penguinsix

A Maine doctor has given up on the insurance companies and decided to just charge cash for everything.

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/05/2...prices-online/

"The family physician stopped accepting all forms of health insurance. In early 2013, Ciampi sent a letter to his patients informing them that he would no longer accept any kind of health coverage, both private and government-sponsored. Given that he was now asking patients to pay for his services out of pocket, he posted his prices on the practice’s website."

http://www.ciampifamilypractice.com/Our_Prices.html

Prices don't seem that out of whack. He says he has more freedom this way and can even conduct house calls for some patients, a practice very rare in the US nowadays.

scrubbedexpat099

I would go, less than a lot of peoples co pay.

Tell him to move to Colorado.

Yorkieabroad

Colorado's too cold in the winter .... He's more than welcome in mild-wintered Houston.....

Ozzidoc

Very reasonable.

I think that he's undercharging for some items, such as the cyrotherapy.

The lab will have their own charges for the blood tests, so those prices are simply for obtaining the sample.

scrubbedexpat099

Houston is too hot in the summer.

Yorkieabroad

Ok well you can have him in the summer but we get him in the winter...deal?

Weeze

The well child exam seems quite high, certainly taking into account what happens at the mini-Weeze's. Some of the other things are surprisingly low.

I think the minor surgery is slightly less than we paid with insurance.

robin1234

Could people go to him, pay in full, then submit the receipted invoice to their insurers for reimbursement? Submit them to Medicare, for instance?

scrubbedexpat099

That is how Insurance often works.

Yorkieabroad

The one that raised my eyebrows was 25 for an EKG. I'd need to dig the paperwork out, but I'm pretty sure the price billed to insurance for my last one was over 500...down to 125 after discount.

Has anyone ever used one of those "any lab test now" places? Wonder how their prices (and performance/accuracy/reliability) stack up...?

scrubbedexpat099

Done

Sorry Maine

Michael

For private insurance, you likely wouldn't be reimbursed from a HMO and would be considered out of network for a PPO. Out of network usually has a higher deductible (separate from the in network deductible) and higher co-pays.

I suppose that some with high deductibles continue to use him thinking that if they have a major medical issue, they'll just turn in the bills to fulfill the deductible but then they'd have to either continue using out of network doctors and hospitals or switch to in network and start the deductible over.

Bob

That's a bargain. It's $350 down our way for the 10 min exam.

South Portland though, lot of old people and tourists.

Yorkieabroad

That's the boat we'd be in - our In Network deductible is 11900 (double for OON), and (touchwood) we are healthy, so we never get anywhere near it. I'd use someone like this just to keep my costs down, and if we get the cancer/heartattack/carcrash scenario, well, I guess the additional 11900 would just be a drop in the ocean.....

kins

Interesting - my husband has a high deductible plan and doesn't like his Intermed doctor. Might give this guy a go.