Cost of a Dr's Office visit (cash)

[Taco]

My brother works for a small company that does not offer medical insurance. He’s got a bad sinus infection and needs to see a Dr. any suggestions? Any idea what they charge for an office visit?

[clambake]

call around and ask. it's a real bitch to pay a DR. $100 or more just for a prescription.

that doesn't even cover the cost of the drugs.

[miklo velka]

I went to a clinic for a sinus infection and they charged $80 just for the doc to see me for about 5 mins. They told me if I paid in full today they would reduce it to $55. For the antibiotics I paid about $90.

[baseline bum]

My brother works for a small company that does not offer medical insurance. He’s got a bad sinus infection and needs to see a Dr. any suggestions? Any idea what they charge for an office visit?

un ojo de cara

[Taco]

un ojo de cara

:lol well at least it's not your first born :lol

[CosmicCowboy]

My GP charges $80 for an office visit. He doesn't take my insurance but I pay it anyway because I like going to him.

[ploto]

If he does not have an established physician, they will charge more for a first-time visit.

He is probably better going to a Med Clinic.

[TheTruth]

We were just at Texas Med Clinic since our regular doctor had no available appointments...just a visit would've been $102 if we didn't have insurance. Effin' insane.

[SpursWoman]

My brother works for a small company that does not offer medical insurance. He’s got a bad sinus infection and needs to see a Dr. any suggestions? Any idea what they charge for an office visit?


Weird ... my best friend has the exact problem and we were talking about what to do last night. I joked about giving her my insurance card and send her to the Medclinic pretending to be me so it wouldn't cost her the $102+ for just the visit. But that wouldn't be ethical. :cooldevil

[Taco]

thanks for everyones feedback

[Wild Cobra]

What's amazing is that many doctors offices welcome giving great discount to cash paying customers. One of my daughters has hypothyroidism. When I was laid off, and paid out of my pocket, it was amazingly cheap compared to what they charge insurance providers. I think the visit and blood test cost $120. Most of that was the lab work.

Shop around. Tell the office what you need and you'll pay cash. They love not having to mess around with paperwork for insurance claims. When they tell you how much, you can honestly say "well such and such quoted me $xxx." and find a good price.

In all honesty, I have always found it cheaper to pay out of pocket than paying my share of insurance when I have employer paid insurance.

This "lack of insurance" crisis is a crock of shit. I maintain employer insurance for the 'what if' situations that get expensive.

One more thing. I stuck with the same doctors office for insurance once I had an insurance providing job again. They are good people, especially since they offer good service for cash paying customers.

[Chief]

for a sinus infection, i would first just go to a pharmacy and talk to the head technician, you can plop down some cash for some over the counters and first see if that works.

[Heath Ledger]

$50-$70 seems to be the norm, but call around and tell them you are a cash customer and you only have $50 you will find one office who will take you guaranteed.

[ashbeeigh]

What's amazing is that many doctors offices welcome giving great discount to cash paying customers. One of my daughters has hypothyroidism. When I was laid off, and paid out of my pocket, it was amazingly cheap compared to what they charge insurance providers. I think the visit and blood test cost $120. Most of that was the lab work.

Shop around. Tell the office what you need and you'll pay cash. They love not having to mess around with paperwork for insurance claims. When they tell you how much, you can honestly say "well such and such quoted me $xxx." and find a good price.

In all honesty, I have always found it cheaper to pay out of pocket than paying my share of insurance when I have employer paid insurance.




I think that all depends on what your relationship is with the office. When I lost my insurance I had to do my routine neurologist appointment in January and they worked with me. It ended up being $60ish (which is about the same as my medication is per month without insurance). The receptionist did say they brought it down some because I had been a patient for about 5 years.

In my opinion, patients are almost a dime a dozen. If you call an office and say "So and so said he would cost X...but you cost Y..." they would say..."Cool go there...if you don't have insurance and you aren't dying." Of course, if you're dying (I mean, not like a simple sinus infection) then it's a different story. But, if you have the time to comparison shop a simple sinus infection then you going to one doctor over another isn't that big of a deal.

Is a doctor going to deal with someone they know head to toe for years who is going through a career/family crisis or are you going to deal with someone who just happens to drop in because they have a sinus infection and want to pay the least? If I'm a doctor, I'll give both patients the same about of attention and care, but it's just the principal of the thing.

And just my opinion again, I'm never going to pick any type of doctor because he's the cheapest. I'll forgo so necesities for a while to pay for a more highly recoemended better certfied doctor if I have to pay "cash." It's like buying a kia over a honda if money isn't an issue.

[Frenzy]

50- 60 from what I seen.

[ploto]

I joked about giving her my insurance card and send her to the Medclinic pretending to be me so it wouldn't cost her the $102+ for just the visit.

They require proof of ID to match the name on the insurance card.

[ploto]

I also forgot to mention to tell the physician that you have no insurance and see if he or she will get you drug samples.