It's Time for Patients to Become Responsible Healthcare Consumers
It's Time for Patients to Become Responsible Healthcare Consumers
I had someone ask recently whether we charge patients for not showing up for their appointments. We do have a “no-show” policy and, compared to other practices, our fee is pretty low. And, unfortunately, patients often slip through the cracks. The purpose of the no-show fee is not to make money, it is to serve as a deterrent. Most of the time, patients are angry about receiving a no-show bill. Yes, that’s right. After they have wasted our time and deprived another patient of a slot, they are angry.
Why should I be surprised? These are the same people who would be angry when they are told they need a referral. It is clearly stated in our policies (as is the no-show rule) that it is the patient’s responsibility to know their insurance and to know if they need a referral or not.
They are also the same patients who get angry after receiving a bill because they haven’t met their deductible. Or that they have to pay a $50 copay every time they come.
Now most physicians probably don’t get to find out which patients these are, because it is handled either by the billing manager or the office manager, and the physician only gets to hear about it if the patient complains directly to them. I ,on the other hand, get the inside scoop every day. I come home from a day at the office and am greeted with, “we need to talk about one of your angry patients,” from my husband, who is also my practice's biller. Great.
Now, mind you, they are the same ones who don’t understand why they need to be seen periodically before they get meds refilled. The same ones who say, "I don’t have time to see a hundred doctors."
They are also the ones who don’t want to take “no” for an answer to their (in my opinion) unreasonable requests. “Can you add a leptin level onto my lab request?” “Can you write a letter to the electric company saying I need air conditioning?” “Can you write a letter to get me out of work/jury duty/my DUI?” Oh yes, I really got that last request. “Can you write a prescription that says I check my blood sugars 4 times a day even though I only check once because it’s cheaper?”
I had posted recently about how physicians and physicians’ offices seem to be held responsible for failures in the system, but how about patients being responsible? I’m not even talking now about being responsible for their health, just being responsible as a consumer.
Here here! I would like to add the patients who want me as their PMD to rewrite the scripts writtent by their specialists so they don't have to go back to see them "it's cheaper to see you."
I love this
You eloquently articulated the frustrations of my practice. Unfortunately I don't see how we can correct this situation.
Amen
Were you working in our practice this week? Because we've had those same conversations with patients as well. ALL of the time.
One word: entitlement.
Add to that the patients who are angry because they called to "just let you know I'm running 15 minutes late," then are told they need to reschedule. What?! How DARE we do such a thing...to not make the other patients who are ON TIME wait.
Oh, I could go on and on. Thanks for making me feel like I'm not the only office with these type of patients.
Oh, yes, we get those, too. I had one girl call already 15 minutes late, to say she was one her way and should be here in about 15 minutes. SHe gave my staff such a hard time on the phone, that they handed her off to me (this was when we were first starting out and I didn't know better). I tried to explain that I would not be able to see her, and she said "I don't want you to be my doctor. You're mean!" If it hadn't been a total waste of time I would have laughed.
Oh, all of the above is so true!!! I continually wonder when a patient is going to take responsibility for their own healthcare! How about the ones who complain that you didn't call and remind them about their appointment...when you did but a.) their number was disconnected, b.) their voice mailbox was full, c.) their voice mailbox isn't set up, etc, etc. It is so frustrating!!
In our attempt to make our patients more responsible we must remember that there are basic lessons involved in developing a "responsible human being". For me the lessons began in my home when I was a child and my first teachers were my parents and grandparents. The topics would have included, "remember to greet those you come in contact with", "remember to be grateful to those who help you", "remember to call us if you are running late or will not be able to make it" and "always respect others' time". There were no cell phones when I was a teenager but I am sure that another lesson would have been "remember to put your phone on vibrate when you are at the doctor's office and if you receive an ememrgency call ask the doctor permission to answer the phone". Unfortunately, this does not happen with my patients because I am sure that these lessons never took place in their homes. Instead I hear patients state in front of their children, "why pay for it if I can get it for free?", "why should I pay when I don't show up if you don't pay me when you are running late or have to leave the office early?" "I don't feel well and so I can yell at your staff all I want", "my insurance pays you to give me what I need (usually narcotics)". Unless we have programs at school that teach children the basic lessons many of us received at home, we should expect to see more patients who are demanding, cantakerous and querulous. By the way, our NO SHOW fee is $10 and my staff gets an earful when they try to collect this.
I just might post this in our reception area! How true this is.