Foot Doctors Policy
My wife went to a foot doctor{Podiatrist} today. She has a pinched nerve in her foot and needs the special custom made shoes for arch support. My insurance said that they cover these shoes which are almost $200. They{The Doctors} have already got confirmation that they are covered but they still want the money up-front. Then they would re-imberse us when they recieved the check from insurance. They will not do anything without payment in full up-front. Is this normal practice with foot doctors? I have noticed that other people/friends have paid Co-Pays up-front for doctor visits. I thought about calling the BBB..
0
-
They are covering their butts to make sure they do not get stuck with the bill for the shoes. Just because your insurance covers the shoes does not guarantee that the office will be paid for the shoes. Most insurances have stipulations that must be met, which can include that the shoes are only covered if dispensed at certain places. Also, although your insurance covers the shoes if your deductible is not met (or you have co-insurance)the cost will then be bounced back to you to pay (and the doctors office will be responsible for getting that money from you). When that happens, unfortunately, some customers just ignore the bills and quit answering their phones. The doctor still has to pay the bill he receives from the shoe place, even when the recipient of the shoes has not paid him.
Ask them if you can write a post dated check that they do not cash and can then give back to you when the insurance pays. Or you could always go to a different Podiatrist. Also, co-pays should be paid up front. (your copay amount is decided upon by your insurance company, not the doctors offices)0 -
Thank You.. 0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
2 comments