Bent Tree Family Physicians actually has a dramatically reduced fee schedule for cash paying patients. But it is not free. And the expectations of patients like jennifer5478 are leading to the shortage of primary care physicians. Let's address several of her complaints:
""Extended visits"" do cost more from any physician. As she noted, a severe infection involving a more complex history, multiple symptoms, exam and tests has to be billed slightly higher to keep simpler office visits less expensive. Imagine if you scheduled a haircut but added color and a permanent it would cost more.
She was ""re-infected"" 1 month later. Was it the same illness? Not likely 3-4 weeks later. Remember she said she had a ""severe"" infection. Recurrence usually is something different, or even a sign of a more serious problem. A good physician must reassess. Ask any lawyer.
As to just ""call in an antibiotic"". Inappropriate antibiotic use has created dangerous resistance. And as to a ""$4 harmless Rx"", there is No harmless Rx.
The ""charge for prescription refill"" is never with an office visit; instead it is a small convenience fee to cover overhead when a patient needs a service but can't come in to the office. Most patients never need this when they schedule regular office visits. The after hours telephone consult fee is used by most physicians. Imagine the fee if you called your attorney or accountant at 3 AM. And there is no ""consultation charge"" during office hours, you are just making that up.
Good health care is the first priority and being paid in order to keep the office open makes it possible. There is no ""Cash Cow"" in primary care and hundreds of family doctors going out of business are proof of that.
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