Doctors and Insurance

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Does your insurance give you one free physical a year? Do you have a low deductible?

If your physical goes toward your deductible and you have a high deductible, I would use your old doctor.

If you anticipate problems, find a new doctor and then use your old doctor as a second opinion to fall back on.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Ask around and find someone who people rave about so you don't get caught in a financial pinch.

Good luck!
Dawn

Trust and experience is everything. Since you only go once a year, maybe you can save up for the visit or ask to be on a payment plan!

knowing your doctor, and having him know you, and your medical history, without having to read it to know, is worth something in my book. It would be a pain to find a doctor that you really click with.

Good doctors that you really trust are hard to find so I'd start looking now while you are healthy. If you get sick or have an emergency, you might have to wait a long time to see a new doctor, or pay out of pocket for your old doc. Start asking your friends for a recommendation, choose a doctor that takes your insurance and make an appointment for some nagging but non-serious issue: to check out that weird mole or to discuss your allergy meds. That way you can meet and become an official patient of a doctor that you (hopefully) like, and he/she will be available to you when you need it.

Doctors aren't as expensive as you think. That he doesn't have to deal with insurance companies helps too.

Before you call it quits find out how much an office visit will cost. Understand that he can order every test under the sun and that will be covered because doctors don't run tests, clinics do.

Generally a well visit is less than 100 dollars.

I just want to add in case you didn't know that huge price you see on the EOB is not the actual cost. It is hard to explain but the "allowed" amount is closer to the truth.

The truth is you can not afford him so you need to find someone who does accept your insurance.

I know it is hard to find someone new, but you need to do it now, before you have a medical problem. Doctors now ask for all your information, including insurance and illnesses, before deciding if they will accept you.

Talk to him and see if he will provide a discounted rate since you are paying out of pocket...maybe something comparable to what the insurance rate would have been. That may help you for your yearly visit.

Keep in mind, if he is your regular doctor and you were to get sick (something serious) a new doctor who is not familiar with you would have to treat you or you would not have coverage if you doc is not accepting your insurance. Talk to your doctor and have him recommend someone.

My sons pedi didn't take my insurance when he was little but I didn't want him seeing anyone else so I paid. I think if you really trust him its worth the cost!

Can you get reimbursed by your insurance for some or all of the cost, even though he's out of network / doesn't accept insurance? Could you save a little money each month and pay him cash, so you don't have to go into debt?

Nope, I wouldn't change! Most of our doctors do not take insurance. They are able to spend quality time with us and the insurance game is maddening. The doctors who do not play the insurance game CAN because they know they are good at what they do and the insurance companies try to dictate what they can and can't do....which means the person allowing treatment back at the insurance certification building IS actually acting as your doctor, but telling the doctor what they will or will not cover.

We have a fabulous chiropractor that does not take insurance, she never has. Her office is PACKED. She's more than a chiro - helps with colds, strep, everything....and she gives us the time we need. Tries to stay late, if something comes up. Will see us if the baby gets sick in the middle of the night. Most of her patients actually use her as their primary care physician, from what I know from sitting in the waiting room. Her husband runs her office and they are able to keep their costs down by not having a full-time staff dealing with insurance games. She's worth every penny.

It's all about quality for me. I would never dream of asking for a discount, since she works so hard and ALL of her patients pay out of pocket....so really, it IS already discounted. She does give some of her patients a claim form to reimburse the patient directly, if they have insurance.

We find it's cheaper for us to pay for a high deductible for insurance ($5K) and use cash, than to pay high premiums and see mediocre doctors. Our insurance for all 6 of us runs us $226/month on a private policy with Anthem.

Keep him!!! Your insurance won't pay out of network costs? Build up a credit with the office so when the time comes, it's paid or close to. If your Dr requires outside services, just make sure you go to an in-network provider. Just think when Obamacare comes into play, the quality of Doctors will change for the worse, but you won't have to worry about that!!!

Is it that he won't accept insurance or that he won't accept your insurance? More and more are going away from the insurance route because of things like being lowballed on services. What our dentist does is we pay upfront and when the ins. pays them back, they give us that money. You could go to him, pay upfront, and file your own claim for out of network services. More paperwork for you, but it might be a way to keep him and split the difference. Or ask him for a payment plan. If it was someone you saw frequently, I'd look around. Or if the payment is just astronomical. It's a business decision on his part to not take insurance and a financial decision on yours not to be in debt for a once a year visit.

I would change. I have seen many doctors over the years (military) and have always gotten good care. If I did not like one they gave me, I requested someone else. No big deal.

Not worth going into debt over. There are many good doctors.