Re: Doctors who try to rip you off!

[Guest guest]

I concur--$500 for 20 minutes. I don't care how good the doctor is,

that is just wrong and he/she is taking advantage. I paid $64 once

for a doctor's visit and all we talked about was cars and the weather

in passing, I was there for a blood test. I was pissed. Some doctors

will nickel and dime you to death and that tells me they are really

just running a business.

>

> I am so fed up with doctors, probably for the same reason you all are.

> I have had to go to about 4 docs till I found this one in LA, Dr. " X. "

> I flew to see him (and racked up major credit card debt to pay for all

> this medical care). I think they're very knowledgeable on the

> thyroid/adrenal connection, or at least they are compared to my other

> docs who dismissed me as crazy when I knew I had hypothyroid (despite

> somewhat normal TSH) and adrenal dysfunction.

>

> Anyways, here is my complaint: I am 30 years old, completely broke

> (mostly from spending thousands on private practice medical care) and

> on medical leave and completely debilitated by my symptoms, so my

> employer asked my doctor to write a note stating my medical condition

> and estimate for my return to work. I asked Dr. " X " to write this

> letter and his office told me I could just write the letter and he

> would sign it. So, I wrote the 2 page letter explaining everything,

> sent it to his office to get signed. I get a call from doc's office

> telling me, Dr " X " has approved your letter but will charge $75 FOR

> THE LETTER! HELLO, I WROTE the letter FOR him. He didn't even do

> anything but sign it! And on top of this, the letter is REQUIRED by

> LAW by my employer to verify my medical leave. Why should I pay my doc

> $75 for something they are required to do? Especially when Dr. " X "

> charges $495 per visit and even charged me that amount last time for a

> 20 MINUTE VISIT! Though they are knowledgeable on this area of

> medicine, I cannot help but think when doctors are trying to rip you

> off, how do I know they're not just treating me on a 'make as much

> money as they can' basis? They have their own pharmacy and supplements

> which they always tell me to buy, and I don't know any better so I do.

> What if my health is not in my doctor's best interest? It just worries

> me b/c he has me on all this stuff - supplements, progesterone, etc.,

> which I think is great but I worry about their motives.

>

> Any similar stories. Sorry about the rant, but I had to vent!

>

> Fed up with doctors,

> Metta

>