If they try this, I'll walk out. I'm tired of stuff like this, and I completely agree with Erica Schoenradt:
After nearly two months at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Erica Schoenradt was making plans in May to see her dentist for a checkup.Then she got a notice from Swish Dental that the cost of her next visit would include a new $20 "infection control fee" that likely would not be covered by her insurer."I was surprised and then annoyed," said Schoenradt, 28, of Austin, Texas. She thought it made no sense for her dentist to charge her for keeping the office clean because the practice should be doing that anyway. She canceled the appointment for now.Swish Dental is one of a growing number of dental practices nationwide that in the past month have begun charging patients infection control fees of $10 to $20.
A Maryland epidemiologist:
"I'm not sure what is the best solution to the increased costs of tighter infection control, but this new charge may not be covered by insurance, and that passes all the burden to the patient."
It won't be passed on to me if I walk out of the office. I walked out of the office last year after they kept me waiting over an hour, I'll switch dentists if they try this.
They need to think more like economists and find better ways to balance their own budgets. I am not their ATM.
Believing them would have saved me a lot of time.
Last December I walked out of my morning appointment because, even though I was sitting in a chair, nothing had been done more than an hour after my appointment time. In the morning! Imagine if my appointment had been at 4pm! And this wasn't an ordinary cleaning, for which they bill my insurance, this was one of those above-and-beyond appointments for which I was to pay out of pocket. I scheduled a cleaning appointment the following week, and at the end of that appointment I scheduled one for 6 months out--last Tuesday.
On Monday I called to confirm the next day's appointment. Instead of confirming or denying my appointment, I was told it was "procedure" to update/confirm all data they had on me, answer a bunch of questions, etc. Only after doing all this was I told that I'd need to bring a note from my doctor saying I was 'rona-free and OK to go to the dentist.
The next day I found myself a new dentist.
Just curious here Darren. A dentist has to change operation method which adds cost. He has two sources of income, money patients pay him and reimbursement payments from insurance companies.
ReplyDeleteThe insurance company has set the amount they will reimburse the dentist and won't pay more.
Where is the dentist going to get the income to pay the cost?
By what you are saying, even if inflation drives prices up, you should only pay what you did 20 years ago. I mean, it is up to them to balance their budgets no matter the increased costs, right?
Please explain the rationale of your diatribe because a capitalist has a hard time understanding.
Steve:
ReplyDeleteTacking on an extra "fee" that people don't know about is wrong. It's as wrong as Pizza Hut tacking on their "service fee" for the additional cost of doing business in California. I even rail against airline "baggage fees" and hotel "resort fees". Build your expenses into the *price* you're charging me, and let me make a decision about whether or not your price is too high.
Perhaps I should charge a "testing fee" at school. Or a "grading fee", if you take the test and want to know your grade.
I used to joke about a "dishes/utensil cleaning" fee coming in restaurants. I'm not joking anymore.
OK, I'm all for knowing the fees up front and the consumer deciding. Your Pizza Hut example is not the way to do business, agreed. However, the words of your post makes it seem that you refuse to pay for the increase cost borne by the dentist even if you know beforehand (and the costs are justified).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the clarification because it really sounded like you were changing economic philosophies.
Come on, Steve. Dentists should keep their offices clean anyway. They already wear masks and eye protection when they're working in people's mouths. They use sterilized instruments. Anything above that is "cleanliness theater", especially at $10-20 per patient.
ReplyDeleteAdd it into the cost of the visit, and let me know before I show up if I'll be paying more than my specified copayment. That shouldn't be unreasonable.