DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
30 comments:
Why not! We get charged and rescheduled if we are late!
Absolutely! For one, doctors should not be able to charge ridiculous prices such as $150 for 15 minutes of face time. It's not fair. That 15 minutes for him is half my week's pay. Doctors and medicine is the most corrupt of anything I can think of.
When they take My Time to be with a Pharmasutical Rep, Yes!!
I don't mind a 15 min. back up as we all know things don't run smooth all the time, but other than that----yeah, let me deduct the amt per min the Dr charges from My Bill!
Then you run into the problems of doctors rushing through the appointment times, neglecting the needs of patients, trying to keep all appointments on time. I would rather wait for a few minutes for an unhurried doctor that will listen and not look at the clock
If you have to wait more than 15-20 minutes, then absolutely YES! And that includes time in the exam room as well!
Try sending them a bill, then, when they don't pay, go thru the collection process.
11:23
Doctors already do that! That is why they intentionally overbook appts. that they know that they can not get to propperly. And yes, I have been employed in the medical field and know this for a fact. The real problem is the insurance companies charge so much for insurance because of all the entitled looking to sue for anything in the hopes of getting more money. The doctors are forced to heard us in like cattle just so they can afford to keep the lights on. If you think it is bad now, wait till Nobama's plan goes into effect!
No. Doctors provide an essential service. Do I care if I wait an extra 20-30 minutes? Not really. I've sat in more offices/hospitals than most. Why are people willing to wait to get a seat at their favorite restaurant, but not the doctor they prefer? Yeah, waiting isn't optimum. But I'm not changing doctors, rather go to a Doc who has patients, then one who doesn't.
Doctors think they God and most of them don't really care about there patients.
11:47 - Docs provide essential services true; so do EMS's, firefighters and police. By your statement we should all expect to wait a half hour or more for anyone that provides essential services because they can't be professional and schedule their time with consideration and respect rather than total greed. When they schedule 15 people for 10AM and rush from room to room hoping to spend less than 4 minutes per and collect insurance money for as many procedures as they can dream up it's time to find a different Doc. The giveaway is when you can only find Yachting, Golf,Money, and Investor's Weekly as reading material in the waiting room.
Dr staub in Pocomoke came out into the waiting are once while I was there, and apologized to all of us. I was sad to see him leave private practice, he is a good doctor.
Hell yes!
The doctor's who really care are the ones who refuse to affiliate with a hospital.
Which part of waiting?
1. wait in the waiting room
2. wait in the little cubical
3. wait to pay your fee
4. wait for the next appt.
My moma says , wait broke the wagon down.
1204-I guess it depends in what neighborhood you live in. Go to PG County or in SE DC, and see how long response times are. Trust me, there are in no hurry, and it's gotta lot to do with demographics.
To be honest, it sounds like you've had some experience with bad doctors. I've had both bad experiences, and extraordinarily good experiences. An Oncologist I used to go to, first meeting we had we conversed for about 3-4 hours, going over the entire medical history, and how he was going to approach the problem. Every subsequent visit, the doctor would spend atleast another 20-30 "extra" minutes with us. You obviously have been shortchanged, but that's not my problem. Maybe a little more time researching docs, and less time b*tching about them. I've seen the inside of many doc offices, and yes, there have been a few where literally 10 minutes into the first appt, I realize I'm never going back. But you have to use discretion, it's your health we're talking about. At the same time, I'm willing to wait 20 minutes in order to see the doctor of my preference. I'd rather wait and recieve the opinion of a doc I respect, rather than see a Doc who I don't.
Healthcare would be FREE if we did this. Woooo hoooo! Start it up next week.
I guess it would depend on why you were left waiting. If they are over booking then yes they should reimburse you. If the doctor had an emergency he was attending to then no. What about a ob/gyn doc?? They sometimes are delayed because they are delivering a baby. You can't hold that against that doctor.
absolutely especially when i show up 15 minutes early for my appointment and still have to wait an hour.im charged if i have to reschedule or run late.
yes, yes and yes.
The problem starts with the desire to make more money. To make more money, you have to see more patients. They double and even triple book patients to achieve this desire.
You should always ask when you arrive, or for that matter, call before you leave and ask them if they are running behind. IF they are re-schedule.
I have no problem leaving an office due to the wait times. I give them 15 mins past my appointment time. I also don't pay until I have been seen. There are several doctor offices that say "hey, why don't you pay now, you know while you are waiting?" Nope not a chance!
If you don't want to wait, then leave. Make sure you follow it up with an email or letter to the doc explaining why you left.
Oh and ANON 1256: really? Don't you think it may be the other way around. Personally I find it weird that some docs don't have privileges at the local hospital. I would much rather deal with my own doc that a hospitalists when I need to be there for anything other than an ED visit.
Those of you who don't mind waiting must not be currently employed (and I don't mean that in a bad way). Many of us have to take time away from work for dr. appts. and can't wait an hour or more to be seen.
Heck no. Bill the government. They're always looking for new ways to give away money.
Anonymous said...
Doctors think they God and most of them don't really care about there patients.
July 1, 2011 11:48 AM
Obviously, This person chose not to go to 4 years of college, 4 years of Med school, 4 years of Intern, residency, and fellowships. Most Dr's don't start making Money until there 30 years old. Then, in debt for several 100 thousand dollars.
"Doctors think they God". Did you even finish highschool?
If you had to payback $500,000.00, before you died around 60. You gotta hussle.
Tom Sawyer
Absolutely! Doctors need to respect other people's time. They get paid incredible sums of money strictly for "face" time so maybe we should get a credit for our lost time. Good care or bad, proper diagnosis or misdiagnosis everything is a "billable" event. And in our rural community they operate in essentially a single supplier monopoly. Doctors routinely overbook without any concern for what impact that may have on their patients. When they make this decision it shows that they have prioritized their own income above any concern for their patients. This is a greedy and arrogant attitude.
8:24, do YOU work in the medical field? The cuts from Medicare are just horrendous. If you think they are making a lot of money, think again! Medicare won't even let a doctor bill for a consultation anymore, and they reimburse less on testing every year. Doctors aren't getting rich and neither are their employees. And yeah, some do get overloaded with patients from time to time. If everyone took care of their bodies and ate right like they are supposed to, maybe there wouldn't be so many sick people in the world.
Good 1049 its about damn time. This is one area in which the all mighty dollar should not drive a mans mission.
That's like saying should politians reimburse voters for wasting tax payers money, good luck!
absolutely , in response to 1049 I do work in the medical field. I see a lot of wasted money Drs. going on vacation on the company ,eating on the company , believe me they are raking in the money. Even with the medicare payments there are a ton of other insurances that are giving them a substancial amount of money. Really don't you think that the doctors should help out there pts a little bit more then always thinking about themselves . I have actually heard some DRs. saying I will not work for any less If you cannot afford to pay then I will not see that pt. You tell me what kind of service is that.
8:24
If you do not think doctors are not well paid you are hopelessly naive! I have two family members who work for doctors so I have specific and relevant information. Doctors also operate in a business model where they get paid for their time and every procedure they do even if they don't do things right. They can misdiagnose or do an unnecessary surgery and they are still able to bill in full, even if they have violated the creed of "first do no harm".
In my business I have seen many garnishments for medical bills when the actual surgical or medical procedure had the net effect of actually hurting the patient not helping! This goes on all the time unless the incompetence is so egregious that malpractice issues come up. Then we need to discuss tort reform which is beyond the scope of this thread.
I have waited in the waiting room for an hour and a half before, and then in the exam room for another hour. (Yes, I have a job.) When the doctor came in he immediately apologized and began talking to me about why I was there. He had read the chart but wanted clarification. I explained everything and he took care of it. Afterward he asked if there was anything else ailing me. I decided to talk to him about another, what I considered "minor" issue, and he spent another 20 minutes with me, explaining what the symptoms were indicative of, and giving me decent medical advice. If he did that for the 10 patients he saw before me, then I understand the wait. AND, I have no problem with it. You people who are saying yes probably have a crappy doctor that takes no time with you or anyone else and is more interested in the almighty dollar instead of his patients. My doc is great. I would wait all day to see him because I trust him.
'Nuff said.
TO 1040 yes the Drs. do apologize for the wait they have no choice. but to be nice to you or they will loss you as a patient.What you do not know is when the pt leaves the Dr. complains about that pt. and in not kind words. I do know this happens I am a nurse working in the medical field . There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes so yes I do think without a doubt that the Dr.s. should get billed> I do agree there is that occasional Dr. that is kind and would go out of there way to actually help their pts ,but very few . I love my pts and will go out of my way to help any way that I can no matter what my boss Dr. says even if that means me loosing my job with me my Pts come first no matter what.
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