A facility fee is for the room a patient sees the doctor in and for use of the waiting room chair. The billing clerk assured me that Medicare paid for most of it. It seems the medical community forgets that "cash cows" have $93.60 taken from their Social Security each month to put into the Medicare. Every year the cost goes up because of their outrageous prices.
2007-10-04 12:14:48 · 6 answers · asked by lero 1 in Business & Finance ➔ Insurance
no its not fair. the system is corrupt!
2007-10-04 12:22:25 · answer #1 · answered by . 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Dr's charges are always separate from the facility fee.
The facility fee is for the use of the room and equipment. The Dr's fee is for the time he spent talking to you. If you went to the ER and had x-rays - you will get an ER Physician bill and a radiologist bill. Very often - the Dr's are not employees of the hospital.
As far as "cash cows" go - if you are Medicare - the hospital did not make any money off of you.
Example: the hospital charges 897.00 for a service/procedure. Medicare cuts the bill - their write off knocks the charge down to 174.00. So the hospital only gets 19% of their standard charge. I doubt this 19% covers the hospital's expenses.
2007-10-04 19:31:56 · answer #2 · answered by Boots 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, its fair.
What's important to keep in mind here is that the doctor was likely paid a reduced rate due to the facility charging for their share of the services.
It generally all balances out in the end - either the doctor maintains their own office and all the expenses that go along with it, and bills for his/her services accordingly. Or, the doctor uses someone else's facility and only bills for his/her time. The facility then bills for all the other expenses that go along with treating you. (Supplies, nursing time, use of the actual facility and equipment, etc.)
Again, it ususally balances out in the end - no one is likely getting anything "extra."
2007-10-05 09:44:40 · answer #3 · answered by sarah314 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, the "facility" pays the doctor out of the doctor fee. They also have to pay for rent, utilities, insurance, nurses, desk people, billing people, management people, and supplies.
2007-10-04 19:24:12 · answer #4 · answered by Howard H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, the facility fee sounds like the bullshit fee to me. Healthcare costs enough as it is...ESPECIALLY for those on low or fixed incomes....geeze you have to pay to sit in a chair...I'll stand thank you.
2007-10-04 19:19:01 · answer #5 · answered by Heather 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sounds like nickel and diming to death, but if you don't like it, go somewhere else.
2007-10-04 19:18:18 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋