say you liked a doctor, does a decent job but the office staff and billing department were doing things like, leaving your chart out and open for anyone to see, hanging up on you when you want to take to the billing manager, the billing manager overcharges you, they demand full payment up front every visit even though you have insurance and are only responsible for the co-pay upfront, the waiting room is full and you have to stand...
2007-01-22 09:14:39 · 21 answers · asked by kewtber 3 in Health ➔ Other - Health
write him a formal letter of complaint, if this doesnt change anything then find a new one. but I will say that leaving the chart out so anyone can see it is a HIPPA violation and they dont look niceley on those
2007-01-22 09:20:33 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Don't give up on your doctor quite yet, if you like the CARE you get from him/her. But do know a few things:
1.They have no right to ask for full payment upfront......unless you have large outstanding balances at their office or no insurance. This one only you can answer.
2.Hanging up on you could be an honest mistake. Larger offices have complicated phone systems and calls do occasionally get dropped or lost in the process of transferring them. No harm intended. They should be courteous enough, however, to call you back, if they have all you information and noticed they lost your call.Once the operator transfers you to the extension you need, it is out of the operators hands and up to the intented person to pick up the phone if they are available.
3. While they are working on it, they will have to leave your chart out. But it should not be open and plain view of other patients. Your privacy should be respected.
4. The full waiting room may be a problem. You should not be required to stand. Do a lot of patients bring their friends and relatives and those people are taking up all the seats? THEY should be the ones required to stand or wait outside the office. Not the patient. Bring it up to the office manager...nicely. A good office staff will accommodate you with a smile on their face.
Hope this helps you decide.
2007-01-22 09:46:09 · answer #2 · answered by Claudia E 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You owe it to your doctor to report these things to him. Put it all in writing so he has documentation. Cover every single aspect with detail and date as closely as you can remember.
I don't know how they can demand you pay for the full price of an office visit up front. IF your co pay is $30.00 then that is all you have to pay. If they do it differently, WHY have insurance? And you will always carry a credit after your insurance pays. Perhaps whoever is running the office is incompetent and doesn't know what they are doing? They must treat everyone the same way if people are standing up waiting to see the doctor. It is just very poor management.
Put it all in writing and make sure you personally hand it to the doctor and tell him it is very important to him and his practice that he reads it as soon as possible.
This is good. I have seen this posting at several doctor's offices. "If you are more than 15 minutes late for your appointment you will be asked to reschedule. You will be charged a $25.00 fee." My question to them was, "This does work both ways, does it not?"
I couldn't believe that. The first time I wait over 15 minutes I am going to reschedule my appointment. Then come home and mail them a bill for $250.00 and tell them my time is more important to me. I can't wait to sit in the waiting room now....................
2007-01-22 09:28:46 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No matter how much you may like a doctor, he is only as good as the staff he has around him. When you make a visit to the office, you see more of the nurses and people at the front desk than you do your actual physician. I would first ask if your particular doctor has any other offices. If he does and it is convenient for you, ask if you can visit him there and on what days. If that is his only office, mention to him how you have been treated and say that if the service does not improve, you will be seeking alternate practices.
2007-01-22 09:24:45 · answer #4 · answered by Jebus 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually I have left my doctor for the same reason. He is the greatest doctor in the world. But his staff is worthless. They are rude and obnoxious. And not just once in a while, like they are having a bad day but every time. A doctor is a choice. I have great insurance and pay my bills - just like everything else in my life that I pay for - I have a choice where I spend my money. Do what I did and write him a letter that explains why you are leaving to your doctor. Maybe if he knows that he's losing business because of his sh*tty staff, he'll make changes!! Good luck!
2007-01-22 09:21:43 · answer #5 · answered by Chula 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I would stop going to the doctor. And I would tell the doctor it was because he hired an incompetent staff. You need to protect your medical files. Here's why:
I had a workers compensation case and the claims adjuster faxed the receptionist to ask for "related" medical files. The receptionist faxed back ALL my medical files to workers compensation including my psychiatrists reports. And here is Canada if you appeal a workers compensation claim which I did, the employer has a right to see your entire file. So my psychiatrist reports and ALL my medical reports were sent to my employer and read by at least one coworker just because of the laziness and incompetence of one receptionist. I made an official complain with the Privacy Commissioner and stopped going that doctor.
Every doctors office in Canada is suppose to have a one person in charge of privacy and protecting patients records. It's up to the doctor to be this person or assign this person and have a plan in place. He is liable.
2007-01-22 09:56:58 · answer #6 · answered by Rockford 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You need to find a doctor whose staff observes patient confidentiality and the other ethics issues you mention. A "decent job" is not good enough when it comes to your health, either. Ask friends to recommend a good doctor who will give you the time, and will have the interest in you as a person. This guy's office sounds like a mill, and it is impossible to get the right care at a place like that.
2007-01-22 09:25:51 · answer #7 · answered by boogeywoogy 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Definately! Your information is confidential, and should not, by any reason be left out for anybody to see. Besides, why would you want to deal with rude office staff. You are the patient, and deserve nothing but the upmost respect. Do yourself a favor and find another doctor.
2007-01-22 09:20:52 · answer #8 · answered by Nissy 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The doctor more than likely is just to busy to worry about these things. so do what i did get another doctor. if they send you a letter wanting you to come back then write a little note. otherwise the help will continue to do this to you. the doctor i had was always overbooked and his patients would bring their whole family to a doctors appt. so there wouldn't be any seats available, i walked out and never came back.
2007-01-22 09:26:15 · answer #9 · answered by LENA 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Make complaints to the doctor. I did some of the office staff and nurses no longer work there. Not just because of me though
2007-01-22 09:20:11 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
ok... I stopped reading at 'leaving your chart out'.
Your personal information is... well personal. Its illegal *at least where I live...* to openly display, intentionally or unintentionally, a person's private information.
My call : YES. After talking to the doctor about his office staff.
*being in canada I don't have to worry about billings... sorry, not much help there*
2007-01-22 09:22:30 · answer #11 · answered by Kim M 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋