Doctor's Steal and Get Away For It

A year ago, I was a groupie for my wife's job. Every function that was open to others, I attended knowing I was going to have a good time. The Florissant Fall Festival was a fun event I covered while my wife worked the booth. I came across a table with black women in doctor coats. I was turned on by the Serenity Healthcare. It was an all African-American women OB/GYN doctor's office.

My wife is African-American and thought it would be nice for her to have a doctor who could relate.

Boy was I wrong.

At first, it started out well. She was able to get in and out in a jiffy and she started to feel welcome. I wonder if that was a welcome cycle that would turn south after a couple of visits. As she progress into the pregnancy we noticed something odd. We started to get billed for our deductible in high doses at a time, along with separate charges for ultrasounds and other procedures. We assumed that was what our deductible covered so we decided to call our insurance provider for information.

This was not the news we wanted to hear.

Our provider informed us that some offices charge for the birth upfront and so we would have pick up a check, given by the the insurance company, to give to the hospital after the baby is born.

There's more.

We were informed by her co-worker, who is a patient at Serenity, that the doctors charge for extra and unnecessary ultrasounds to make extra profit. Now that we caught wind to all of this we have decided to move on to her older doctor.

More trouble.

After asking for her charts to be transferred to another office the receptionist mentions that they charge to transfer charts!

WTF!?!?!?

My wife asked for them to just give the charts to her. They STILL CHARGE THE SAME for both options. A 20$ flat fee is applied PLUS $.50 per PAGE!!!!

WTF!?!?!?!?!

We have not parted ways from Serenity but we will soon. I just can't believe what used to be a free service to patients are now a way to keep you as a patient. I feel like doctor's offices are turning into cell phone service contracts. To leave, you have to pay a penalty and there is no way around it.

Is this a new HIPPA law? Is this a loophole around "Obamacare?" Is this a criminal act?

Both our mothers work in the health industry and they have never heard of such insanity in their long careers.

This may be a tangent but it is surely a wake-up call to all of my readers.

Before you become a patient at a new office ask about their policies on transferring your medical records. This trend might be a new mandate in the future. I'm not calling for people to talk to their Senators or Representatives but I will say be aware of you doctor.

It's kind of hard to save for a baby when you are trampled with medical bills flying left and right. It has put us in a temporary bind that Dr. Huxtable would never put us in.

At this point, I'd rather have Dr. Kevorkian take me now. At least he wouldn't steal from me. He would just put me to sleep and rid me from Dr. Grief.