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Scolded By Physician For Not Having State Funded Ins!

February 14th, 2007 at 12:39 pm

I took my son to the doctor last week as he has been having some problems with his impulsive behaviour. She had diagnosed him with ADHD in 2002. The last time he saw her was in 2004. We have tried going the non-medicated route for the last couple of years.

My job does not provide insurance and I have always paid the visit in full at the time of the visit. The doctor last week was questioning me as to why I have not applied for medicaid or chips and went on about this for several minutes. WTH?? I was really quite insulted and she was really rude about it. Why does it matter as long as the visit is paid? Maybe because when someone else is footing the bill they can do all sorts of tests etc?? Maybe it's time to find a new doctor!

11 Responses to “Scolded By Physician For Not Having State Funded Ins!”

  1. nance Says:
    1171459519

    My daughter lives in South Texas, and it seems that "welfare" is a way of life there. She gets so upset knowing that many people she knows, cheat and lie to get their kids on Medicaid, or any other "freebie". So many people feel entitled, and feel that the government should take care of them. I think you are right about the doctor being able to "gouge" the government by ordering extra tests, etc. Who do they think pays for all of this? One excuse we hear is that illegals are using the system, so citizens should get the same treatment. That just doubles the tax burden. Something needs to change.
    I admire you for wanting to pay your own way. I hope you can find a doctor who appreciates your integrity and who treats you well.

  2. Ima saver Says:
    1171463144

    I pay my own way too!

  3. campfrugal Says:
    1171463443

    They can charge more to insurances. The doctor doesn't get as much money from you when paying in cash as she would if she charged it to insurances.

  4. disneysteve Says:
    1171477627

    Before you all go bashing the doctor, step back and look at it from her point of view. Here is a child who might qualify for Medicaid but doesn't have it. Sure, Cindi, you are paying for office visits out of pocket, and I certainly commend you for that. But what happens if something more serious occurs? A broken bone? Appendicitis? Etc. Are you able to pay for those things out of pocket as well? I'm a family practice physician. I certainly encourage my uninsured patients to apply for whatever assistance they qualify for because you never know when that monster bill is going to occur. Without coverage, even a fairly short hospital stay can mean financial ruin for someone without insurance. Just a few months ago, my wife was hospitalized suddenly and had her gall bladder out. Total bill was about $28,000. Fortunately, we have insurance. Without it, that would be a big hit and we make a pretty good income. I can't imagine facing that bill if I was a low income earner.

    There is no crime and certainly no shame in accepting assistance that you need and qualify for.

  5. nance Says:
    1171483155

    Point well taken, disneysteve, and I would be willing to bet that Cindi looses sleep worrying about the "what if's". You have to admire her independence and her desire to pay her way in the world though.
    I don't have any problem with someone who works and does their best to be self- sufficient, getting assistance. I think she should apply for CHIPS for her child. What I have a problem with, is the many people who abuse the system. And, in parts of the country, the abuse is rampant.
    Maybe it was the doctor's attitude that was offensive. My daughter was told by her child's physician that she had two price lists. One for Medicaid and one for people with insurance. This is because the majority of patients in this area are on Medicaid. The lower fees from Medicaid were "balanced" by higher fees from the insurance company. My daughter has insurance, but it has very high deductibles, so she has
    a lot of "out of pocket" expenses. Thus, the negative attitude.
    I realize that physician's insurance costs are out of sight. I don't have any answers to these problems, but it is frustrating.

  6. marymara Says:
    1171490446

    Regarding major illness with no insurance while living on a limited income... in 2005 I needed a colectomy due to diverticular disease which involved several presurgery appointments, radiologists, labs, the actual surgery, the hospital costs, etc. etc. etc. The truth is that I have that $28,000 bill while living on a $20,000 annual income. The hospital cut its costs for me but the balance is the same, $28,000 and I truly appreciate that, but I received no "welfare" or "help." So what do I do......I work at paying the bill and hope to be done in about four years. Our medical system is outrageous and is probably one of the most common reasons for bankruptcy.
    You may ask why do I not have insurance. The answer, I have bipolar disorder and was not allowed to purchase it by the insurance companies. I am a widow and am not insured by my husband's work.
    A person's life should not be ruined by an illness. I do not consider it my fault that I had diverticular disease as it is hereditary in my case and it was extremely painful! But the real pain came afterward, dealing with collection agencies, etc. etc.

  7. katwoman Says:
    1171491908

    Anyone on Medicaid/Medicare could tell you it's NOT the best insurance in the world since the doctor/hospital need to go by their guidelines and these can be quite narrow. If it is the only thing available, however, you take it. Trust me, docs & hospitals LOVE private insurers. That's where they really make the money.

    Your doctor was upset with what she probably perceived as your irresponsibility. She probably came across as superior and condescending. Forget all of that. You are not going to change her manner. What she meant to say came out all wrong so let it go and instead go by what disneysteve advised. Get the insurance for the kid and save yourself any potential grief.

  8. cindilee Says:
    1171498515

    Well, for starters......this lady never asked me if I qualified for medicaid or anything else......she just simply asked......what ins do you have? I said I don't have insurance, she then says....you need to go apply for medicaid or chips or something. Now, you know..........firstly.....I might be very wealthy who knows what, (of course I don't look it lol....dead give away....) or maybe I had already applied and didnt qualify (which I havent but could have!) I was insulted by the way the lady spoke to me and the look on her face as she was saying it. The funny thing.......I have been taking my kids to her since 2001. My daughter has Graves disease and goes to this lady almost once a month because they can never get the meds the right dosage......never and I mean NEVER have I owed one red cent to that clinic. Every penny has been paid in full by the time I walk out that door!

  9. cindilee Says:
    1171498898

    I forgot to add........I'm pretty sure I would not qualify for medicaid, chips, I'm not sure about. I've heard of it although I have honestly never looked at the income guidelines. But I look at it this way.......as long as I can pay the visits, x rays, tests whatever I will continue to do so......if something happens that I have a huge bill left, and cannot pay, as in an unexpected surgery broken arm, car accident, or what ever then I will apply for help or aid at that time. I do know people that have had an emergencies and were sent to an office that handles aid etc. Right or wrong, this is just the way I see it. I do wish I had ins thru my employer though because his medicine today (we had to go back and she was still rude, even my son commented on her attitude) was $138.00 for a months supply of Concerta.

  10. disneysteve Says:
    1171508453

    cindilee - I'm not sure if it is the same in every state, but the aid you refer to is called Charity Care here. It is funded through a specific hospital and covers only hospital charges at that location. It doesn't cover anything done outside of the hospital and doesn't cover doctor visits, medicine, supplies, etc.

    So if a patient has surgery, the hospital bill could be covered by Charity Care, but follow-up visits, pain meds, antibiotics, etc. would not be covered. Even with Charity Care, a patient could find himself up to his neck in bills, or more likely be unable to get the necessary care due to lack of insurance. I have many patients who fall into that category. They have charity care but it doesn't do them a whole lot of good because what they need isn't covered by it.

    By the way, in no way am I defending or excusing the doctor for being rude. That's inappropriate in any situation, even if what she was saying happened to be correct.

  11. crazyliblady Says:
    1187534261

    Hi, Cindy. I admire you for paying for your medical care and that of your children up front and not expecting state aid to pay for it or going into debt for it. However, I agree with disneysteve that some kind of coverage is necessary, wherever it comes from. You never know when an emergency is going to occur or how much it will cost. Last year, my husband and I had medical crises that we are still dealing with. I have insurance, but he does not. About 80% of mine was either paid or written off by the hospital, but we have to pay my husband's entire bill and both together are over $4000. Because I make a good salary, we do not qualify for any aid, but I can put him on my insurance, but it is expensive. I understand that you don't want to apply for state aid, but have you considered applying for different employment with better benefits? If you can't do that, please consider creating an emergency savings account to help pay for problems that may come up. I wish I had had one last year.

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