Posted by chdurie2 on November 6, 2000, at 18:59:41
In reply to Re: Pdocs - UK, posted by Lisa Simpson on November 6, 2000, at 8:21:27
> Can anyone tell me, do you pay for your pdoc in the States, or does it come under your insurance? I was recommended by my GP to a therapist who was supposed to be top in his field - he has written several books on the subject. But he was charging £90 a one-hour session (approx. $135), which I couldn't afford... certainly not on a regular basis. So I just saw him the once.
>
> We may be taking out private medical insurance at work (BUPA), but as I understand it, this wouldn't cover psychiatric treatment of any sort.
>
> I didn't really take to the guy either, and I would guess you would need to like your pdoc or you wouldn't be able to get a rapport with him. He was ever so serious, and didn't appear to have a sense of humour. Which for me at any rate would be important.
>
> Lisalisa-my p-doc, who is in a suburban area outside New York City (major big American city docs usually charge more) charges me $160 (American dollars) for 45-minutes. his normal rate is $175 for the same time - he gives me this small discount cuz i have not been working for a while.
he takes no insurance plans and will not do your insurance paperwork - but he bills me monthly, with payment due 30 days after he gives me the bill. this gives me plenty of time to submit the bill to my insurance company, who pays 75 percent of each visit up to a total of $5,000 a year paid out (not the doc's total) with a $25,000 lifetime maximum. BUT...there's another clause in the policy that says i only have to pay $3,000 total out of my pocket for any covered medical expense per year - after that they pay 100 percent of everything they deem acceptable. and they're pretty reasonable, but they won't pay for any alternative medicine stuff. i have high medical bills every year, so the reality is that fairly early in the year they start paying 100 percent of my p-doc bill, and so far this year they have not "cut me off" in spite of the fact that i'm pretty sure i'm already over the $5,000 limit this year.
also, my p-doc is a psychiatrist, and there's a fairly new law in my state that psychiatrist visits for medication purposes must be handled at the same payable benefit rate as other MD's. (insurance companies frequently pay a lower percentage for psychiatrist visits than for other docs.) but mine hasn't used the "medication billing" code cuz he says it won't help me get money. since the insurance company hasn't given me any problems, i haven't argued that one with my p-doc.
yes, even in the U.S., therapy is frequently expensive.
my p-doc also will return any telephone call during business hours, usually within the same day, always so if it's important. and he returns any "emergency" call made to his pager usually within an hour - emergency is defined loosely as long as i don't abuse it. and if i have requested a second session during a week but he doesn't have the time available, he will usually spend 10-15 minutes on the phone with me at no charge, if i need it.the psychiatist i saw in new york city at a major hospital/sleep disorder clinic charged $200 an hour to treat my sleep problems but would take no phone calls inbetween visits. and insurance considered his visits like a regular md, so it didn't get charged to my "psych budget." so there are a few ways around the psych budget limitation.
hope that helps.
caroline
poster:chdurie2
thread:47994
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20001102/msgs/48294.html