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
32 comments:
Will that include the amount of time kept on hold?
That is a lie and has nothing to do with the new law. He makes it sound like he is forced to charge you, not true.
That claim is BS. Change doctors.
Since when do doctors charge you jut to call them? I say screw dr bounds find another doctor who CARES
good for them,i agree 100%. if it is important enough to waste their time, its important enough to pay for. if you have time to sit on the phone and ask for a diagnosis, you have time to go into the office like everyone else.
i sent my reply too soon, doctors have to make a living somehow, insurance companies pay next to nothing, malpractice insurance is out the roof. then the patients want to call on the phone and be diagnosed without coming in to the office for free. of course, they would be the first to sue if something was wrong, saying why would a doctor give advice over the phone without seeing the patient.
Anon 1:58, Thank you!! People are always looking for freebies, especially on health care advice. I agree 100% with this new charge.
The note didn't say due to Healthcare Law, it said HealthCare legislation. Hence means, physicians are being paid less and trying to make up the difference for when a patient decides they don't want to come to the office and pay for services they would rather suck up time from the nursing staff.
This also helps for the patient's who come to the office for a visit and decides when they get home "oh I forgot to ask a question" or "oh I need my prescription refilled".
Make sure you have all your questions written down before presenting to the office.
Physicians office are "for profit" and not a free clinic.
he's not a quack.. he happens to be an incredibly talented doctor. Things are not for free... ever go to a lawyer's office and get "free" advice.. NEVER
and doctors go to more school, more training, and have obviously more liability than lawyers
So how are you all liking the new Obama care!!!
Get used to it
You wanted ObamaCare, you got ObamaCare. You thought it was going to be free didn't you? We tried to warn you.
2:06 - well then, why doesn't the doctor and/or the nurses remember to ask the patient while they are there for a doctor's visit - do you need any refills on your medication, then maybe there wouldn't be any phone calls if the patient should forget to ask.
Anon 2:06
Should they also remind you to brush your teeth and make your bed? Give me a break! It is not the Doctor's responsibility to remind you to refill you medications. Guess what? If you took your last pill it is time to refill your medication! I think this policy should be adopted by all physicians. It is also absurd that people think they can just call the office and request medication for their illness without being seen. Plenty of people do this simply to avoid having to pay for a visit. Tell me in what other profession can you request a service and expect it to be done free of charge? The answer is none. Why then should you expect free service from your doctor? I guarantee you will see a lot more of these types of policies in the near future particularly if Obamacare gets implemented and I say it is about time.
Thanks for letting me know to never go to this doctor.
It's all about the DOLLAR!
Doctors don't give a squat about taking care of patients anymore.
I've called my doctors office before regarding getting a prescription refilled (which doesn't need an office visit) and I've been put on hold for a long time!
Now, this doctor wants to charge for that?
I say, stay away and put this joker out of business!
This is nothing more than him FORCING you to make an office visit which costs a lot more than the $25.00 to begin with!
Heck, I think if I was one of his patients and I needed to call, I would purposely keep them on the phone for let's say...1/2 hour?
Bet they'd get tired of that in a hurry! If I'd have to pay, I'd want my money's worth!
My experience with his particular medical practice has been very concerning. I would like to suggest that this office make a thorough internal audit of its front and back office protocol before it institutes this new charge to its patients.
What about my time spent in a waiting room for 30 -45 mins to be seen after arriving at the scheduled time of the appointment?
2:06 sounds like a liberal democrat, always looking for someone else to blame. It's the patient's responsibility to ask for a Rx refill if needed, not the doctor's staff.
4:35, I agree! I think that us patients should present a bill schedule to the doctor's office the next time that we are there. For example, the first 15 minutes past your appointment time you are sitting in the outer waiting room, charge $10. Each subsequent 5 minutes is $2. When we are called back and are waiting to be seen, Charge $15 for the first 10 minutes we are waiting, ($20 if we had to strip down and are covered with the obligatory paper sheet), each subsequent 5 minutes is $3.00. If the doctor spends 5 minutes with us, we subtract $10 from what we owe him. When we go to check out, we tell the receptionist that they can expect our bill to them in the mail, and payment is expected upon receipt. If enough people do that, I bet the service would improve, and there would be REAL healthcare reform.
First of all, I cannot believe that someone would take a picture of this sign and have it posted so that RUDE people can make comments.Dr. Bounds is a very smart physician as are the other 5 physicians in the practice. I am sure that the $25.00 fee does not apply to patients calling for refills on their medications. That call does not go to the nursing office, that goes to the prescription line. Why should nurses, techs and doctors be solely responsible for asking every single patient if they need refill on their medications. Patients need to take responsibility for their own health care!!! What other doctors office in Salisbury can you call, spend a minimum of 20 mins on the phone with a registered nurse about diagnosis, labs and other test results???? I do not know of any. They all have you make an appointment to be seen!!!
Its his office he can do what he darn sure wants to, end of story.
Is this delmarva heart ?
3:58
That is all it has ever been about.
Doctors need to drive big cars and have big houses, how do you think they get them.
The health care in this country is one of the main reasons why working america is broke.
Yes broke not going broke.
I got bleach in my eye went to the emergency room.
$900.00 to get my eye washed out.
NO joke.
There are five other physicians in this practice. All are very good at what they do. They are extremely busy, and I doubt they would suffer by losing a few patients to another practice. Not happy with their new rule, find a new Cardiology group!
Is this Dr. Chris Bounds - who grew up in Salisbury and who's dad owned Bounds Funeral Home? Boy, he has sure forgotten his local roots!
Why is Dr. Bounds getting the brunt of this? Six physicians in that practice, and he is the only one that people have mentioned by name. Also, it says MAY be charged. I take that to mean that maybe or maybe not, depending on the situation.
5:19
The reason that most patients have to wait so long is because the physicians actually spend more time than alotted if they need to to answer the patients questions or help figure out the best plan of action for that one patient at the time they are being seen. Its not because they get a kick out of making you sit and wait. Don't blame the physicians for doing their jobs.
I am the owner of a business with over 40 years of experience. Yet, I have people calling me to "pick my brain" for "free" information and then turn around and buy off of the internet. My time is just as valuable as theirs and my experience has to mean something vs. a computer! People don't want to pay for service anymore these day.
If physicians didn't book appointments every 15 minutes like hair dressers people wouldn't be sitting waiting for hours on end to be seen then rushed out the door as if they were an annoyance. I don't mind paying for my doctors visit, I do mind paying for a doctors visit when I never see a doctor only some physicians assistant or high level nurse.
OKAY, we go to that office and from now on I plan to deduct 25.00 from my bill for every 5 minutes I have to wait in the waiting room and/or exam room. I love this group but this is pathetic for them to lower themselves to this. I am sick of Dr's offices thinking my time is not as valuable as theirs. By the way I do not go to Bounds, don't like Bounds, didn't like his father either. But I am sure he didn't make this up by himself....Dr's are so greedy! They live in Foxchase and West Nithsdale etc, drive BMW's and Mercedes, have big fancy offices and them want to worry about us paying $25.00 if we need to call the office. First of all nothing I need to call for will take 5 minutes unless I am put on hold like often happens at all Dr's offices. You owe your patient's an apology....all 6 of you!!!!!
Why do you only post comments that you agree with? I posted a quite lengthy comment last night and put a lot of thought in it. There was nothing wrong with it....and by the way, I do NOT work for Delmarva Heart. Don't open it up for comments if you don't respect our opinions.
anonymous 10:35, I have no clue what you're talking about. Mind you, I do not do all the moderating for SBYNews.com. If it was reviewed by someone else and it was a personal attack, had curse words in it or was all capital letters, it was rejected.
Well it didn't have any of that...maybe it was just a fluke...my bad. Now I can't remember everything I posted anyway. LOL My main thought was that doctor's office are complicated places and make a LOT less money than people think. Thanks to Medicare cuts this year will be even worse. Not saying this decision is right, just saying people would be surprised of how the financial end of healthcare has changed so much. Thanks for your time and I apologize for my earlier post.
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