Administrative Fee?

I just read on a surgeon's website that he is charging a $900.00 Administrative fee for weight loss surgery patients, due to WLS pts end up with large medical records, storing these large files, extra phone calls (for approval?), etc... Is this normal? It states that insurance companies do not reimburse these fees. So how do they get away with charging additional fees when they have a contract with the insurance company to accept X number of dollars for a procedure and all that the procedure entails, isn't that going against the contract they have? Just curious.... as I am preparing to start the arduous process and would like to get ALL my ducks in a row (especially how much this is going to cost me!!!) Thanks, Erika C

Load of crap...other non-WLS patients have a lot of medical records, cancer patients, etc. It just sounds like they are no longer satisfied with the amount they are contracted for so they want some extra moo-laaa. I would find a new surgeon who is more concerned with caring for their patients and doing whatever it takes (within reason, and phone calls and record storage is reasonable) to make them healthier, not whatever it takes to get you more money. I can't imagine that type of stuff coming to $900!!!!

Sounds to me like a little bit of fraud. Don't think Medicare would like to hear about this.

I think you need to make sure what the fees are for. I researched 3 options. All did charge a fee.Most of the time it included the Psyc report, Cardio report and other testing. It includde follow up visits with the dietian as well as oter med personel.

Is AvMed, Medicare? Then I would seriously doubt they are able to charge the patient anything more. I know when I was on Medicaid I paid nothing extra and was told by Medicaid that if I was ever asked to pay something extra (other than some minor co-pays they later implemented) to notify them. Even with the co-pay you didn't have to pay it if you couldn't the doctor or pharmacy still had to provide service. I realize Medicare and Medicaid are different, but most government aid is because you have a hardship and they don't take kindly to people trying to milk the patients for extra.

No it's not AvMed Medicare... I have the group insurance through my employer... Thanks for the replies...

sounds like a load of crap... i agree i think its a fraud

I would have to agree...sounds like CRAP! SOmeone is pocketing that money! Becky

Ericka- I think I know the web site to which you are referring. I have spoken with a couple of surgeons offices and it seems they are all charging something. Some call it a program fee, some call it an administrative fee, etc. The office that called it a program fee said it was to pay for support groups and newsletters. Yeah right, it was, I think, like, $900.00. Trouble is a lot of us will have to travel to see a surgeon, consequently we will probably (at least in my case) not get to do very many of our surgeons support groups, but will instead find support groups closer to home. I would be very interested if anyone knows a surgeon that is not charging some sort of extra fee.

please check into that, because my doctor in tampa charges i think 850.00 but this is for services not covered. the pysch eval and the dietician and goed thur a group the money is not for his office