On Dec 19, 2014, at 8:58 AM, Jerry Fernandes <[email protected]> wrote:
"Regarding the subject of overcharging patients, its become a common norm that doctors charge nothing less than 200 - 300 in Goa with no receipts. Even the follow up visit is charged, which should be free to see the progress of the medicines prescribed. But who to complaint these matters? I had been in Mumbai for few days and happened to visit three doctors there, and I was zapped beyond words, when the charges were Rs 50 and less by all these three doctors. It made me wonder if I was really with some doctors in Mumbai. This was all at Mira Road in Mumbai." COMMENT: 1: Rs. 50 for a Doctor's office visit? ...Excellent! 2: How much for a Bhaji Puri at a half-clean eat house in Mumbai or Goa? ADDENDUM Let me accept, ab inicio, that there are rip-off artists in all walks of life ...Medicine included. But in general: 3: In some countries, the local Medical Associations work out Fee Schedules. The fees charged are based on the complexity of the presenting problems and the time reasonably required to see the patient and answer all the queries. The charges are according to CPT (Procedure) codes. (There are regional variations because of the relative costs of running practices eg A doctor's office in (say) New York would be infinitely more expensive to run than one (say) in Beeville, Texas. Customarily, a new patient of moderate complexity will be coded and billed as a 99203 while a review pt as a 99213. Each of these visits normally run about 20-30 minutes - so that a proper history and examination is conducted, treatment written and discussed with the patient, and any further queries answered. 4: I have NO clue as to what (rent etc) it costs to run a doctor's office in Mumbai.....and How many patients that doctor has to see per day.....just to cover the office expenses; accordingly, how much quality time a doctor expends per patient. 5: Those who wish to seek 50 Rs consults in 2014 ....should avail of them. 6: In general, one gets the service one pays for. PS: One method to avoid paying too many Doctor's bills is to follow the following regimen: (a) : Avoid alcohol, cigarettes and 'drugs' (b) Live a simple life ie Avoid unnecessary stress and zhogdim (c) Avoid shady food stalls and other eat places - especially roadside ones purporting to sell you 'Chai_neez' food. Cook and eat at home, as much as possible. (c) Avoid too much meats and other fatty foods.(d) If you must ride a bike, use a proper helmet. (e) Insist that the public hospitals provide clean and decent health care - Instead of wasting time at the political rallies of the 'amdars' while eating the provided biriyani and caju, agitate for proper hospital care. (f) Do NOT seek medical assistance for simple matters at Hospitals. Hospitals esp their emergency rooms are particularly expensive; worse still if you are seen after 10 pm or on holidays. (g) Have regular preventive visits with your dentist and your GP and please be compliant with your medications. FINALLY: If you believe that you have been unfairly treated or ripped off, complain to the Medical Council.Name the alleged no-good chaps. If you do not get reasonable results within a reasonable time (+ a reminder) Take the Council to court. Merely venting one's fury in the newspaper will not change a thing. The 'folks' know that Goans have attention-deficit. After a couple of days of blowing steam on this matter, Goans will find another matter to vent about. So, the con-artists will lay low for a few days and then continue as before. jc
