When one is sick, do you bring them both in?

The babies are sick (well so am I but that isn't the point!) Nevan has an awful cough and so I called the Pedi to ask what I could give him. She said because its "barky" I need to bring him in. I don't have my car today so I have to bring him in tomorrow. She asked how Norah was and I said she's got a runny nose and her cough is gone. She said that it was standard to bring in both babies when one is sick, so she asked for me to bring in Norah too.

Mind you I am not cheap and we do have health insurance but at $20 co pays, this is going to get expensive once they hit school age. Is it the practice at your pedi to see both babies? If so do they give you a discount? Not to compare my kids to my pets but if I bring them all in at one time, the office visit per animal is cheaper than if I bring them in separately. At this pedi, its the same price and depending on which pedi you see, unless you shackle the pedi in the room, you get seen in the same amount of time as one.

I guess my questions are:
Do you bring both babies in to be seen when one is sick and the other is visibly well?
Does your Pedi charge you for two office visits when they come in together?

 

No way! If only one is sick, I bring them both(because they are always with me!) but I don't have them both seen. It sounds like they are just trying to get another copay out of you! I don't get any discounts, 2 babies=2 copays!

 

I've brought them both (obviously what do I do with the other one) but I only make 1 appointment for 1 child so I only pay 1 co-pay. And they don't even look at the other baby ... I always tell them ... sorry but twin brother / sister has to come too!

If you want the other one to be checked out as well, yes, then you should pay.

 

Well so far, what ever the one had, the other did too. But if one was sick and not the other, then no, I would just take the one.

 

I always take them both, but only the one who is sick is seen. Our family DR always gives me enough meds (if needed) to have leftovers in case the other gets it, because his theory is, what one gets the other will... and he is usually right.

 

Unless they are both symptomatic, I only take the sick one to the dr if I have someone to care for the others. This puts the focus soley on the sick child and is less expensive and less hectic. If my ped treats one of my children for a particular illness and I call him a few days later saying one of the others has the same symptoms, he'll call something in if needed.

 

To piggy back this topic... Now with the meds. They are on the same meds, same exact dosage. Do you dose out of one bottle or do you give them each their own bottle of meds?

I talked to the nurse and she said if its something highly contagious they want to see them both in since they are at the age of sharing everything and being in such close quarters.

 

I do Motrin/Tylenol out of the same bottle, so I think I would do the same with a RX. Emma has not been on an antibiotic yet. Jake is right now for a double ear infection, and this is his 2nd time.

 

I just use the same bottle of gripe water, etc., same dropper - actually I use the same feeding bottle sometimes. I feed one and then just re-fill for the other. Share and share alike! (saves on washing up)

 

It all depends if the "healthy" child is showing any symptoms that may indicate that he/she is not feeling well also. I sometimes take both in and sometimes not. My ped. will often void one payment; however, if I have to see a nurse practioner then she charges me for both. My ped. does not void visits if they are getting any type of shots.

We all understand and feel your copay pain.

I don't think I answered your questions. Do what feels right to you!

 

If only one is sick, I only bring that one. (Sometimes the other one comes along for the ride, but the ped doesn't look at her.) If they are both sick and I bring them both, we get charged two copays.

I have sometimes decided to have them both looked at, if one needs to be seen and the other one is only sort of sick -- mild enough that normally I wouldn't bother to go to the doctor, but since I"m going to the doctor anyway, I shell out the extra $15 to have her ears & throat looked at too. I did find out this way that Amy had an ear infection -- I had actually taken Sarah in for a bad cough, but brought Amy in too just because she'd had a much milder cough for a few weeks.

Re: meds, I've always given them Tylenol & Motrin and stuff from the same bottle. They've never been on the same prescription med at the same time. And usually when they are on an Rx, it's an antibiotic that you have to take the full course of (which finished the bottle, or nearly). I also would not want to use an antibiotic without having the child looked at, even if she has the exact same symptoms her sister had.

But I do use the advice the ped gives me for one child on the other one! For instance I had Amy in because she had a fever and weird rash and was very cranky -- the ped diagnosed hand-foot-mouth disease and said that Sarah would almost certainly get it too. So when Sarah got a fever later that week (even though she had no rash) and became incredibly cranky, I just assumed that's what she had, and didn't take her in to the doctor too.

 

QUOTE(Erykah @ Jul 6 2007, 05:41 PM) [snapback]319711[/snapback]
At this pedi, its the same price and depending on which pedi you see, unless you shackle the pedi in the room, you get seen in the same amount of time as one.

This has been bothering me to the point where I made seperate well visit appointments for their 9 months!! It's too chaotic w/both babies - usually at least one is screaming, I feel that they are not getting the same care/attention that Rachel did. I forget to ask things I meant to, and one time pedi was calling Hannah Natalie & then acted offended when I wanted to double check he had the right chart. <_< (Luckily Grandma is more than happy for any babysitting opportunity!!)

Haven't taken them in for a sick visit yet ...

 

I usually take both in because DH is usually at work when they have to go to the doctor so there is noone to watch one while I take the other. But then again we dont have any co-pays so it doesn't cost anything for them to both be looked at. If we had to pay a co-pay then I would probably only have them look at the syptomatic one. If it turns out to be something very contagious then they can always look at the other too right?

 

I only take the one which is sick. I will ask if there is something I should look out for with the one that is healthy though. So far they don't get each other sick.
I would take both only if there was a suspicion of something that might be dangerous but not symptomatic (can't think of what that might be though).
Our last pedi could not deal with two babies. She would examine each but was not thorough with both. Like for well visits she would only check one with the stethoscope. After she would do a physical to each she would ask behavioral questions to check on physical/mental development but she would ask for both and I'm sure she couldn't keep the answers straight.
Our new pedi does a full exam of one and then a full exam of the other. he will not overlap and acts as if there's only one baby in the room. i'm much happier.
Here in Greece the price for the second is slightly discounted. So for one baby it would be 40 euros and for two 60.
Hope your baby is well soon!

 

I have seen they got thrush in August. I took Eli to the ER then and left Peyton home, 2 days later Peyton had it too. They both had ear infections just before their birthday and Eli had no signs of it until the next day when he had a fever on his birthday.

 

We only take one in. That $20 adds up fast. I only take the sick one in. So far - that has worked out well for us. There was only one time the other baby got sick as well and the MD just called in an RX since I knew it was the same thing!

Hope you are all feeling better

 

Not better yet. I understand about being cautious but there is the co-pay plus the double RX. I know they are individuals but one RX with double the amount of medication could suffice more than 2 bottles where one was not even touched after we dosed them accordingly!

 

I take both babies to the doctor appointments just because I have to, but I only make an appointment for the sick one. I do have to pay a co-pay for both of them when they are seen at the same time, so I don't want to fork out the $15 if I don't have to.

All of our appointments are together, unless one is sick, but the ped is good about just dealing with one baby at a time. They each get a good look over and she talks to me about each one individually. I really like that.

 

That is such a good question!
Our twins were sick all last week and they started getting a cough so I got a little concerned call their Dr. and she wanted to see them both in because of course they were both sick. Our co-pay is $25 each, adding them up together and it's not so cheap. The Dr. saw the twins for 5-10 mins total, didn't do much and send us on our way with "it just has to run it's cours", Iwas really fustrated because I don't have $50 to give for a 5 min visit, as Eryka said, you get seen in the same amount of time as one child would, I wish they would give discount for multiples at Dr. offices, that's an idea.
Iris

 

I bring both because we travel together but I certainly wouldn't pay for them both to be seen! Usually one gets sick a few days after the other anyways so whatever they say about one will go for the other too when that one does get sick.

 

If one is sick and the other isn't I make one appt but bring both babies because they are with me...not specifically to be seen by the pediatrician. I have had the same pedi for over 13 yrs and he does go ahead and peek at the other w/o a charge...he will also usually give me a script for only the sick one but if the other (any other) gets sick w/ same symptoms they will call in additional script. When both (or more) are sick I make appts and pay full copay for each child. As far as giving you a break on copays...both you and the doctor have contracts with your insurance company his says he will charge copay the ins. co. tells him to and yours says you will pay that copay. Your premium is based on your copay/coinsurance level- I know it bites but the doctors office can get in several different types of trouble for discounting insurance copays. By the same token...if dr were to write a script for twice as much of a med the insurance company probably wouldn't pay for it at all. There are set amounts that are considered "appropriate"...an antibiotic is usually written for 7 or 10 day supply for each child...if the doctor wrote a script for 14 day supply the insurance company could look at the volume (they pay based on volume) and say no way...this is for more than 1 child...how do we tell if it is for our insured. When dr writes identical scripts for the kids I only fill one script at a time and give out of same bottle with different dropper/syringe. The three younger boys were all on amoxicillian (sp?) last month, had 3 scripts- only ended up needing 2 to be filled...2 copays, didn't have than 1/3 of a bottle left and I have a script for amox if I were to need it (MIL is an RN so I usually run things past her before running to the dr- she can see ear infections from a mile away)

BTW- love your new avatar!!! Too cute

 

I normally bring both in simply because it's easier than finding someone to watch one. The doctor only examines the sick one, though, and I only pay one copay. Sounds like the nurse is trying to plump up the schedule and bring in some more money...