Your DR appointments?
 

I had a Dr appt for thursday but received call from office that DR wants to do a video call. I'm not interested as dont even know how to do that. So she said we can do telephone call then. Although I wasn't happy I said ok but wondering how everyone is feeling about this. Wonder if DR charges insurance co same price for phone as office visit? Am I the only one not happy over this?

I have had 2 video calls with my Dr. The office should give you the web site or how to for the video. It actually was pretty good both times. I had my list of questions, he had my labs. Over all it seemed I had more time and had his attention for the entire time, there seemed to be almost no small talk all business. Fortunately I did not need any physical exam, just questions.

Yes, they do charge the same as an office visit. And, I agree with you. I don't like it. I remember when my doctor would call me the same day or next day with test results and didn't charge anything. Now, you have to make an appointment and wait longer to get the results, and the doctor charges you as if you came into the office for an in person visit.

I live in the real world where viruses live and kill. I/we all three love our doctor and this Zoom call is a way to protect us and him and the receptionist, the nurse, the PA etc..

He has our bloodwork and if we have questions we ask him. I have an oximeter, and a blood pressure cuff and I am on a monitor for my pacemaker. All that info I can provide him.

I am sure in a very short time now we will be able to make appointments and see our medical people in person. The VACCINE is here and being administered. It won't be long now.

I hope you are correct about being able to make appointments after the virus goes away. But, now, I am being charged for phone calls that used to be free. They are using the virus as an excuse to schedule a phone call and get $100 for a 5 minute call. I complained to my insurance company, but they said it is allowed because of the virus.

I've had many one on one visits with my doc during this "epidemic" ....neither of us has suffered

I have the option of personal visit or virtual. I prefer virtual, saves both of us time and he has the lab results as do I since they are posted through the portal. I take my BP, O2 and temp at home so I have that data. Not sure what a personal visit gets me.

I think Drs should always get paid for their time, why should they work for free?

I prefer the tele-visits. Last week, my doctor’s office did not let me know I had the option to do a tele-visit to get further information regarding my lab work. I had to drive to her office - 25 minutes. I waited for an hour - no doctor. Asked how much longer and was told she’d had to go to the hospital for a discharge (seriously?!). I said I had other things I had to do, and left. She ended up calling me in the evening, and we chatted about my results. I got the information I needed, I didn’t have to drive anywhere, and I didn’t have to wait for a doctor who wasn’t even at her office. Oh! I should mention - and I didn’t have to worry about any virus. Give me a tele-visit any time, even after the pandemic is over, whenever appropriate.

Personally, I never charged for phone calls. If I wanted to, I would have become a lawyer:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

I have had several of these calls. The first the PA could not get the sound to work. It took 6 calls back and forth and we finally used the phone. I had to use my iPad to show them an allergic rash I had and then had to have them call me back to talk about it. The next call happened the same way and the PA finally used his own phone to FaceTime me and then passed the phone onto the dr. This worked. The third call never happened as the dr cancelled and hour after my appt time and never bothered to call me to tell me this . Instead I sat around waiting for them and I finally called and said where is my call. Then they told me the dr is backed up and then 1/2 hour later it was cancelled saying the dr had an emergency with their child. Then they insisted on calling me the next day when I was unavailable . When I said I couldn’t , they refused to renew my meds. I’m not crazy about this method but I don’t want to go into the office and come in contact with COVID patients either . I am looking for a new dr now as I need my meds. Yes, they charged full price for each appt!

What other area of your life can you get important information from a professional over the phone and expect to not get charged? Call your lawyer for specific advice and see if that is free or a mechanic at the local garage to help you out with repairs you are doing on your own car. I don’t understand why you think a doctor should not get paid for their professional advice, over the phone or in person doesn’t matter. .

I did the phone call...not happy with it. reading a bunch of numbers off a sheet, well...I can do that myself. I want the Dr. to see me, examine me, check my blood pressure, temp, listen to my heart and lungs. BTW, he charged the same amount to medicare.

Of course they charge the same for the visit. If you feel strongly about seeing them in person, insist on an in-person visit and keep your mask on.

You have the option to go into the office. If you are not comfortable with a teleconference opt for the in person.

I have done two video apt and frankly I thought they went great......I Dr was running a little behind and stumbled a little with the app, but the Dr knew what was going on order my meds and off I went.
Best part I didn’t have to worry who was around me.

My Dr charged a flat $50 per call

I wouldn’t do that either. I would find another doctor if you can. I have been too all my appointments in the past few months. I personally didn’t have an issue going into offices. And no I actually do medical billing, the price “should” be cheaper on phone call visit.

I love teleconferencing. It's much easier, saves driving and waiting room time and there's no risk of germs.

Theres a pandemic going on. Remember? Why would a dr want you in their office just to talk to you. This is convenient and easy and if you dont know how to do it, it doesnt make it bad. Learn how. What do you care what the insurance pays for it? Let them dispute it. Even after the pandemic, Im sure this will be a regular practice. Get used to it

It really doesn't matter what the insurance company pays your doctor what important is you get quality safe health care with no additional out of pocket cost. What would you say if you were charged more for an in person visit? Would you then be more open to telemed appointment? I've had two Telemed appts and they were both great discussion and very efficient.
Don't you think in this troublemose times you would opt for the safest appt possible?
Participating in a video(Telemed) dr appt is no more difficult than logging into a local blog to bitch about how you don't know how to do them.

our dr.'s give us the option to do tele-appts. we did a few & were not satisfied by the 'visit.' you can request to see the dr. in person, by telling the office video calls are not satisfactory.

It's not always an option.

Not always, I didnt / don't.

Are you a doc in The Villages or close?

I have experienced video and phone visits and. Have been very satisfied with both. Saves me time and get desired results, if a serious issue the Doctor will see you. I recommend both for routine checkups.

I would agree, but I am now charged a $25 copay every time the doctor calls me, even for a 5 minute call, and he bills the call as an office visit. Before the virus, he used to call with a routine test result and there was no charge. And, you usually cannot get an in-person appointment. Some doctors are obviously taking advantage of the virus situation with no increase in safety.

I too was skeptical initially of my doctor’s office offer to handle a consultation by a video call. However I found my doctor more relaxed and with more time available to answer questions following up on recent test results. And yes, “telemedicine” is now being reimbursed by major insurance carriers and Medicare.

I decline those
 

That's ridiculous. The only reason they want the phone call is for billing. No doctor can evaluate you over the phone; especially without video. How would he / she notice anything physical. A buddy of mine was offered a video call for a heart check up. How the hell will they do an EKG to check his heart over the phone / internet. Answer: they won't. But the "appointment" would be billable and that's the main reason for these virtual doctor's visits. If I don't get to see a doctor, I'm not paying a doctor.

And, yes, they will charge the SAME high price as they would for an office visit.

Fear of this virus, media and politically driven, has people going batty. This tele stuff is okay for more routine issues but a doctor can see things that you are not telling them about or notice irregularities which may be subtle. I would like to meet the mechanic who can fix your car over the phone.

Easy to do
 

We’ve talked on video with ease. The nurse called us first to go over BP and other minors issues. The same way you would talk to nurse before seeing doctors. Then we got email from doctor office wi link. We clicked on the link and gave it permission to use our camera and speaker on our computer then we saw or doctors on video. We talked like we normally do at doctors office. It saves our gas and we didn’t have to worry about catching covid19 or colds from other people.

Yes they charge insurance, yes they charge deductible. I guess they are looking to limit the number of patients in the waiting room because of Covid. I do it but if it’s something minor like asking me a few questions to renew my prescription

I have done several And I don’t mind them at all

Usually you don’t get charged after a medical procedure if you make phone calls w questions to your dr. This is the case w us. You don’t have to accept a video call if you want to see the Dr. it all depends on your problem.

I see several physicians for various issues. My pcp and I have never done the tele-visits. I've seen her in office a handful of times. My rheumatologist seems more wary---I've had 2 televisits with her and one in office. I prefer the in-office as I think it would be difficult to treat a patient otherwise, especially as we grow older. They can listen to our heart and look at our various body parts and maybe discover something they'd miss via a computer screen. We have T.V. Health so our visits are never charged to us but when we see specialists, there is a co-pay. During "Rona" for a number of months the co-pay was waived but now I think they're back to collecting it.

I am challenged by too much technology, but I found the zoom call easy to use. They provide you with a link that you click on to - very simple. They want zoom calls instead of telephone calls because they can charge more, frankly. But I prefer a zoom call over a telephone call. Neither is as good as an office visit, however.

I have TV Health also, and since I don't have to take any meds, I canceled my yearly visits, and they canceled me. Now I don't have any doctor. Just try and cancel your yearly Wellness Visits and see what happens.

I like having the option of a tele-visit. I don't want to be sitting in a doctors office if I don't really have to be there, especially with Covid. Try the tele-visit. If you really don't like it, switch doctors to someone who can do office visits.

That works for you but many of us don't have the equipment to get those numbers. The first video call I had they asked for my BP. I told them I had no idea. They seemed irritated that I didn't know and just asked what it was the last time I had it checked, which was several months ago.

Have to agree not happy about. And I would think they charge same fee to insurance. But worth investigating.