Very frustrated with Dr.'s office

So yesterday I went for a regular checkup. I'm 17 weeks and my Dr. is seeing me every 3 weeks right now. Normally, my wait in the office is about 5 minutes tops, but maybe they were just busy as I waited for over 30 minutes. My visits with the doc have always seemed like he's taking his time with me, answering all my questions and like he's really interested in my case. Yesterday he spent maybe 5-6 minutes with me. He measured my uterus, (which I can do at home) and then listened to only one baby with the doppler, (which I can also do at home AND take my time to find both babies). He seemed very rushed and I had lots of questions to ask, none really important, so I thought I would just wait till next time or call the nurse today. Then, as usual, he hands me my file to take up front to the check-out counter and tells me to make my appointment for 3 weeks later. I looked at the paper on top of my file (it's the insurance paper with all the medical codes on it) and noticed at the bottom was written PAST DUE $254.00 and it was highlighted!! Now, it is customary for them to write my balance due on that same piece of paper, but I went into the office that day knowing that I would owe $116 as part of a payment plan that had been set up on my first visit. We have to pay for our part of the delivery BEFORE our 7th month. So after I made my next appointment I asked to talk to someone in billing. They were very quick to take me in the office and explain that a mistake had been made. When I had initially gone into the billing department on my first visit this pregnancy, we set up the original payment plan. The woman who set it up knew I was having twins, that became an issue later. They told me that the mistake was their fault, that they failed to inform me that I would be paying double for most procedures and I would also be paying more for the delivery. To be more specific, for each ultrasound I have, they will charge me for two ultrasounds, since they are scanning two babies. I will get a "two-for-one" discount as they call it, on a vaginal delivery- $2500 for baby A and $1500 for baby B. They told me if I went for a C-section it would be cheaper at a flat rate of $3300. I was like a deer in headlights. :icon_eek: I don't understand insurance talk at all. We were taught in nursing school not to worry about billing, insurance and money. It is quite possible to treat people differently if you know they can't pay or use a certain method to pay. So for me, I have always blocked numbers from my mind. I can't help but wonder if my visit was cut short because PAST DUE was stamped across my forehead. And it just so happens I watched the Michael Moore movie "Sicko" the night before. It's a super movie, but it made me so mad sitting in that office discussing the "cheapest" way to have these babies.

 

I understand your frustration!! My medical insurance covers all my prenatal visits which is fantastic. However, no one has said anything about how we'll be paying for the delivery. They just told me to register with the hospital by my 6th month. My insurance however won't count visits to the MFM specialist as regular prenatal care, because he is a specialist and not my regular doctor, so I have to pay 40$ per visit. I know its not as bad as some, but it adds up when you see the guy at least once a month....

The more I understand the insurance system the bigger fan I am of other countries...... Don't get me started on maternity leave... I got pregnant before my open enrollment, so my job wouldn't let me enroll (well I could enroll, but they wouldn't cover my pregnancy because it was pre-existing..... :angry: ) So I have my eight weeks of sick time that I've accummulated and that it. Hopefully its a long and healthy pregnancy!!

yusra

 

I've just watched Sicko as well and I'm so grateful that I live in a country with state run medical care. It's not perfect but there are very few things we have to pay for. All maternity care is free but with part charges on ultrasounds. However we do lack choice so if you don't agree with your specialist then there is not much you can do about it.

And paying twice for twins is ridiculous! It's not twice the work as there is no set up and pack down time. You should at least get a major discount!! What happens if you refuse to pay for the second delivery? Do they leave one in there?

 

Is it too late to switch doctors/practices? I think charging nearly double for everything is RIDICULOUS!

 

I have never heard of charging double for twins or charging for the delvery of each baby individually. This sounds like double billing to me and I would contact your insurance carrier and ask some questions about what is customary. I paid the same amount to my OB for my first son's delivery as I did for the twins delivery. Of course there were more u/s' s to pay for because I had one at every visit. My insurance covered all the u/s's because I was high risk and it was medically neccesary. Those were billed at the same rate as my singleton's u/s's. I am no insurance expert, but I do read all of my policies and ask questions when I have them. I have often had things covered that were initiall denied. However, in your case, I think the Dr's office is not charging you or anyone fairly if they charge a per baby monitoring and delivery fee. I am curious to see what others will say about this. I hope it's not a common practice, because it almost sounds illegal to me! Good luck with everything. I hope it works out.

Kelly

 

I am very fortunate that I have great insurance and paid VERY little for my pregnancy and delivery.

However I do know that my insurance company was billed for double of lots of things! Ultrasounds included!

Good Luck!

 

We too were billed double for ultrasounds. We also had twice as long booked so in essence it was another appointment and I don't see anything wrong with being charged for it. We also get billed for two copays at a well baby visit, even though they're both there at the same time, we get more appt. time.

What I think in your case stinks is that someone messed up and didn't tell you this when you were figuring out your payment plan and then expect you to cover their screw up.

 

I am currently dealing with a lot of this, since the day my daughters were born in March. I get this bill for 1,500 and I called the office, was like umm why am I being charged this, it should go through insurance. Well I am also being billed for double ultrasound, just because there were two babies. And the first delivery was like 1,200 and the second delivery was only 78.00. I asked them why, she said the first one is always more then the second. So now we are fighting with them, because well the Doctor wasn't even in the room, when Saphyre was born. I had to call the nurse and told her, I think she needs to look, and the nurse was the one that cut her cord and took her away. I had to wait another 15 minutes for the Doctor to even get there, so why should I pay for it when she didn't delive her? I delivered her on my own. So since there were twins, they thing they can charge outragous things like this, pfft what ever. My husbsand and I have decided we just are not going to pay it, if it hits our credit then to bad. I lost enough, I don't think that I should have to continue to loose more.

 

If I were you and not have insurance, which is what's the problem is I assume, I would consider switching to a midwife. If your twins do not have a risk of TTTTS and you have no major health complications, midwife can monitor you just as well. and from what i know midwifes charge a flat fee at the end, after you deliver (locally it's about $2500). my peri is also my obgyn and 60% of his twins are delivered vaginally, which I like. so, your midwife can deliver both babies vaginally, unless you chose cesarian, then you need a dr and a hospital.

Speaking of the hospital, doctor's fees is one thing but hospital will charge you separately. without insurance and prior arrangements it maybe another money headache you may have to get through. so, check with the hospital now. on top of it is anestisia, which will bill separately too.

as for double billing for twins, it's true. my insurance is paying for 2 ultrasounds and there will be additional charges for delivery of twins, plus double charges for pediatrician.

 

QUOTE(crabbinglady @ Aug 19 2008, 10:17 AM) [snapback]936882[/snapback]
If I were you and not have insurance, which is what's the problem is I assume, I would consider switching to a midwife. If your twins do not have a risk of TTTTS and you have no major health complications, midwife can monitor you just as well. and from what i know midwifes charge a flat fee at the end, after you deliver (locally it's about $2500). my peri is also my obgyn and 60% of his twins are delivered vaginally, which I like. so, your midwife can deliver both babies vaginally, unless you chose cesarian, then you need a dr and a hospital.

Speaking of the hospital, doctor's fees is one thing but hospital will charge you separately. without insurance and prior arrangements it maybe another money headache you may have to get through. so, check with the hospital now. on top of it is anestisia, which will bill separately too.

as for double billing for twins, it's true. my insurance is paying for 2 ultrasounds and there will be additional charges for delivery of twins, plus double charges for pediatrician.


I would also check with your doctor and find out if he will still deliver you with an outstanding bill. I know mine won't unless he is the on-call doctor at the time you are in the hosptial (which is a craps shoot because there is about 40 doctors that deliver at the hosptial I give birth at). My doctor's office makes all patients be paid in full before the 7th month (for mulitples, 8th month for singleton births)... We worked out payment arrangements with the office but still, everything has to be paid for or he won't come....

 

I had to pay twice for everything too....my c-section was around $4000 and they also charged me seperately for 2 doctors, 2 peds, anastesia (sorry about spelling), and some other guy who was apparently there! I was lucky that my twins did not need any extra medical care after they were delivered because I don't know how we would have paid for that!! I ended up on the phone with my insurance almost every day and it was a fight until the end-they screwed up and only covered 40% of our bill instead of the 80% like they were supposed to. The doc only charged me double on ultrasounds if it was a really long and intricate ultrasound like the one where they check for the sex of the baby and measure everything. He did write off a couple of my ultrasounds as I told them I was having a hard time all the fees I was getting billed for-maybe you could try asking them since THEY made the mistake of not telling you about it to write some of it off??

I think the important thing is that we stand up for our rights and call the insurance/medical people on their mistakes! If I hadn't persistantly called my insurance they would have only covered us at 40% instead of the 80% like they were supposed to. And lets face it if some of us don't call them on their mistakes they will keep running over the top of all of us.

Good luck and best wishes!

 

This sound strange to me. My OB fee is the same this time around as it was with the twins. My hospital fees should be a little less this time around because there will be one baby hospitalized with me instead of two but I'm not aware that my doctor charged "double" for things. In fact, a lot of my u/s were done by him without charge because he knew insurance wouldn't pay for all of them.

Just strange to me. I'd perhaps talk with them again about all that.

However, I wouldn't think that would make a difference in your doctor's treatment of you. Mine sometimes seems like he has tons of time, and others, he's really busy so not so much time.

 

QUOTE(crabbinglady @ Aug 19 2008, 09:17 AM) [snapback]936882[/snapback]
If I were you and not have insurance, which is what's the problem is I assume, I would consider switching to a midwife.


I do have insurance, so they will be taking the brunt of this, I just thought it was weird to double everything. We also have to have a certain amount paid for by the 7th month and the woman I set the payment arrangement up with commented on me having twins and then later claimed that I didn't tell her. HELLOOOO!!! She had my paperwork right there in front of her AND we talked about her daughters friend who has two sets of twins. Anyway, I will be taking my stepmom with me to the next appointment and they can talk all that insurance gibberish to her (she used to work for BCBS), cause I don't get it. I wonder if things will change once they talk to someone who speaks their language. I understand paying more, but not double, and my stepmom said thats not exactly how things work, so we'll see. If I can just have someone explain it to me in laymans terms, I'll be happy (and quiet)
They started talking about the deductible and then out-of-pocket expenses that are applied after this and that have been reported, just confusing!! :unknw:

 

I live in the UK, but I'm American and lived there my whole life until 4 years ago, so I know what you're going through. My first step would be to find out what watchdog group in your state handles keeping tabs on doctors (The National Institue for Patients Rights should be able to advise you on that- the website is www DOT empowerpatients DOT com). I don't know for sure, but I think it would be considered unethical to charge double for a twin delivery. They may be able to get away with charging a percent more, as it's considered high risk, but I don't think they can charge double. I'm REALLY betting you can get that way reduced if you squawk alot and start throwing around the phrase "medical ethics". And at the end of the day, SOMEONE will have to deliver your baby. The hospital you're associated with HAS, legally, to give you the best treatment possible, or you can sue them for malpractice. It may not be that your doctor will deliver you, but you have to be given adequate care.

Thank GOD I live in the UK now. It's not perfect, but I don't pay for anything -even my scripts or my dental care) and I'm at one of the three best hospitals in the country.

Good luck to you!
Becky

 

QUOTE(Neumsy @ Aug 20 2008, 03:07 PM) [snapback]939404[/snapback]
Thank GOD I live in the UK now. It's not perfect, but I don't pay for anything -even my scripts or my dental care) and I'm at one of the three best hospitals in the country.

Good luck to you!
Becky



Hopefully we'll see some improvements here in my lifetime. Today I got great care, Doc was showing a new PA the ropes and explaining EVERYTHING about my case to him, so I learned a lot. I'll make sure to tell him next time to talk to me like an intern.

 

I haven't had any issues with my insurance, so I was feeling lucky...until today. I went into the MFM office for a cervical legnth check and they told me they needed to collect a $40 co-pay. Well, I haven't ever paid since I was there for the first trimester screening and so I asked why. The secretary just said she had to charge me and then later if the insurance covered everything they would refund my money. That would be fine, except I just got a refund for that first trimester screening ($80.00) and it happened two months ago. I have to go every week, so 40 a week is pretty steep even if its going to be refunded to me eventually...... YIKES! I don't know whether to call the insurance company or the billing office at this place, but that is rediculous!

 

I'm having insurance issues right now, too. I applied for insurance in May and just got covered at the beginning of August, so I haven't even seen a doc yet. Don't get me started.

But with the twins, my insurance was billed double, although the second baby was a little less than the first. Example, baby A's U/S would be $450 but baby B's would be $380, something like that.