Should Physicians Charge For Consults?

[Speegs]

The topic of patients paying for doctor consults arose in another thread when critiquing a practice not recommended on this forum that left a patient feeling taken advantage of.

 

I should specify that charging for a consult isn't problematic in and of itself, professionals have a prerogative to charge for their time while running their practice as they see fit, time is money after all and most quality surgeons are in high demand.

 

 

In my opinion if a physician is up front about the fact consults require a fee, that's just the reality of what amounts to a doctor visit, it's understandable and respectable, especially if intimate game planning or prescriptions become involved in the consult.

 

But if it's employed as a method to try and make you feel invested and pressured into committing to the surgeon, I have extreme reservations in that tactic. Actually, I find it dubious.

 

I've seen some practices use it as a type of bait and switch or pressure tactic, and there's just no place for that in medicine....and it's one of the litany of things that risk giving this whole industry a bad reputation.

 

In conclusion, paying for a consult is a case by case issue, all about the intent and integrity of the physician that does them and the service rendered by them.

Edited August 22, 2017 by Speegs

[gillenator]

This is definitely a controversial topic...when I used to work inside the clinic, we never charged for the consultation and the doctor(s) saw the patients in their down times (no surgery going on).

 

And also there was a sense of time management for each consult. In other words the doctor obviously could not spend an endless amount of time with each individual, and at the same time wanted to address any possible concerns that came up.

 

The best approach we found was to cover each discipline of the procedure and then send the individual home to think things through. Afterward we could dialogue through email and phone calls after the initial consultation.

 

Every doctor and every clinic may feel differently and may feel they are still entitled to a fee for their time.

 

Another option is to simply build a reasonable amount into the procedure. There are numerous expenses in running any business or clinic and this is just another cost of operating.

[Melvin- Admin]

It depends on the clinic, I just saw Dr. Wong yesterday, I was in Vancouver visiting a family friend I figured what the hell why not, the consult was brief and to the point, I didn't pay anything so I didn't mind it being brief, plus I had some sight seeing to do.

 

I also consulted with Dr. Gabel last March, I had told him I drove 14 hours from Southern California to Portland to visit him, he literally spent over an hour with me chatting over my master plan, that visit was also free but much more in depth. He also recommended a nice place to eat, an overall pleasant experience.

 

I consulted with Dr. Umar, I paid about $50 and the consult was really brief, he was going somewhere and was in a hurry, ultimately it left a bad taste in my mouth. Did not return and he is really close to my house.

 

I consulted with Dr. Mohebi, I paid quite a bit I believe $150, the consult was pretty in depth, he used microscope to look for miniaturization, he even sent me a letter talking about my donor characteristics and how many fu per cm2 I had left. It was a pleasant experience, a bit pricey but I really wanted to know my donor characteristics and wanted to know if I had thinning in my donor, so the peace of mind was worth it.

 

My thinking is IF you're interested in getting a transplant that's going to cost you thousands, then why wouldn't you pay for a consult, plus the two doctors that charged me told me that the charge would go towards a procedure if I decided to have one them. I'm not a nickle and dime type of guy so maybe its just me, but if Dr. Gabel would have said pay me $200 I would have for the time he spent with me.

[mikeyhwk]

I'm am 100% on the side of a doctor charging for his time, I consult for my business and I always charge, there is a cost for expertise...but I also believe in not trying to pad costs for a patient/customer...if you use the doctor, the clinic should deduct the cost of the consult, or throw in a few extra grafts. If a customer doesn't use a clinic then they get to keep the consult fee. I have to admit no matter how talented the doc if he's charging me even 10 dollars for a consult and then 20k for a procedure and he can't take that 10 bucks off, it makes me think the money is the priority, not my result. In my line of work, I'm working with companies with 25+ million dollar budgets on average so paying my consulting fee amounts to peanuts and it's not coming out of their pockets directly but I still deduct that consult fee if their project signs on.

[Dr. Glenn Charles]

I agree that every doctor has the prerogative to charge a consultation fee and also agree if they do that the fee should be deducted if the patient ends ups having the procedure performed there. Unfortunately, I think that many doctors use this to make it seem that they are more talented and desired than their competitors/ colleagues. Some patients fall for this and others see right through the smoke and mirrors. I have also noticed that most clinics that charge for consultation are more expensive for the procedure. Again trying to send message that the work done there is of higher quality than other clinics. We all know this is not always the case. My suggestion is do your due diligence before deciding on which doctor/clinic will be performing your hair transplant procedure.

[Speegs]

 

I'm am 100% on the side of a doctor charging for his time, I consult for my business and I always charge, there is a cost for expertise...but I also believe in not trying to pad costs for a patient/customer...if you use the doctor, the clinic should deduct the cost of the consult, or throw in a few extra grafts. If a customer doesn't use a clinic then they get to keep the consult fee. I have to admit no matter how talented the doc if he's charging me even 10 dollars for a consult and then 20k for a procedure and he can't take that 10 bucks off, it makes me think the money is the priority, not my result. In my line of work, I'm working with companies with 25+ million dollar budgets on average so paying my consulting fee amounts to peanuts and it's not coming out of their pockets directly but I still deduct that consult fee if their project signs on.

I agree, time is valuable, and in demand physicians have the prerogative...complimentary consults are a nice courtesy though, but I get it if doctors can't do it forever and have to manage demands on their time with consulting window shoppers or people just exploring their options.