A Couple of weeks ago I posted about my Physician who was going to stop accepting Medical Insurance.

[madinmaryland]

Well, I finally received an email reply from him and his practice.

This was the original thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=4214264

Here is his response:

Dear Mr. xxxxxxxxxxx,

I can understand your frustration and anger with our practice change. While there are many factors that have influenced my decision first and foremost is my desire to take care of patients. I have seen over 2400 different patients in the past year and am unable to maintain that volume. Fortunately for Charter Internal Medicine, we have hundreds (if not thousands of patients) who place a higher value on their care and access than their $20 copay.

Respectfully,

Randal P. Riesett, M.D.

------

:wow:

[SmokingJacket]

1. WOW, what an idiot!!

Does he think people don't PAY for their insurance?

Christ!

However, it really is the hospitals, emergency rooms, surgeries, tests, and imaging that are breaking people. When THEY begin to reject insurance, we're in trouble.

[harun]

2. I went to a doctor for a number of years while I used to live in Las Vegas

that didn't take insurance. I even had insurance. It was just so much easier. I would go in to see him, never had to wait for appt's. I would go in and pay 30$ cash and be done. He didn't have to have a big staff to handle all the insurance BS. I could even send that bill in to my insurance company on my own if I wanted. Sometimes I did and they would reimburse.

[hobbit709]

3. so I guess he doesn't want to see poor people who can't afford more than their copay.

I don't know of anyone whose copay is ONLY $20 nowadays.

[madinmaryland]

8. My wife has insurance through the public school system here.

It is quite comprehensive.

[SammyWinstonJack]

9. Ours is.

[Crazy Dave]

10. Ah the memories

15 years ago I was able to insure my whole family for $20 a week

As little as 10 years ago I made #10k more a year in the same occupation

Ahhhhhhhhh...it's almost like a good dream

[Freddie Stubbs]

16. Many doctors are already not seeing poor people who do not have insurance

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

19. Of course not...

...that's why the AMA/lobbyists spend 10s of millions of dollars every year in an effort to block universal health care legislation. They don't want to serve the "undesirables".

[Turbineguy]

4. That's something

of a cheapshot, considering you still have to maintain health insurance in order to get care anywhere else (like a hospital).

I can understand his decision in view of the paperwork and wait times as they apply to him, but his patients are in a different situation.

[RB TexLa]

5. What did the insurance companies make him accept the amounts he contracted to receive?

instead of what he billed them for because he "deserves" more than his signed contract gives him?

[sailor65]

7. They probably caught him balance-billing or something n/t

[madinmaryland]

25. What is "balance-billing" and how do I find out if he was caught?

[sailor65]

27. When your doctor signs a deal with an insurer,

he/she agrees to receive a fixed amount for a fixed procedure. You pay your co-pay, and the remainder of that amount comes from the insurance company. The doctor, under most contracts, is not allowed to come after you for any more money.

Many have done just that, though. When the doctor takes the difference between the agreed insurance amount and what he/she might charge in cash value and bills that, it's called "Balance-Billing."

I learned of this whole thing when my wife and I started getting all sorts of bills from a certain medical office. Blue Cross actually investigated and found the office "Balance Billing." I don't think the office's contract was dropped, but I know the threat was at least made and they got a year of auditing for their trouble. I imagine that might drive a doctor who thinks he can carry out a healthy cash business to drop insurers.

When I get home I will find out where my wife stored all the paperwork from that investigation.

The first step for you would be to look back and see whether you can account for all the billing you've ever received from this guy. The insurance company you have used with him might be able to tell you something about it.

[madinmaryland]

28. I pretty sure that is not happening with our doctor. As one of my friends said to me, she thinks

he is just trying to get rid of his Medicare patients.

[madinmaryland]

11. He had droppec the insurance company that I was with a couple of years ago.

They had cut the contract amount they were paying him for services by 35%, i think. The practice sued to get out of that contract and won. The practice is under contract with several insurance companies and the amount the doctors get paid is based on the contract (for in-network). If you go out of network, it is the patient's responsibility to cover the balance of the charge and file their own insurance claims.

[PalinHater]

6. "their $20 copay"?

What a load of crap! That's an asinine comparison. People place a value on their $20 copay, because otherwise they can't afford $200 for a ten minute eval. What a schmuck!

[One_Life_To_Give]

12. Probably True

Plenty of people who will gladly part with $100 or more for a premium quality visit.

Too many places today remind me of Cattle being treated by a Vet.

[madinmaryland]

13. He wants $2,000 per patient upfront to provide this medical care.

[One_Life_To_Give]

22. How the rich take care of medical

I have heard that the Rich people all have Doctors on Retainer. Sounds like what this guy is trying to set up. I hope for that price it can include Saturday Night housecall for an ill child.

[madinmaryland]

24. It does include that.

[RollWithIt]

14. Fairly obvious, the insurance company caught him double dipping....

That would be the only reason I could imagine why a doctor would choose to drop his own insurance carrier.

[madinmaryland]

15. Is there any way to find something like that out??

That would be some really juicy information.

[RollWithIt]

20. I guess find out the name of the insurance carrier, and call them...

Explain that you are a customer.

[LiberalHeart]

17. Wow. Fuck you very much, Doctor.

[Captiosus]

18. I was fine to just say, 'His choice, his loss' on this boneheaded decision

Until the last line.

Granted, he didn't address a single thing in your original letter from the other thread, but I was willing to say that if he wanted to make this decision and lose most of his patients that's totally his call and I hope he enjoys when he has to pack it up, go somewhere else and rejoin insurance plans.

Then he had to end with that line which makes him sound like a condescending, greedy asshole. Let's see how many people "place a higher value on their care and access than their $20 copay" when they lose their jobs or have to choose between a $2000 up front concierge fee or paying for a roof over their heads.

Right now, I'd be damn happy with a copay.

[guitar man]

21. what an asshole

I would have written him back and told him that in addition to my $20 copay, I'm paying $400 a month in premiums for my "employer provided" health coverage. Jerk! :grr:

[madinmaryland]

23. I told him exactly what I and my employer pay for insurance.

But the greedy jerk, still wants another $4,000 from me.

Screw him.

:grr:

[guitar man]

26. exactly

tell him "since you don't want to take the generous payment I can offer for your services, you're fired!"

My total premiums between what I pay and what my employer pays (which I earn) equals about $1300 a month. If they can't figure out how to take care of my family's health needs for that, we have a real problem in this country.