Billing for an "office visit" with free preventative care - is this the new healthcare scam?

[Anonymous]

Even Kaiser does this to me at my normal doctors appt. If I have an issue or want to bring up a problem they will charge more.

In doctors defense, patients would come in for a 5 min appt with super long lists and would clog up the schedule. Instead they’re supposed to make a longer appt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even Kaiser does this to me at my normal doctors appt. If I have an issue or want to bring up a problem they will charge more.

In doctors defense, patients would come in for a 5 min appt with super long lists and would clog up the schedule. Instead they’re supposed to make a longer appt.

No, read the previous responses. They are charging a full separate visit for things that took no additional time. And refills absolutely have been included in well visits. For decades.

[Anonymous]

They've had that for years, before covid. There's a sign on the desk that says if you say anything about how you are feeling to a doctor, it's charged as a separate visit.

So now I get to pay insurance premiums but I don't go to doctor even for a physical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They've had that for years, before covid. There's a sign on the desk that says if you say anything about how you are feeling to a doctor, it's charged as a separate visit.

So now I get to pay insurance premiums but I don't go to doctor even for a physical.

OP here. None of our doctors have signs about this and like I said the first time it ever happened to me was last year. But now I’m on full alert. I already knew at the ped that I needed to decline all the extra testing they throw at you. If I’m here for an ear infection I don’t need a strep test or flu test - that’s just another $80 out of my pocket on top of the visit fee.

[Anonymous]

This kind of thing has really eroded my trust in doctors. On a related note, private equity ruins everything it touches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This has happened to me twice now. We go in for a physical which is fully covered by insurance and then end up receiving a bill for an "office visit" for $150+.

The first time it was for me and I was told it was because I "discussed a new issue" with my doctor. 1. - I didn't. He asked if I needed a refill for a condition I've had for 20+ years. I said yes. B. Even if I did bring up a minor issue, do they not want us to answer honestly when they ask us health questions or ask if we have any concerns? We should just say nope!

Then it happened again with my daughter at a completely different practice. The NP (because of course the ped doesn't do physicals) decided she wanted my daughter screened for a minor issue by a specialist. An issue that we did not ask about and were not concerned about. So she handed me a piece of paper with some pre-typed names on it. Turns out that writing "referred patient for X" is enough to get you billed for an "office visit." So then I took my daughter to said specialist (another $150+) for them to laugh and say my daughter definitely does not have X condition. And then I received the bill from the Ped's office for an "office visit" instead of the well visit.

In both cases, the conversation about the "issue" was less than 60 seconds and not initiated by me. After some back and forth and arguing I was able to get the charges removed. But both required persistence, multiple phone calls and talking to more than one person. Which I guess they are counting on a certain percentage of people not doing. In both cases they acted like they are doing me a favor rather than correcting their own error (best case scenario) or outright billing fraud (worst case scenario.)

So just, be very aware and vigilant for this, particularly if you are on a high deductible plan.

This doesn’t sound ethical. My wonderful long-time doctor has now closed her practice, but whenever I called to book a physical the staff would tell me that any additional concerns would need a separate visit. I never got charged extra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a chronic issue that requires medication but no maintenance from the doctor. I used to get refills without a problem as part of my wellness visit but now they kicked it up to an office visit. It’s definitely annoying. They’ve had electronic records for a decade so I really don’t think it’s that.

My son's pediatrician has started this too and I'm ticked. Zero conversation required, doctor already established that this is likely a minor issue they will have for years and use a prescription cream as needed.... now whenever we run out of cream I'm paying for an office visit? I'm wondering if I should be bundling this with another issue, like if we go in for an ear infection should I also mention the skin cream or will they balk at that?

[Anonymous]

This bugs me too.

I go to two places in my head.

1. Attempt to not bring anything up. They take my vitals and tests, just here for a “checkup.” Don’t say anything. When they ask stuff, answer normally, positively, “fine.” Etc.

2. Or, just forget about the free preventive. Go to my checkups, or anytime I want to go, and say all the things that bother me.

I would go with #2, but I really really hate the new doctor they assigned me, and I try to keep quiet. Must switch offices entirely, soon.

[Anonymous]

Just don’t go see the doctors. You people whine a lot. You have a choice!

[Anonymous]

A free preventative care visit (or a “checkup”) is for the appropriate health screenings ONLY. If you have other concerns, you are likely going to pay your copay. It’s not new or a scam, except to the extent that the entire system is a scam.

[Anonymous]

Also IDK what you mean by “of course the ped doesn’t do physicals.” Your ped sucks. Get a new one.

[Anonymous]

I feel really lucky that I haven’t had this happen with my general practitioner. I see her every six months at least, and once a year that’s my well visit and we talk about everything even new minor problems. This is a private practice though, I stay away from the large healthcare systems for stuff like this.

[Anonymous]

My PCP is part of a big academic practice and they have signs up on the wall about this and also require the patient to sign a form that has 2 check boxes: either you want a preventive visit and will only discuss preventive health topics including screenings, or you have other items to discuss such as refills or symptoms and there will be an office visit fee.

I actually appreciate this approach since they give it to the doctor and it’s all very clear and there shouldn’t be any surprises with billing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A free preventative care visit (or a “checkup”) is for the appropriate health screenings ONLY. If you have other concerns, you are likely going to pay your copay. It’s not new or a scam, except to the extent that the entire system is a scam.

It is both new and a scam. It was not happening before. If your doctor says “have you had any insomnia?” to you at your well visit, saying “yes, sometimes” shouldn’t cost $150. If they aren’t going to screen for potential issues, there is no point to the visits at all and we should stop doing them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This bugs me too.

I go to two places in my head.

1. Attempt to not bring anything up. They take my vitals and tests, just here for a “checkup.” Don’t say anything. When they ask stuff, answer normally, positively, “fine.” Etc.

2. Or, just forget about the free preventive. Go to my checkups, or anytime I want to go, and say all the things that bother me.

I would go with #2, but I really really hate the new doctor they assigned me, and I try to keep quiet. Must switch offices entirely, soon.

I’m just going to straight up say to the doctor “I’d love to answer your questions honestly, but I can’t because your biller will charge me for a full additional office visit even though I’m already here and we aren’t going over our allotted time.”