years due to managed care contracted rates. I may not be able to afford to stay in business at this rate since none of my costs have gone down in the same time (in fact they have all gone up!) I am afraid that soon there will be a real shortage of doctors since we will all need to go into another business to pay our bills. So while I hate the extra fees, and so far have not done this, I can certainly understand those who do.
#9 by Dr. Ray Ruginis on June 21st, 2010
Quote
This leads me to mention the biggest part of healthcare reform that is being ignored….the fact that doctors can’t survive unless their reimbursements are kept up with the cost of doing business. The whole system is a mess. The medicare cut is another blow to our seniors. Doctors are now turning away from taking medicare….the system isn’t working.
#10 by Dionne T on June 21st, 2010
Quote
Annual fees are a bad idea in most cases. I am sure that an exclusive Doctor who does not take new patients would want to keep his patients committed or else bumped out. The comment about charging for certain reports has been done for a long time. The Doctor has to go out of his way to write an additional report that is not required by insurance or the medical board. Yes, they should charge for that. The insurance companies usually do not pay enough for the test to cover his time for the report as well.
#11 by Chris Carraway, DC DIBCN on June 24th, 2010
Quote
I can not wrap my heart around a yearly fee just for being a patient.
I am thinking about charging a extra fee for “Walkins”. I get so mad on Fridays when I a busting it to get ouf of the office and have a well planned fast paced exit with high patient volume….only to have 6 walkins limp in who should have been in 4 days ago…..totally wreck my Friday exit and extend my stay 60 to 90 minutes.
I will come in on weekends, holidays, 3 am. I have come in on Christmas and Easter to see an emergency. I have left a family vacation before to drive 2 hours home to see one patient.
But if you get between me and the beach on a Friday. GRRRRR. I honestly feel that this anger is unhealthy and life shortening. MY LIFE!!!
I am toying with a $20 CASH MONEY Walkin Charge on Fridays after 12 noon.
#12 by annette on June 29th, 2010
Quote
In no other line of business are people expected to do things for free, so why should physicians or their staff?
Absolutely should charge for forms, or the annual fee.
#13 by Charlene on July 2nd, 2010
Quote
Every other industry has some kind of additional fee for something…we see it with airlines, banking and law. I had an attorney bill me $51 just to run my credit card to pay for his services. WTH!
#14 by yasmin on July 26th, 2010
Quote
Majority of the exams done at our place, have to go through a prior authorization, which is not only tedious, but requires so much of extra employee time to get the office notes from the referring doctors office. This in turn takes the time of their employees. which the insurance companies are requiring them to do. I understand that insurance companies are trying to prevent abuse, but majority are the real needy ones and the EXTRA BURDEN put on the doctors office to carry out the process. Insurance companies are trying to protect their pockets, reducing the reimbursements and additionally putting these extra work on the doctors office. I think all doctors office should either add, have an amended contract with the insurance company to get paid for this extra work or the contract should say that the doctor can charge the patient for this prior authorization work. IN CONCLUSION DOCTORS OFFICE IS FILING FOR THE INSURANCE AS A COURTESY TO THE PATIENTS, WAITING FOR COLLECTIONS 4 WEEKS AND SOMETIMES GETTING DENIED OR UNDER PAID. Payment for this extra work should be either on the insurance or the patient and not the doctors office.