$790 For a 5-minute Video call? And Firmagon shortage?

[JPnSD]

My RO just sent his bill for a 5 minute video conference call he had with me to tell me something that could easily have been put in an email! $790 !!! So why are healthcare costs out of sight in the US???

Oh, and I just got a call telling me that Firmagon is in short supply and they have to delay my next monthly injection. Anyone else running into this? I know some Lupron (1 and 3 month) doses have previously been in short supply. Is this the future for what APC patients have to look forward to?

[Hidden]

Thanks R O! I googled it ,and it said an Ro can make 300 to 500 k per year . Not bad if they save you ? Everything is wacky in times of covid . Keep pressing on to get what you need .

[Karmaji in reply to Hidden]

If no patient....no job for doc...

soon all this will be thru IA robo docs ..

more human more knowdgable...

[monte1111 in reply to Karmaji]

I agree, more humane.

[Magnus1964]

Is the $750 is normal office visit fee?

[JPnSD in reply to Magnus1964]

No idea...new RO on the team. Spunds like they just threw him in to inflate his dance card. He just reaffirmed the treatment plan by another RO was appropriate.

[Magnus1964 in reply to JPnSD]

I think $750 is pretty high. But then medical costs are cheaper here. I realize costs are much higher in other states.

[maley2711 in reply to JPnSD]

Beside the 5-10 minutes spent on the call, do you believe he spent additional time looking at your case before the call? I know it is now common here for a 30 mnute visit to be billed at $300......at Kaiser, patients don't see any of that, and Docs are expected to be responsive to reasonable email patient questions/comments. Docs do book all their activity, to document their productivity! ith benefits, I'd gues Doc smake maybe $300k...$150/hr.. RN.nurses seem to make maybe $60/hr with benefits. if he spent even 15 total minutes in prepping and and phone call, $800 is outof control IMHO!

[babychi]

We ask for quotes! Dont give a hoot what they think! We wanna know the cost before they stick us up!😜

[maley2711 in reply to babychi]

absolutely...it is just a business, and we have that right to know!! There seems to be an attiude of.......why do you care..isn't insurance paying my outrageous bill.

[monte1111 in reply to babychi]

"Your money or your life. " Pause. Jack Benny: "I'm thinking it over."

[dhccpa]

Nothing surprises me abour the USA system.

[NOCanceros]

Hello

Me and my oncology from Germany always we mail each other,i do not pay anything.

Some Dr.s are strange.

[Bunkerboy in reply to NOCanceros]

Some Drs are crooks👎🏻😱

[MateoBeach]

Call their bill department and challenge it. Ask what the RVS code was billed. There are specific standards for time spent and degree of complexity required to support a specific billing level (RVS). Sounds like a big mistake that should be fixable.

[HopingForTheBest1]

Was that your out of pocket cost? How much did insurance cover?

[SPEEDYX]

Out of our control...I fight all the time with insurance...regulations....litigation...Money come first....all else secondary....at least there are doctors out there who really care and they fight there own battles too...sad to say we have to be our own advocates!

[Karmaji]

just expose name of doc...

[j-o-h-n]

Tell the thief that's what you pay for a sex video call.... and that's a hellofa better outcome... Ask the crook what would he charge you for an email? I wouldn't pay it..... and I would write a bad review of him on-line.....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Sunday 11/15/2020 10:49 PM EST

[cancerking]

I am physician. That is outrageous. Appeal and if that fails, send a letter of your experience to the newspaper.

[rocket09]

Unethical behavior by a doctor.