In this situation the person requesting that the woman pay before treatment, and she was in the throws of a
heart attack, should be fired. Common sense should
prevail. The medical community has changed and doctors are refusing to file insurance claims, making the patient
pay for services in total at the time of service. More patients are going to end up dying because they couldn't afford to do that and it will all roll down hill from there.
I have been blessed not to be ill, but if I were, I would have to figure it out myself... few people have the budgets to pay the docs and wait for the insurance company to pay.. or I would find a doc that would file the claim, and allow me to pay the difference.

No you wouldn't have paid the $5 if you worked in this field. It gets old after a while to have your patients say they can't afford a $4 script for a month's supply of medication when they are talking to their boyfriend on their cell phone. Of course asking for the money when she is being transferred to an ER is a little ridiculous too. They could have just sent a bill in the mail. Sounds like the receptionist wasn't thinking clearly at the time, that's all.

Its very sad that we are such a powerful country, yet our healthcare is to thispoint.

Did u know that we have the highest healthcare costs in the WORLD, yet we rank at # 38 in quality of healthcare... SAD.. We are overpaying and undertreated.

This does not happen in other countries that issue heathcare for all. Thats why we should vote for Hiliary Clinton!!!!!!

working in a dr.s office we see patients all the time skip out on copays. they are told to pay prior to going back to see dr. to pay copay.

dr's offices are the only service where you get your goods without having to pay for them. You go to the grocery store, you have to pay to get your food. very difficult to collect after the fact esp. from medicare patients...

MY WIFE HAD THE SAME THING AND KAISER COME TO THE ROOM AFTER SURGURY AND ASKED ME FOR THE 100.00 CO-PAY AND I TOLD THEM I WOULD SUE THEM TO NO END IF SOMETHING HAPPENED DUE TO THEIR IMCOMPETANCE AND THAT WE WERE TOLD TO SETTLE WHEN SHE WAS RELEASED 8 DAYS LATER. DON'T EVER LET THEM TELL YOU ANY DIFFERENCE AS THE FEDERAL LAW SO STATES THAT MEDICAL EMERGENCY'S OR ANY EMERGENCY MUST BE GIVEN UNDER WITHOUT ANY CO PAY IN ADVANCE
TOM

My husband was admitted into the ER a few years back & an administrative type wheeled in what looked like a cash register on wheels. It had a cash drawer & credit card machine. She asked how I would like to take care of my co-pay before they would even administer an IV.

For over 10 years I worked for Washington University (St. Louis) dept of Pediatrics in the billing office. Never once did I ever meet or talk to one of the doctors even though they might be in the room next to us. We little people were beneath their notice and they wouldn't dare lower themselves to have any dealings with the contemptible business of money collection.
But with out any knowledge of what we did they kept pressuring our managers to bring in more money. They didn't care what we did as long as we brought in money. We HAD to bring in more money. This constant pressure to bring in more and more money leads to the behavior of this receptionist. We didn't behave like the mentioned receptionist, we practiced fraud on a grand scale. Of course the Doctors never told us to do this, their hands are clean. They only told us to bring in more money....or else!

I just have to say that a similar thing happened to me in 1993 at Mt Carmel East Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. I was about 3 months pregnant and started hemmoraghing (sp?). My husband rushed me to their ER. As I stood there, bleeding all over their carpet, the registration clerk asked for my basic information. She then copied my insurance card and told my husband she needed my $40 copay. My husband asked if she could wait until he got me into a treatment room due to my immediate condition. She said "No. This is hospital policy." I said "It's policy even as I'm miscarrying on your floor?". She said "yes". My husband told her what she could do with her "policy" and threw his checkbook at her, telling her to make out the check, if she had the "cajunas". She didn't, but rudely told me to make arrangements before I was discharged. I mailed them the $40 in pennies taped, heavily, to index cards. I hope that while I was home recovering from a very traumatic experience, they enjoyed collecting their copay.

it's kind of scary

hillary

Sorry Clintons promised same thing when in office before.U.K. & Canada have socialized Med plan, everybody pays taxes based on pay but all get equal treatment. Too many ins. cos here scared they might go broke poor babies. Always the mighty buck before caring for people. Should be ashamed of themselves.

Its a sad and unfortunately real view of the world... society believes human life is worthless.

HEY. HERE IS AN IDEAL. WHY CANT WE REQUIRE THE EMPLOYERS THAT MAKE 100 MILLION A YEAR IN PROFITS OFFER FULL TIME HOURS FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES. TAKE WAL-MART FOR EXAMPLE. THEY WONT EVEN LET THEIR EMPLOYEES WORK FULL TIME HOURS BECAUSE THEY DONT WANT TO HAVE TO OFFER THEM BENEFITS. THATS WHY MOST OF THE " WORKING CLASS" ARE ON MEDICADE AND MEDICARE. EXXON CAN GIVE ONE EMPLOYEE 60 MILLION FOR A RETIREMENT BONUS BUT THE CASHIER SELLING THEIR PRODUCT ONLY GETS 6.00 AN HOUR AND NO BENEFITS. LETS TRY THAT. IF THEY ARE WILLING TO WORK FORTY OR FIFTY HOURS A WEEK THEN BY ALL MEANS LET THEIR BUTS WORK AND DRAW SOME BENEFITS..

WHY ARE PEOPLE SO SURPRISED AT THIS BEHAVOIR. THE MEDICAL PROFESSION NO LONGER CARES ABOUT YOU, UNLESS YOU HAVE MONEY. PEOPLE GO INTO THIS FIELD BECAUSE OF HIGH SALRIES, NOT FOR THE LOVE AND CONCERN OF THIER FELLOW MAN.

patients don't realize the pressure doctors put on their staff to collect copays regardless if you have the money or not! doctors act friendly to patients BUT the minute you are gone they want to know IF copay was satisified...they are ridiculous and hide behind the girls? trust me after 20 yrs in the medical field! we certainly are not going to close the office if a patient doesn't pay, we know they will send payment in or bring it next time! and you know they always have you come back...some doctors are such a disgrace and so 2 faced...