One of the more hostile debates going on surrounding the patient and doctor interaction actually has to do with a lack of interaction. Should patients have to pay for missed doctor’s appointments? There are varying points-of-view and it does not seem like either side wants to waver.
On one hand, you have a doctor with limited amounts of time and for every patient that doesn’t show, that wasted time that could’ve gone to a billable patient. On the other side of the spectrum you have the patient who may have something unexpected come up.
Let’s explore this situation from both points-of-view. In the end, how you feel about the current predicament will most likely rest on which side of the stethoscope you are on.
The Doctor’s Point-of-View
Let’s start with the unpopular view for the majority of people. There are more patients than there are doctors, so percentage-wise, there are definitely less people for payment for missed appointments.
However, due to the way a lot of practices are made up, doctors do have a legitimate reason to want to charge no shows. Some practices pay doctors a flat rate based on number of patients and overall complexity of that patient. If a patient does not show, that is a chunk of time the doctor wasted that he or she could have been caring for other patients.
No shows not only hurt the doctors and waste their time, but it also affects other patients. That time slot could have very well been utilized by a patient that needed and wanted care.
One thing to point out is that if doctors want to adopt the “pay for missed appointments” policy, this should be made abundantly clear to the patient. Some recommendations include providing a policy sheet to new patients and actually walking them through it instead of relying on them to read it. Doctors could also let the first offense slide, making a note that that particular patient missed an appointment already and that the next missed appointment should have a fee applied.
Another courtesy that doctors can provide if they want to adopt the “pay for missed appointments” policy, is to be on time themselves. Patients wait much too long in waiting rooms even when they have scheduled appointments. It is unfair of a doctor to hold their patients to a timely standard if they themselves do not abide by this standard.
The Patient’s Point-of-View
Now, we move the other side of the argument. Patients argue that they are already paying for enough when it comes to healthcare. For anyone who has received a major medical bill in the mail, you know all too well how quickly seemingly routine tests and exams stack up in the “amount due” column.
Medical practices and hospitals are businesses at their core. They are there to provide a service and in turn receive payment for said services. So why should they get paid for no shows when other service businesses don’t?
If you miss your dinner reservation you are not required to pay a portion of your would-be meal. If you miss an appointment with your realtor, you are not expected to provide them extra commission upon the completion of the transaction. Your tax accountant doesn’t charge an additional fee for filing your W2 if you have missed an appointment.
So the argument becomes, why does a medical practitioner receive special treatment? They are, after all, aiming to run a profitable business and need to take the ups with the downs.
A Third Party: Insurance Companies
The primary disagreement is between the doctors and the patients. More accurately the medical practice’s owner and the patient. However, there is a third party in all of this; the patient’s insurance company.
Can a case be made that the insurance company needs to cover this “no show” fee just as they would with similar costs? In all likelihood, the answer is going to be a big fat “no”. Insurance companies make their money on not paying for their patients’ services. It is very unlikely they will pay for a service that went unused by the patient.
There is an alternative route with regards to the insurance paying for the “no show” fee. If the insurance company has to cover the “no show” fee, they could potentially have a case for increasing your monthly premium. This is another factor that could be fed into their intricate algorithm that determines just how risky of a cost the patient is, right alongside smoking and age.
In the end, this debate will probably wage on for a while until some governmental policies are put in place. As of right now, it seems to be hit or miss as to whether a doctor’s office charges for missed appointments.
About the author:
Andrew Fujii is a marketing professional with expertise in digital/web and content marketing. He is also a copywriter for multiple agencies and a contributes to the Select Data blog.
