No longer Accepting Insurance

[Guest guest]

I have not talked to Dr. Rutledges office, but, in my opionion, Dr.

Rutledge will take insurance payment, he just does not want to be

involved in the hassle to get it. Look at it from his point of view.

He is a surgeon and he maintains an office staff. This is a

relatively new procedure and there is a ton of work in managing this.

Dr. Rutledge is responsible for the clinics, surgery, post surgery

follow up, web updates, answering email, doing the long term follow

up of patients, and the 12 over things I don't even know about. All

of this is a draw on his resources. I think he has done a tremendous

job in keeping costs down. Insurance approval is a large draw on his

people. He is a surgeon, but he is a business too. Before the managed

care, PPO's and HMO's, I remember doctors regularily refusing to

accept insurance. You pay the bill, and then you go get reimbursement

from your insurance company. I don't think this is unreasonable. You

go to your insurance company, in conjunction with your personal

physician, and request approval. When your approved and can prove it

to Dr. R, I'll bet that is all he needs. Or you can do like I am. I

was denied an open Rny here in Michigan and am self paying with Dr. R

and will fight the insurance comopany after the fact. There is a lot

of work in this insurance approval game and it really isn't

reasonable to expect the Doctors office to absorb those costs.

Just my 2 cents.

Surgery in 3 weeks!

Ken Grakauskas