[Noamie]

Scenarrio 1: I worked in a clinic. A patient will call, and state they want an appointment for a problem, and you quote them a price for that particular problem. They show up for the visit, and then when the doctor is in front of them, they add on more health problems than what they originally told the person who quoted them the price. This results in a longer visit. Then, when they get the bill, the patient is angry because they were billed at a higher rate than what was quoted. This is a major factor in why clinics will not give out pricing. Scenario 2: You are admitted in the hospital for an elective procedure. Patient A is younger, and recovers quickly and leaves the hospital in 2 days. Patient B has much more medical problems, , and winds up staying in the hospital for 7 days. Patient B should have to pay more, and hospitals do not have the ability to know in advance how a patient is going to recover from a treatment. That is why hospitals do not quote prices, because they do not know how long you will be in the hospital, and how many interventions you might need.

I do not disagree with your points and am actually sympathetic to them, but if the medical profession would simply create an hourly rate plus expenses, vendor fees, etc. (like everyone else in America) then it wouldn't be so complicated.

Your clinic, for example, could bill $X/hr billed at 15 minute increments (plus any testing/lab fees).

The patient comes and takes up an hour of your time then they get the full hourly rate. Before you do a blood work-up you tell the patient, "hey, this will cost $80, you still want it?"

Every doctor, NP, or clinic business manager should spend a day or two at a law office and some other general consultant like a graphic design firm and learn how to bill and tell the insurance companies to pound sand. In the end, everyone would benefit, I think.

But don't get me wrong, I sympathize.

[kaila]

“Your clinic, for example, could bill $X/hr billed at 15 minute increments (plus any testing/lab fees)”

That is actually a good idea. It gets rid of the total body evaluations from some patients, and the Chatty Cathys. Get to the point and get it done.Also, get rid of the documentation requirements, so that docs have more valuable time to see patients.