Miss Peregrine Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Congratulations! :grouphug: I would send a letter with DH already stamped and ready to go. If he has no luck with the office, he can drop it in the nearest post office box immediately and it will get there soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funschooler5 Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 I'm guessing this was directed toward me. :D The planet I live on is one wherein every person in business and every consumer of services has a right to operate in the way they see fit. I am quite confident that OP's doctor is aware of the office policy and has either agreed with it, or is in no position to oppose it. Particularly if the doctor is one of 19 providers in the practice. I think doctors (and lawyers, and business owners, and yes, even spas!) should expect that they will receive timely payment for services rendered. Why does that make me (or them!) so strange? I also think it's okay for doctors to say that a patient must pay off their balance before more treatment is administered. The misconception I'm seeing from some of you is that a sum of $1300 isn't a lot of money, and these fat cat doctors should just write it off, or wait forever for it to be paid. Why is that? If the doctor is one of 19, she's on salary and the bottom line of the practice affects all of them. I think it's incredibly generous for them to even allow the balance to be paid over such a long period of time. There are plenty of places that would have turned her over to collections already since the surgery was nearly 6 months ago. Alternatively,they could have demanded that OP pay more than $50 per month. I'm sure she signed a financial consent form, so they could have even brought suit against her! I think she's lucky they've allowed her to pay it off over that time period. And this isn't about looking down on anyone, btw. I was just stunned that everyone was so quick to hang the office out to dry, without considering things from their financial point of view. To the poster who mentioned that her doctor's office had a sign that said no treatment would be rendered if balances were owed, that's exactly what things are coming to. When insurance companies so heavily discount reimbursements it makes it very hard for medical offices to stay in business, particularly when the cost of living, insurance premiums, and overhead continue to rise. Many times patients with Medicare and Medicaid actually COST the doctor money to be seen. Recently a family member was looking for a particular specialist and she found out that the ones who came most highly recommended have stopped accepting Medicare patients. It's just not financially possible for them to accept it. Just the facts---don't shoot the messenger. ;) Maybe you've never been in a position to worry about how you were going to find a doctor, or pay for a medical procedure. I have. Several people on this board have. The OP is obviously distressed enough as it is, and I don't think your words are helping the matter. OP, first of all congratulations! :party: I was in a similar position when I got pregnant last year, while we were uninsured. It such a stressful situation, and I'm sorry you have to go through it. :grouphug: DH was temporarily employed at the time and we were unable to make even monthly payments. I was lucky enough to find a midwife who would see me for free until we paid her in full with our tax refund. By the time we found her I was 4 months along. Those 4 months were extremely stressful. We were also going through a medical emergency with DH and trying to figure out how to pay that while paying our other bills. I remember not being able to see a light at the end of the tunnel. The stress was overwhelming at times. Fast forward to now, we have a healthy baby girl, and DH has a new job with insurance. We still have a *ton* of medical debt and DH's chronic illness to deal with, but we are a lot better off than we were last year. I'm just saying all of this to give you some hope. You will get through this. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 (edited) First of all, congrats on the pregnancy. Someday this stress will be a distant memory. I hate to ever recommend debt. Sorry Dave Ramsey! But part of me would rather be indebted to a willing debtor (ie a bank) than an unwilling one. Yes, it will cost you more, but if you stick to your payoff plan or even increase it by a few dollars a month, you will get it paid off. I know credit is tight, but if you could get line of credit sufficient to pay this off, you seem sure your pregnancy costs will be mostly covered. I would rather owe (diligently working to pay it off) money to someone who agreed to loan me money then to turn my doctor into an unwilling debtee. Anyway, that is my bet suggestion. It stinks you are in this situation. Well, the financial part of it. The baby part of it is entirely awesome! Edited August 23, 2012 by Danestress Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 First, Congratulations!!!! Second. The Dr's office is being beyond stupid. Pregnancy will be completely covered. They are being idiots. You should not be treated that way by any doctor's office. :grouphug: I hope it gets resolved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Oh, Kristin!!!!! i have not read any responses but that is AWFUL!!!! I am so sorry for this injustic. It makes NO SENSE since everything will now be covered under your insurance and no additional chargs will be incurred!!!!! I would try to get a call back from YOUR DOCTOR and nobody else, explaining the situation. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: And CONGRATULATIONS on the new little one!!!!! I know this is hard but PLEASE do not allow that woman to detract from your joy! :grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 First off.....Congrats!! :D Secondly....call the office and tell the receptionist you wish to speak to the patient liason for that office. Tell her both you and your husband were both treated extremely rudely by someone in their employ and you would both like to lodge a complaint and also make an appointment with Dr. Xyz. I would tell the person you have been their client for 12 years....longer than Mrs. Snippy-pants and you would like the complaint to go on file. When you DO get your appointment with your Doctor PLEASE inform him of your treatment by this person. Sometimes when you run a business, you have no idea why you are losing clients if no one tells you. I had to do this one time with a doctor's office staff. The receptionist, for some reason, thought it her job to protect the OB from his crazy clients and wouldn't put calls through....My doctor was livid, and fired her. This was an awesome Dr. who happened to hire a kook. I hope it all works out for you with your Dr. He probably has no idea how this woman is treating his patients. Faithe I have a similar story from when I was first pregnant with dd. I ended up in the ER with the on-call OB. When he asked why I didn't call his office for an appointment I told him I called there first. He was livid. I got a call the next day from the receptionist with an apology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 I'm guessing this was directed toward me. :D The planet I live on is one wherein every person in business and every consumer of services has a right to operate in the way they see fit. I am quite confident that OP's doctor is aware of the office policy and has either agreed with it, or is in no position to oppose it. Particularly if the doctor is one of 19 providers in the practice. ... No, not really. Often times they are not aware of the way the front office treats their patients. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 First of all, congrats on the pregnancy. Someday this stress will be a distant memory. I hate to ever recommend debt. Sorry Dave Ramsey! But part of me would rather be indebted to a willing debtor (ie a bank) than an unwilling one. Yes, it will cost you more, big if you stick to your payoff plan or even increase it by a few dollars a month, you will get it paid off. I know credit is tight, but if you could get line of credit sufficient to pay this off, you seem sure your pregnancy costs will be mostly covered. I would rather owe (diligently working to pay it off) money to someone who agreed to loan me money then to turn my doctor into an unwilling debtee. Anyway, that is my bet suggestion. It stinks you ate in this situation. Well, the financial part of it. The baby part of I is entirely awesome! I would do this too, and I really REALLY hate taking on any debt for anything. But... given the limited options and limited access, I would try to get a credit card just for this. Then, hope to never have to use it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 I'm guessing this was directed toward me. :D The planet I live on is one wherein every person in business and every consumer of services has a right to operate in the way they see fit. I am quite confident that OP's doctor is aware of the office policy and has either agreed with it, or is in no position to oppose it. Particularly if the doctor is one of 19 providers in the practice. I think doctors (and lawyers, and business owners, and yes, even spas!) should expect that they will receive timely payment for services rendered. Why does that make me (or them!) so strange? I also think it's okay for doctors to say that a patient must pay off their balance before more treatment is administered. The misconception I'm seeing from some of you is that a sum of $1300 isn't a lot of money, and these fat cat doctors should just write it off, or wait forever for it to be paid. Why is that? If the doctor is one of 19, she's on salary and the bottom line of the practice affects all of them. I think it's incredibly generous for them to even allow the balance to be paid over such a long period of time. There are plenty of places that would have turned her over to collections already since the surgery was nearly 6 months ago. Alternatively,they could have demanded that OP pay more than $50 per month. I'm sure she signed a financial consent form, so they could have even brought suit against her! I think she's lucky they've allowed her to pay it off over that time period. And this isn't about looking down on anyone, btw. I was just stunned that everyone was so quick to hang the office out to dry, without considering things from their financial point of view. To the poster who mentioned that her doctor's office had a sign that said no treatment would be rendered if balances were owed, that's exactly what things are coming to. When insurance companies so heavily discount reimbursements it makes it very hard for medical offices to stay in business, particularly when the cost of living, insurance premiums, and overhead continue to rise. Many times patients with Medicare and Medicaid actually COST the doctor money to be seen. Recently a family member was looking for a particular specialist and she found out that the ones who came most highly recommended have stopped accepting Medicare patients. It's just not financially possible for them to accept it. Just the facts---don't shoot the messenger. ;) Money is of greater importance than humanity :glare: Such lovely people in the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galatea Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 I'm guessing this was directed toward me. :D The planet I live on is one wherein every person in business and every consumer of services has a right to operate in the way they see fit. I am quite confident that OP's doctor is aware of the office policy and has either agreed with it, or is in no position to oppose it. Particularly if the doctor is one of 19 providers in the practice. I think doctors (and lawyers, and business owners, and yes, even spas!) should expect that they will receive timely payment for services rendered. Why does that make me (or them!) so strange? I also think it's okay for doctors to say that a patient must pay off their balance before more treatment is administered. The misconception I'm seeing from some of you is that a sum of $1300 isn't a lot of money, and these fat cat doctors should just write it off, or wait forever for it to be paid. Why is that? If the doctor is one of 19, she's on salary and the bottom line of the practice affects all of them. I think it's incredibly generous for them to even allow the balance to be paid over such a long period of time. There are plenty of places that would have turned her over to collections already since the surgery was nearly 6 months ago. Alternatively,they could have demanded that OP pay more than $50 per month. I'm sure she signed a financial consent form, so they could have even brought suit against her! I think she's lucky they've allowed her to pay it off over that time period. And this isn't about looking down on anyone, btw. I was just stunned that everyone was so quick to hang the office out to dry, without considering things from their financial point of view. To the poster who mentioned that her doctor's office had a sign that said no treatment would be rendered if balances were owed, that's exactly what things are coming to. When insurance companies so heavily discount reimbursements it makes it very hard for medical offices to stay in business, particularly when the cost of living, insurance premiums, and overhead continue to rise. Many times patients with Medicare and Medicaid actually COST the doctor money to be seen. Recently a family member was looking for a particular specialist and she found out that the ones who came most highly recommended have stopped accepting Medicare patients. It's just not financially possible for them to accept it. Just the facts---don't shoot the messenger. ;) Your comments may have a point and a place, but the post of a pregnant woman who is looking for solutions so she can have medical care during her pregnancy is NOT that place. Do you really think this helps anyone, in any way? All you are doing is riling people up and potentially hurting someone who is already hurting. All of that you posted above wasn't fact anyway. I think you need to relearn the difference between fact and opinion. Putting a smiley on the end doesn't make it any less rude and out of place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 OT I know, but God bless you and your dh. The doctor's office has decided to accept medicaid, so obviously they are ok with the level of payment they *recieve* from medicaid for their care. Also, as others have said, Kristin is not asking the doctor to allow her to accrue more debt with the office. The doctor's office has agreed with Kristin on a payment plan for the outstanding debt. And the doctor's office has also agreed with Medicaid that the payments they recieve for services covered under Medicaid are sufficient. Since any care Kristin gets for this current pregnancy will be covered by Medicaid, it doesn't make sense for the office to refuse to see her. In fact, they are losing money by refusing her treatment at this point. Also, while I fully recognize I am not the boss of you or anyone else on this board, :tongue_smilie:, Kristin has shared that she is already upset about the whole situation, and now she is feeling looked down upon. So perhaps now would be a good time to employ the old 'if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all'. Of course you're entitled to your opinion; however, grace and tact on when/where to share that opinion are always appropriate. :001_smile: And Kristin, PRAISE God for the blessing of your new pregnancy!! Remember right now, like always, He knows everything you are going through, and he holds you and your baby in His hands. :001_smile: But honestly? This isn't about vilifying the doctor or the practice. It's about the billing agent using common decency and politeness in dealing with an established patient [who has never carried a balance before in all her years as a patient and who IS paying her bill as we speak], and about showing respect to another human being. Being polite and showing empathy cost her nothing. Kristin, Congratulations. I hope that all the advice and support you've received here help you to solve this problem. And YEAH to both the above! And, I'm with the folks who say the doctor probably has no clue how the billing department is treating people. I had a similar situation when I was pregnant with my dd. My prenatal treatment started with one doctor, but we moved out of the area so I established care with another. The billing department INSISTED I pay the full $5000 for the prenatal care despite the fact all the initial blood work had been done by the previous doctor. Those records had even been sent to the new doctor, who did have them. The billing department even conceded that I was not receiving all that the amount was covering from them, but would not relent. So, at my next OB appointment, I spoke to the dr about it. She was very angry about it and said there was no way she'd allow me to be charged for testing and visits I'd had with another doctor. My bill was lowered by $1500. So, moral of the story, talk to the doctor if there is any way you can do so. I'm betting Miss Rude Collector will at the very least be spoken to about her rudeness, even if she is right about the policy of the office. There is no reason for her to be such a gritch about it. And congrats on the baby! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k2bdeutmeyer Posted August 24, 2012 Author Share Posted August 24, 2012 And CONGRATULATIONS on the new little one!!!!! I know this is hard but PLEASE do not allow that woman to detract from your joy! :grouphug::grouphug: Thank you....this is a good reminder when things feel so stressful!! I would do this too, and I really REALLY hate taking on any debt for anything. But... given the limited options and limited access, I would try to get a credit card just for this. Then, hope to never have to use it again. If it comes down to a point where we have to pay it and we can't find any other options, we might just have to consider this as much as I REALLY don't want to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 Just checking back in..... :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 :grouphug: to you. I'm so sorry you are having to deal with this stress. :iagree:Please update us when you have time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristineW Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 (edited) Just a thought. Have you made any installments on the payment plan yet? Maybe if you paid the $50 early then your account wouldn't show as "in arrears" and you could make an appointment. At the very least, it would show a good faith effort to clearing up your account. I have an PPO now, but when we had regular insurance, my OB had an agreement with the billing agency that anyone whose accounts that were 90 days past due would not be seen except for emergencies. There was a block in the appointment software so that the office couldn't schedule anyone. However, once a small payment had been made the accounts no longer would show past due--even $20 was enough to reset the clock. Maybe it would work in your case. Hoping for an uneventful pregnancy and a happy birth. Christine Edited August 26, 2012 by ChristineW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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