Doctors: Good Source Of Free Healthcare
Times are tough and money is tight. Many of my clients have started spacing out their appointments more than is ideal. Some have disappeared altogether. The pharmacist across the street was telling me that people are starting to forgo their cholesterol meds.
One client left a voicemail to cancel an appointment, asking me to call her at the scheduled time so we could "just have a phone appointment instead." I returned her call, saying if she was feeling stable we could occassionally have shorter phone appointment in lieu of in-person meetings, but that the usual fees for my time would apply. This seemed to surprise her, as she asked why there would be a charge for "just checking in on the phone."
Hmm. Why? I guess for the same reason that take-out food isn't free?
But apparently this is a common idea. I was reading an article yesterday in Women's Day magazine (don't ask) entitled "How To Save $1,000's On Everything!". One suggestion was this: "CALL FOR YOUR FOLLOW-UP: It's common for a doctor to ask you to come back in a couple of weeks for a follow-up. Ask why this is necessary and whether a follow-up phone call will suffice. Usually it will, and you'll avoid the cost of a second visit."
Can I just say, obnoxious? How about instead: "Ask how much risk there would be from not having follow-up for the condition the doctor has just started treating you for, and then decide whether you'd rather pay for her help or take your chances with your health."
One client left a voicemail to cancel an appointment, asking me to call her at the scheduled time so we could "just have a phone appointment instead." I returned her call, saying if she was feeling stable we could occassionally have shorter phone appointment in lieu of in-person meetings, but that the usual fees for my time would apply. This seemed to surprise her, as she asked why there would be a charge for "just checking in on the phone."
Hmm. Why? I guess for the same reason that take-out food isn't free?
But apparently this is a common idea. I was reading an article yesterday in Women's Day magazine (don't ask) entitled "How To Save $1,000's On Everything!". One suggestion was this: "CALL FOR YOUR FOLLOW-UP: It's common for a doctor to ask you to come back in a couple of weeks for a follow-up. Ask why this is necessary and whether a follow-up phone call will suffice. Usually it will, and you'll avoid the cost of a second visit."
Can I just say, obnoxious? How about instead: "Ask how much risk there would be from not having follow-up for the condition the doctor has just started treating you for, and then decide whether you'd rather pay for her help or take your chances with your health."
posted by Turbo at 3:22 PM
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