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MamaMia

2/6/2006, 04:24 PM

Call me out of the loop but have any of you ever heard of a physicians office asking you to pay your co pay for an operation by handing the doctor a check the morning of the surgery?

A week ago last Tuesday, I asked the girl who does the billing at my oncology/gyns office in Oklahoma City to let me know what the charges will be for my surgery. I was there in the same clinic again on the following Thursday for a biopsy. I asked if she had the figures ready but she didnt. I had planned to pay my part ahead of time that day since my surgery was scheduled less than 6 days later for this Wednesday. None of the papers I was previuosly given mentioned anything about when I was expected to pay my 20%. Eventhough I'm usually billed for that, I sometimes like to pay ahead, especially since my deductible has already been met.

Well, this afternoon she called me and told me what the charges were and added that I would be expected to pay that before he does the hysterectomy on Wednesday. I live 3 hours away so there is no way I can do that. I guess I could have driven up there tomorrow to give them a check but I'm not feeling very well. I called and explained this to a second girl who works there and she suggested that I hand a check to the doctor at the hospital before the surgery. Is that the way they do business nowadays? Handing a check to the doctor while I'm laying there in a hospital gown with an IV in my hand seems unprofessional to me. :(

1stTimeCaller

2/6/2006, 04:26 PM

surely you could pay the people when you go up to the window to check in couldn't you?

Mjcpr

2/6/2006, 04:28 PM

Could you put it in your underwear with a note maybe?

MamaMia

2/6/2006, 04:28 PM

surely you could pay the people when you go up to the window to check in couldn't you?I wont be back in his office before the surgery. I'm expected to be at the hospital at 7:00 am on Wednesday.

Could you put it in your underwear with a note maybe?
Actually, thats about the only way I can think of to make sure he gets his extra 20%, other than postponing the operation until next week.

1stTimeCaller

2/6/2006, 04:29 PM

don't you have to check in at the hospital?

Phil

2/6/2006, 04:30 PM

Call me out of the loop but have any of you ever heard of a physicians office asking you to pay your co pay for an operation by handing the doctor a check the morning of the surgery?

I didn't give a check to the doc, but I did give one to the girl at the front desk of the surgery center the morning I had my knee surgery a few weeks ago. I got a call from them a few days before asking me to do it. It blew me away - I had never had that happen before.

MamaMia

2/6/2006, 04:32 PM

This and the fact that he thought I could get by with advil after the biopsy, when I had never been in that much pain since childbirth, is giving me second thoughts about this.

I called my family care physician and she called me something in...thank heavens! :eek:

IB4OU2

2/6/2006, 04:34 PM

I wont be back in his office before the surgery. I'm expected to be at the hospital at 7:00 am on Wednesday.

Mom you can pay then, when you check in and also make sure your'e paying for 20% of the negotiated price of the surgery (between Ins. and Doc/Hospital).

I was charged a non negotiated price one time and paid much more than I should have. I'll be thinking about you Wednesday morning.....

Mjcpr

2/6/2006, 04:40 PM

IB4 is en fuego with the info today.

crawfish

2/6/2006, 04:41 PM

The've done that for my wife's past few surgeries. What is infuriating is that they overestimated the cost of one surgery; we had to call them multiple times to get them to admit it, and then they told us we'd have to wait until their next "billing period" to refund our money.

What's even more infuriating is the time the expected anasthesiologist was out, and they substituted another without telling us. We had gone to great pains to find one in our plan, and the new one was not. They sent us the extra bill for 600 bucks, when all we should've paid for the ENTIRE SURGERY was $50. It took weeks, three levels of management and a legal threat to finally get them to write the expense off. :mad:

IB4OU2

2/6/2006, 04:42 PM

IB4 is en fuego with the info today.

Sorry, it's kinda boring at work today..........:O

1stTimeCaller

2/6/2006, 04:45 PM

good luck Mom! I hope everything goes great.

PhxSooner

2/6/2006, 04:46 PM

I had outpatient ear surgery last Tuesday. We had to pay our 20% at the front desk when I checked in. I think they called the Friday before to tell me what the cost would be. It was a little strange.

IB4OU2

2/6/2006, 04:48 PM

I didn't give a check to the doc, but I did give one to the girl at the front desk of the surgery center the morning I had my knee surgery a few weeks ago. I got a call from them a few days before asking me to do it. It blew me away - I had never had that happen before.

Knee surgery? What kind Phil?

MamaMia

2/6/2006, 04:59 PM

Well, I called and asked the girl about my options and she got real snappy and said that maybe we should send the check and she'll call to schedule my operation once she recieves it. I then phoned the girl that I have working in our front office. Shes going to schedule back all of our non emergencies that she'd scooted over till next week, call my insurance company to get the figures straight herself and send that doctor a corporate check by certified mail.

Oh well, thanks for ya'lls advice. :(

olevetonahill

2/6/2006, 08:23 PM

BajaOklahoma

2/6/2006, 08:32 PM

Remember that this doctor's office has no payment history on you yet. And you are from out-of-town, which can make the collection expenses higher (you old deadbeat you!).
Because our insurance plan changes every year (self-funded through the husband's job), I've been used to paying our part in advance. They usually don't send out a refund until they get their money from the Insurance company.

Oh, and never ever call a doctor's office on a Monday or Friday unless it is an emergency. They are usually very busy, stressed out and less polite than on Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday.

soonerbrat

2/6/2006, 08:51 PM

I dunno..i had surgery last year and i made payment arrangements..they never even suggested that I pay beforehand. That's really strange.

On one hand it might be good because if you get a set price, they can't do a bunch of add ons and charge you more.