I have this doctor that charges $10 if you use a credit card to pay your copay

[Maraya1969]

And now that we are doing zoom he still wants to charge that way - basically the last time I went to the office thinking it was an actual office visit and gave them the CASH and the guy at the front asked me if I want a vitual visit. So I figured, "Why not" and went home and had a vitual visit.

Today I just thought my visit was going to be virtual so I stayed home. They told me to call first to pay for my visit and I asked him if they would charge me for using a credit card and he said "YES" So I asked him how I can send money THROUGH THE PHONE. And then he said he would wave the charge for this time.

But of course I wasn't done. I have been going to this doctor for a long time and haven't even said anything to him about this before today but today I just told him I thought it was unfair, especially to the many poor people I have seen in his office. And he actually told me, "Well we have to pay the credit card companies" So I said, "You are a doctor, you rake in the money. I'm not poor but you have a lot of poor clients" So he said something about the government charging you to pay your taxes online, (which I just remembered that I think they don't) so I said, "But you are a private business"

His office was always packed and he is a specialist, (pain doctor) so he gets more money than a regular doctor. I just can't believe the greed.

And I wonder if it is legal to charge $10 to cover an interest charge of, I believe $3.50?


EDIT - I'm adding this because it just happened and I had forgotten before. Every year they ask and I pay my Medicare deductible. So after I got off the phone today an automatic voice called and said I owed two hundred and something deductible. I have already been to a doctor this year. Why does he always ask for a deductible?

[iemitsu]

1. This Doctor entered the field to make money

not to take care of people.
I'd look for a new doctor.

[wnylib]

32. I told a doctor that to her face once.

Then I scheduled a follow up visit on the way out and skipped it.

[iemitsu]

33. .

[safeinOhio]

2. Some gas stations do it.

A higher price for CC. I like that. I’d rather use cash and think I should get a discount because I’m saving them the 3% the CC company charges them.

[Joinfortmill]

3. Some folks charge 3%

At the very least it's tacky.

[soothsayer]

4. Credit card companies charge 3%-5%. Offer to pay that.

[Squinch]

5. I'd totally get a new doctor.

[empedocles]

6. I write checks to our regular service providers. DDS, flowers, etc.

[doc03]

7. I went to a skin specialist last year. There is

a sign in the waiting room "There is a $120 down payment if you don't have insurance". My appointment consisted of the PA freezing two small leasions total time about 10 seconds they billed my insurance over $300.
So much for carring about people. I didn't even see the real doctor.

[Aristus]

12. Physician Assistants, despite the name, don't fill in for the doctor if the doctor feels like

doing something else that day.

PA's have our own patient rosters, and do work almost entirely autonomously. We don't have the "real" doctor looking over our shoulders or anything.

I'm a PA. Nobody sends me any patients because the "real" doctor couldn't be bothered.

I actually have a lot of patients who prefer a mid-level provider, like a PA or an ARNP, rather than an MD, and patients who won't see anyone but me.

I haven't had anyone accuse me of not being a "real" doctor in years...

[Maraya1969]

15. I still have to pay $35 for a specialist instead of $10 for a regular GP even if I

see a PA

[doc03]

18. Sorry but I bet he/she gets a major cut of the money we pay though. I have never seen the

doctor. I got a question when I go to a doctor and get billed for $300 I get a notice from insurance
and it will have several right offs for in market, contractual discounts and other things with the insurance
maybe paying the doctor $100. If you don't have insurance do you pay the $300 yourself or does anyone actually
pay the full amount.

[Aristus]

19. I don't have anything to do with billing.

But I will tell you, I work for a community health organization, and all providers are on salary. I don't know if private-practice providers inflate their bills at all, but it wouldn't surprise me.

[phylny]

27. My primary care provider is a PA.

I adore her. She's just spectacular.

[Bleacher Creature]

8. If the doctor isn't providing other options, that's pretty sleazy.

Credit card companies charge vendors, but not that much. Will they take PayPal, Venmo, etc?

[Maraya1969]

10. I never thought to ask but I don't think so. I wonder if he is getting people to pay

cash because he is lying about how many patients he has.

I had a small accident several years ago and at the time there were all these advertisements saying to go to your doctor within 2 weeks or if some problem happened after that you couldn't sue......

So my car insurance paid for it and they filed a fake bill to a lab in another state for some "drug screening" which I never had. I actually looked up the codes and supposedly they were testing me for every single drug you can imagine including steroids. I knew it was a scam so I kept asking to see the results and they finally said they didn't have them. I told the insurance company is was fake but they said they already paid it! And no one did anything about it.

[hlthe2b]

9. I'm not sure that is legal. Contact your insurance company because they negotiate (typically )

such issues. If that gets you nowhere contact your states' Consumer Protection agency OR if you have a State Insurance Commissioner, call their office. Most states regulate insurance and can address this if state law or other restrictions exist.

I truly don't think that is legit.

[Maraya1969]

11. It sounds wrong to me too. And I will do what you say. Thanks.

[mopinko]

28. used to be the credit card companies didnt allow it.

not sure these days, but have been hit w it.

and ppl usually ask for cash cuz they arent paying taxes.
i bought something in a pawn shop a while back and got pushed hard to pay cash. they wouldnt charge me sales tax (10%) if i paid cash. so, they wanted me to be a tax cheat so they could cheat on their taxes.

[MiniMe]

13. I believe that insurance companies have determined that regular copays are OK

At least that is what my insurance told me. Not all doctors decide to charge for the virtual appointments. Remember, the docs still have to pay for their offices.

[Maraya1969]

14. I'm not upset about the copay. I'm upset that if I use a credit card to pay

a $35 copay they charge me $10 for the use of a credit card. And now if I want virtual I have to first go to the office and give them the cash and then go home to get the virtual visit.

[MiniMe]

16. OK, that isn't what you said. At least, that isn't what I understood

I believe that is illegal. They can give a discount to pay cash, but not charge extra to use a CC. They get around that by using the cash discount. I think most gas stations that give a cash discount would charge extra for a CC transaction if they could.

[MiniMe]

17. Also

When a business charges a fee for a form of payment, whether in person, online or by phone, it’s called a surcharge. Credit card surcharges are applied when you use your credit card to make a payment. In states where surcharges are legal, they have to be clearly displayed at the point of sale and on your receipt. Regulations for surcharges are U.S.-specific, and merchants are prohibited from imposing surcharges on card payments abroad (with the exception to this rule being Canada).

How much a business can charge for using a credit card
When a business chooses to impose a credit card surcharge, there are protocols that have to be followed. For one, the business has to notify the appropriate credit card associations and clearly disclose that it charges a fee for the use of a credit card. Credit card surcharges can’t exceed the cost of accepting the card or four percent, whichever is the lowest amount, even if it costs the business over that amount to process your credit card payment.

Convenience fees work in a similar way as they are meant to help a business cover processing costs. Convenience fees usually range between two and three percent of the purchase price. Both of these fees are meant to help a business make up for any processing fees it may have to pay when you make a payment. For this reason, fees should not exceed the processing fee amount. If businesses attempt to charge more, they should be reported to your card issuer.

Surcharge legality by state
Credit card surcharges are handled differently in each state. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect from businesses around the country.

https://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/can-a-business-charge-for-using-credit-card/

They have a breakdown on the website as to if it is legal or not.

[Maraya1969]

20. Thank you. He is obviously cheating people. What a jerk.

[lunasun]

21. If your bill is $250 $10 is 4%

Some charge 3-4%
A flat fee like that $10 is not the usual type of charge in medical for using a credit card
But it’s hardly illegal at least where I live or anything not nice even when they charge 3%
Some people are like that

[Maraya1969]

22. My bill is $35. That is my copay and that is what I pay. He is charging $10

to put $35 on a credit card

[lunasun]

23. The only way maybe to get around it is for you to ask for a paper statement and pay with a check

if you can not do cash . Certainly his staff can mail out a bill you can return by mail with a check

There are cheap @$%s that prefer to go through the trouble of depositing a wad of checks just to not pay out to credit cards processing fee

Wonder how he would feel if you paid with rolls of quarters ?

The $10 fee is approx 30% add on to the $35total

[Maraya1969]

24. Someone told me today that he probably wants everyone to pay in cash so he doesn't

have to report all his patients. I don't doubt that.

[Coventina]

25. You said he is a pain doctor?

With access to prescription painkillers?

[Maraya1969]

26. Never thought about that. Thanks

[Maraya1969]

31. No, he is a pain management doctor.

[mopinko]

29. report him to your credit card company.

waaaaay over what is allowed when it is allowed.

eta, report him to your insurance company too. he's inflating your copay.

[Phentex]

30. Time to break out the pennies!

And don't do virtual visits. I mean, if you are going to drag a bag of coins with you, you may as well be seen in person.

I HATE convenience fees because they are almost always not for MY convenience. So I try to find an alternate way to pay unless it's more of a pain. I think $10 is crazy and possibly illegal. I agree with others who say contact both the credit card company and the insurance company.

[Skittles]

34. your doctor sounds like an asshole

can you shop around?