Doctor Scams?

I know this is the worst place to ask for medical advice but I just want to see how people feel here. I was just recently fitted for contact lenses and at the follow up my eye doctor said I had an eye condition. He suggested I use warm compresses and over the counter stuff to clear it up. He said if it works I won't need to see him till my next contact lens fitting. He also said that if it doesn't work I'd need to come back.

Well it didn't work and if anything his home remedy suggestion only made things worse. I called up to make an appointment and they want to charge me an addition $110 for the visit to check my eyes. I don't have insurance.

Am I wrong to think that this visit should be free?

This is the problem with privatised healthcare, people out there always trying to screw you over for more money. Would be free in the UK

It should be free, but it won't.

the US healthcare and medical system is awful awful awful.

it doesn't help that the pharmaceutical companies are up the doctors asses inciting them to write prescription after prescription.

it seems like everyone is on some sort of pill.

You can 'try' argueing that it was the eye doctor's suggestion that made it worse when he could have treated it then and there and since it was at his suggestion, you should only have to pay cost of treatment and not for the appointment itself.

Or you can go to a clinic and see if they can give you something to take care of it.

But, this is what happens when you don't have insurance and you have a country like the US who has let healthcare become one big scam.

I'm not a big fan of the medical profession just now, so I'm not taking up for this doctor by any means. And I sympathize with you, but that's not really what I'd call a scam. It actually sounds like he tried to save you a few bucks by not ordering a dozen tests and scheduling you for weekly appointments (more my idea of a scam). If you had insurance, that's probably what he would have done. But with this, his suggestion didn't work. So if the condition is bad enough, yeah, you'd have to pay for another office visit and whatever treatment that entails. I can't think of a circumstance where he'd give you a freebie.

BTW, do doctors get a cut of the take when they write prescriptions??? Does anybody know?

Rey C. said:

I'm not a big fan of the medical profession just now, so I'm not taking up for this doctor by any means. And I sympathize with you, but that's not really what I'd call a scam. It actually sounds like he tried to save you a few bucks by not ordering a dozen tests and scheduling you for weekly appointments (more my idea of a scam). If you had insurance, that's probably what he would have done. But with this, his suggestion didn't work. So if the condition is bad enough, yeah, you'd have to pay for another office visit and whatever treatment that entails. I can't think of a circumstance where he'd give you a freebie.

BTW, do doctors get a cut of the take when they write prescriptions??? Does anybody know?

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So I'm responsible for his home remedy suggestion not working? It is his suggestions that have allowed my eye condition to get worse. I now have to pay to go back and get the proper advice?

MikeyK said:

So I'm responsible for his home remedy suggestion not working? It is his suggestions that have allowed my eye condition to get worse. I now have to pay to go back and get the proper advice?

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All I'm saying is it's usually the case that for every office visit, there is a charge. Why don't you call the doctor, tell him just what you've told us: his remedy made it worse *be careful how you say that to him*, you don't have insurance and you're wondering if he'd cut you a break? It doesn't cost anything to ask. Not all of them are greedy bastards. You Might find the one in a hundred who isn't. :dunno:

Good luck with it.

Stop wanking to pictures of self-assembly garden furniture you fucking deviant, then your eyesight will return to normal.

I was told that, once. Did he try to sell me some fancy eye drops. Yes. Do I use eye drops. No. Will a warm washcloth clear the tear ducts. Yes.
Was that guy a jackass. Yes.

Rey C. said:

All I'm saying is it's usually the case that for every office visit, there is a charge. Why don't you call the doctor, tell him just what you've told us: his remedy made it worse *be careful how you say that to him*, you don't have insurance and you're wondering if he'd cut you a break? It doesn't cost anything to ask. Not all of them are greedy bastards. You Might find the one in a hundred who isn't. :dunno:

Good luck with it.

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I already did that and they told me I would have to pay $110 for the visit anyway. I told them no thanks and went to a different optometrist today for only $49. She fully examined my eye and told me it just appears to be dry eye. She gave me free eye drops to try and I go back for a free follow up in a few days.

Petra said:

You can 'try' argueing that it was the eye doctor's suggestion that made it worse when he could have treated it then and there and since it was at his suggestion, you should only have to pay cost of treatment and not for the appointment itself.

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The problem with this is that it's almost impossible to prove. Even if you can it usually takes more money to do so than just going to a doctor again cost.

In any case I think if he wanted to scam you he would have suggested something that would have cost a lot of money up front instead of something that might have alleviated your condition. I have a feeling it wasn't anything malicious on his part, just incompetence or not having enough information to make a good decision.

I would go for a second opinion...

...of course that's not exactly a cheap thing either.

MikeyK said:

I already did that and they told me I would have to pay $110 for the visit anyway. I told them no thanks and went to a different optometrist today for only $49. She fully examined my eye and told me it just appears to be dry eye. She gave me free eye drops to try and I go back for a free follow up in a few days.

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Glad to hear that it worked out. I got really sick last year and I ended up having to hire an attorney to deal with the doctors and insurance companies. I think I was being scammed. The doctor was a quack and racked up thousands in charges for unnecessary tests and visits (I even got bills from some doctors in his office who I never saw). I'm not discounting what you went through. But it sounds like the doctor just made a bad call. So I just couldn't get from what you told us that it was a real scam. But it does suck even if he was just wrong in his diagnosis.

Like the rest of us, doctors make mistakes too. And no, no one wants to have to pay another fee when that happens. But just like when a mechanic misdiagnoses a problem on your car, they generally don't give you a freebie. Some will. But most will not. You pay for the parts and labor that didn't fix your car and then you'll pay for the parts and labor that do fix your car. But if someone tries to charge me for a part that wasn't put on my car or labor that didn't happen, that is more my idea of a scam. Same with doctors. If the doc/quack is just ordering tests to pad his own pocket, that is a scam and I feel it's my duty to make as many problems for him as I can. As the last one found out a few weeks ago (sent me a bill a year AFTER the fact?!), we're all good at something. And fucking with someone who I believe has tried to wrong me is one thing that I pride myself on being good at. Now he knows that a lien can be filed against a doctor's personal assets. And liens REALLY fuck up people's credit. Too bad. So sad. I'll have to drop it soon enough, but the damage is now done to his FICO score... til he writes bunches and bunches of letters to explain it.

MikeyK said:

I know this is the worst place to ask for medical advice but I just want to see how people feel here. I was just recently fitted for contact lenses and at the follow up my eye doctor said I had an eye condition. He suggested I use warm compresses and over the counter stuff to clear it up. He said if it works I won't need to see him till my next contact lens fitting. He also said that if it doesn't work I'd need to come back.

Well it didn't work and if anything his home remedy suggestion only made things worse. I called up to make an appointment and they want to charge me an addition $110 for the visit to check my eyes. I don't have insurance.

Am I wrong to think that this visit should be free?

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Look the physician wants to be sure that your eyes are ok and your not having something else more serious going on. The scam part of a physician is that they dont really know drugs, its drug rep.'s who come in and wine and dine these physicians telling them they should try this med for this or that med for that problem.
The real scvam is the drug companies. The reason that drugs cost so much here in america and we can not get them over the counter like most of europe or mexico is that we americans fund the research for the rest of the worlds medicine. People will come in and say I dont know what I am saying yet they themselves have no health care experience, but it is completely true.
That is why our health care is so high in america. If we could get half the shit over the counter like the rest of the world we wouldnt have to go to the doctors so much and we wouldnt have to worry about exorbitant medical insurance costs. We foot the bill for medicine research. I have been in the health care industry for over 20 years. Started out as a plain old wiping a dirty ass C.N.A. and have worked my way through R.N. school and own my own Home Health care company. Trust me I know, I get hit up by rep.'s all the time now that I own my own business. I love it, I find out what they are going to push on me, then research the device, medicine or what ever the thing is. Then when they come I let them bring thier big old smorgish board of food, feed my good workers and when they go in for the sales pitch, I blast them with questions. If one so much as stumbles on thier own product I just drill them.

I know its kind of rude, but if your gonna step up to me in that realm you better know your shit.

Rey C. said:

BTW, do doctors get a cut of the take when they write prescriptions??? Does anybody know?

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Doctors are not compensated for prescribing certain drugs. That would be illegal and unethical.

In the past drug companies would "wine and dine" doctors with dinners and trips but with most of the new regulations, those days are in the past. In most cases, drug reps can't even give doctors a pen anymore.

MikeyK said:

Am I wrong to think that this visit should be free?

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Yes, you are wrong to think that medical care should be free.

I work for an eye doctor and have a decent idea of what your condition is. It is probably posterior blepharitis or meibomian gland dysfunction leading to a dry eye condition. This is a very common diagnosis.

The doctor's original advice of using warm compresses and OTC treatments was to save you money. It is unlikely these treatments made you worse, even though you may think differently. Who is to say you wouldn't have gotten worse even without the treatments?

I don't know why you think your care should be free. If you have a medical condition that requires medical treatment, you need to pay for that medical advice.

What is your job? Do you do work for free?

nearlyinvisible said:

Doctors are not compensated for prescribing certain drugs. That would be illegal and unethical.

In the past drug companies would "wine and dine" doctors with dinners and trips but with most of the new regulations, those days are in the past. In most cases, drug reps can't even give doctors a pen anymore.

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Well what they do now is hold all inclusive "education seminar" in some cool destination like vegas. They disguise it as "continuing education" for the physicians and then do that kind of crap. Trust me dude they still manipulate the system. And yes the still bring in nice catered meals for an "educational" junket.

nearlyinvisible said:

Yes, you are wrong to think that medical care should be free.

I work for an eye doctor and have a decent idea of what your condition is. It is probably posterior blepharitis or meibomian gland dysfunction leading to a dry eye condition. This is a very common diagnosis.

The doctor's original advice of using warm compresses and OTC treatments was to save you money. It is unlikely these treatments made you worse, even though you may think differently. Who is to say you wouldn't have gotten worse even without the treatments?

I don't know why you think your care should be free. If you have a medical condition that requires medical treatment, you need to pay for that medical advice.

What is your job? Do you do work for free?

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I don't think medical treatment should be free jagoff. I never said that. I paid my eye doctor $180 to examine my eyes. They didn't clear up so a few weeks later when I want to go back to have them looked at again they want to bang me for another $110. His treatment recommendations didn't correct the problem so I have to pay for a second piece of advice? I'd rather get rammed up my ass by a thick dick.

MikeyK said:

I don't think medical treatment should be free jagoff. I never said that.

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Um, yes you did:

MikeyK said:

Am I wrong to think that this visit should be free?

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MikeyK said:

I paid my eye doctor $180 to examine my eyes. They didn't clear up so a few weeks later when I want to go back to have them looked at again they want to bang me for another $110. His treatment recommendations didn't correct the problem so I have to pay for a second piece of advice? I'd rather get rammed up my ass by a thick dick.

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$180 for initial consultation. $110 for follow-up. Nothing wrong with that. Either you want the treatment or you don't. When you see a doctor, you are not paying for an outcome. You are paying for their time, expertise, and education. There are no guarantees and even the appropriate treatment can cause a poor outcome. Regardless, the doctor should be paid for his service on each visit.

BTW, it's your choice not to have insurance.

nearlyinvisible said:

Um, yes you did:




$180 for initial consultation. $110 for follow-up. Nothing wrong with that. Either you want the treatment or you don't. When you see a doctor, you are not paying for an outcome. You are paying for their time, expertise, and education. There are no guarantees and even the appropriate treatment can cause a poor outcome. Regardless, the doctor should be paid for his service on each visit.

BTW, it's your choice not to have insurance.

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You think it is ok to charge $110 for a follow up? That's sad and sick. That is also one of the reasons the medical and insurance industry is raping the American people. When you have some people that think it is ok to charge $110 for a follow up then you get what we have today.

And it is not my choice to not have insurance. I don't have a job that offers me insurance and I don't have enough money to buy my own. So fuck you.

Let me guess you are one of these assholes that thinks the healthcare industry in America is great. And that if people don't have insurance it is their fault.