From his perspective, that makes a kind of sense. He can probably bill an extra fixed fee for a particular service code if he asks the questions. And the insurance company is willing to pay because they think I’d they get stuff treated earlier with cheaper methods, they save money in the long run.
You also don’t always want to be honest at the doctors. If you change the appointment from preventative to diagnostic by asking the wrong question, suddenly it can go from zero dollars to $200 depending on your plan.
Ask me how I know. Unfortunately, it’s not really a place I feel like I can be honest.
It’s BS that physicals are preventative and free but they’re the only appointments where they do blood work that isn’t free. Insurance typically covers physicals entirely because they’re preventative. Why the lab work that is part of that preventative assessment isn’t free is beyond me.
That and what the person you’re replying to about choosing your words carefully is insane. I was speaking with a rep from my insurance trying to figure out what I need to do for the free annual physical checkup stuff and they were telling me how I should speak to the doctor to avoid getting charged a consultation fee (i.e. don’t ask questions, avoid answering if they ask something about your current health, emphasize that you’re only there for your annual physicals, etc.). And if you don’t have a PCP, you probably have to pay for the visit either way as a “first-time patient” just to get the doctor’s orders for your labs. It’s bonkers navigating the system.
My doctor assures me that the answers don’t matter and he only asks for insurance purposes.
From his perspective, that makes a kind of sense. He can probably bill an extra fixed fee for a particular service code if he asks the questions. And the insurance company is willing to pay because they think I’d they get stuff treated earlier with cheaper methods, they save money in the long run.
Is that how it works?
That only makes sense if you disregard the uninsured.
You also don’t always want to be honest at the doctors. If you change the appointment from preventative to diagnostic by asking the wrong question, suddenly it can go from zero dollars to $200 depending on your plan.
Ask me how I know. Unfortunately, it’s not really a place I feel like I can be honest.
It’s BS that physicals are preventative and free but they’re the only appointments where they do blood work that isn’t free. Insurance typically covers physicals entirely because they’re preventative. Why the lab work that is part of that preventative assessment isn’t free is beyond me.
That and what the person you’re replying to about choosing your words carefully is insane. I was speaking with a rep from my insurance trying to figure out what I need to do for the free annual physical checkup stuff and they were telling me how I should speak to the doctor to avoid getting charged a consultation fee (i.e. don’t ask questions, avoid answering if they ask something about your current health, emphasize that you’re only there for your annual physicals, etc.). And if you don’t have a PCP, you probably have to pay for the visit either way as a “first-time patient” just to get the doctor’s orders for your labs. It’s bonkers navigating the system.
How the fuck are you supposed to have a physical without answering questions?
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The idea is to set you up so that no one ever has to provide you with the free check up you already paid for.
It’s all a big scam, like basically everything we have.