Co-pays at doctors office

Question

i was just at doctors office for my sons TB shot. i had to pay the copay but i didnt see a doctor. i used to work in a medical office and i remember that when ever a medical assistent seen a patient to give a shot and the doctor did not need to be present the patient didnt have to pay.

Are all doctors offices different when it comes to copays?

Answer 1

~~I would check with your insurance company. If the assistant is a P.A. it's possible to charge for a copay. If not I would definitlty argue the point as it is a copay for a DOCTORS visit. Your insurance will verify whether or not that is against their contract policies. When I worked for a dermotologist we never billed a copay unless the doc saw the patient~~

Answer 2

most require it for every visit the staff is not free and some one has to pay their salaries

Answer 3

Hello there,

If you get past the front desk, they can charge you a copayment.  Your health plan may have a copayment for immunizations, which may be the copayment they're charging for.  A nurse practitioner or a physician's assistant do not bill their own claims, they're billing under the tax id of the physician, which is why some choose to charge a copayment even if you're not actually seeing the physician.

But I do believe that some doctor's offices are different from each other.  

I hope that this has answered your question.  

Good luck!

Kathy K

www.premiumwatchdog.com