I got charged for a missed appointment! Can I do anything?

Adore

"BLONDIE"
Sep 17, 2006
1,695
1
I got a call for an appointment I made with my gyno a year ago, it was a call from a machine saying select 1 or 2 for yes or no that you'll be making it or not. I totally forgot about this appointment, you know-- after a year, and just hung up, I didn't know if I was going to make it and was caught off guard, so I didn't select anything.
Well I got a letter in the mail charging me $25 for a missed appointment!
Would I be a fool to even call and try to dispute it?
 
Don't bother disputing it - you forgot. It happens and the penalty fee for a missed appointment could be worse. My allergist and internalist both charge $100 for missed appointments and my physician charges $50.
 
I guess you could always try to dispute it but I don't think you should because I think it would be unfair for someone else to have to absorb the cost of your mistake. Those fees are put in place to help offset the financial loss of having appointments cancelled without enough time for the doctor to fill the time slot with another patient. If the person at fault doesn't absorb the cost, someone else will have to - either the doctor or other patients.
 
Yeah now I'm starting to think I shouldn't bother disputing it... I figured hanging up was maybe even as good as "no" but totally understand how it may not be. Or isn't at all.

Ahhh :sad: I will just pay it I think and not bother contacting them :sad:
And never take missing an appointment lightly again!!
 
Are they allowed to have a machine call and and give information about your health care?? I thought that was against the rules. Don't they have to be sure they are talking to you? What if a child would have picked up the phone or a nanny or housekeeper? I would be unhappy if an automated machine called my house to confirm a doctor appointment. I would find out if that is even legal. That said they did tell you about the appointment and you did miss it so you really should pay the fee. It sucks but it's the right thing to do.
 
And yet, when the office gets backed up and the doc finally sees you at 4:30pm for a 2:45 appt, you're not allowed to charge him for your wasted time in the waiting room...
 
I think the charge was fair.... after all, the doctor had time set aside for your appointment, and since you didn't cancel, that doctor could have been seeing another patient instead rather than sitting around waiting for you.
 
And yet, when the office gets backed up and the doc finally sees you at 4:30pm for a 2:45 appt, you're not allowed to charge him for your wasted time in the waiting room...



This is such an interesting post I just had to comment. Well for once, you are coming to see him to care for your own health, not the other way around, so it's in your interest to get medical care for your own well being. Secondly, think of how much time is technically allowed for an appointment at least in the big hospitals - I think at kaiser it's something like 15 minutes per individual appointment. That means the Dr. has to be really in and out of your room in the matter of minutes - do most appointments go like that ? Does the Dr. really ran into your room, quickly check you and then leave ? What if he has to do some sort of additional examination, bring necessery equipment in, then talk to you about the results, or answer any questions you may have - that's waaaaay over the alloted time. When you think about it this way, it's suprising how well the system works and how little you sometimes have to wait.
 
Are they allowed to have a machine call and and give information about your health care?? I thought that was against the rules. Don't they have to be sure they are talking to you? What if a child would have picked up the phone or a nanny or housekeeper? I would be unhappy if an automated machine called my house to confirm a doctor appointment. I would find out if that is even legal. That said they did tell you about the appointment and you did miss it so you really should pay the fee. It sucks but it's the right thing to do.

At my hospital at least, the automated reminders are set up at least after you have given permission to it, meaning when you schedule the appointment, you either fill it out or whomever schedules it specifically asks you if you want the automated conformation/reminder call. In that sense, it's not a HIPAA violation because it's been done with your authorization. If she's concerned about HIPAA violation or her PHR being potentially exposed in anyway, I'm sure she can report it or complain about it.
 
And yet, when the office gets backed up and the doc finally sees you at 4:30pm for a 2:45 appt, you're not allowed to charge him for your wasted time in the waiting room...

ITA with this point! On more than one occasion I've left (letting reception know) because the doctor is too far behind. My time is valuable too -- I expect to be seen at my appointment time.

I often call ahead to see how far behind the doctor is so I don't sit around waiting for 2 hours.