Free or not that is the question...

Im new to the site as well as PS shopping.  To me consultation is similar to window shopping, commitment/surgery is performed at purchase/insurance payment/etc. 

So, my question to you all is:

How do you feel about PS that charge just for a consultation?  Do you see them or opt for a PS that is free?

I will be paying out of pocket b/c I have insurance that is worthless (that is another topic) and trying to save money for my surgery is not EASY task.  I get bummed out when I have cancel appointments with PS b/c of a ridiculous fee.  (keep in mind i'm not talking 10 bucks here...)

Hi  I am new to this site too, but I almost went to one who said the fee would be waived if you went w/ that particular surgeon... so barter .. what have you got to lose.. Good luck !

The PS I chose did charge $75 for consult BUT that charge was credited to surgery fee if I had the surgery with him. ALSO when I went back for future surgery consults I was not charged again. 

I went on 7 consultations and had to pay a fee for each one. Even the residency programs although those were cheaper.  Only one I didn't have to pay for was the one I went to in Mexico.  Of course I had to pay airfare and hotel for one night!

I guess it depends on the surgeon.  I had several consultations:  one billed my insurance company so all I had to pay was $5 co-pay, one charged $100, but gave it back if you kept the appointment which made it free, and the other 2 was free with a coupon from the newspaper.

Where I live here in San Diego I went on six consults and they were all free.  One surgeon's office stated that I had to give them a credit card number in the event that I didn't show up for my free consult they would bill me for $150.  I told them "no thanks" . . . .

I think this depends on what the area standards are regarding this stuff.  If nearly everyone is offering fee consults, then I would NOT go to a surgeon who wanted me to pay, no matter how good his reputation.  Frankly, I've been on some pretty bad consults where the surgeon only spent a few minutes with me and have a very arrogant attitude. 

My surgeon has done multiple free consults for me when I just wasn't sure about what I wanted to do and how I wanted to proceed.  Each time he spent lots of time with me.  There were times when I had scheduled appointments with him for aftercare and he was doing a consult on someone else in another room and he would peek in and apologize that he was running late because he was doing a consult.  I understood completely that the person in the other room was "me" a few months earlier.

I think consults are a huge indicator of how a surgeon runs his clinic and treats his patients.  

I've seen some who charge for consultations and some who don't.  I think $75.00 was the most I've heard of.  Almost all will "credit" the amount if you decide to go forward with them.   I personally had one tell me there would be a charge and so I said thanks but no thanks and they immediately said they would waive the fee.  You could try that....
I guess it's really kind of fair........they end up spending at least an hour with you and time is money.  BUT make sure you ask before you schedule it.  If they don't tell you there is a fee upfront ask them...if they say it's free and then want to charge you I'd say no way I'm not paying!  To me that's honest and if they are not honest from the get-go I wouldn't want them cutting me open.....

Thnx ladies!

I just think it is pretty jacked up to pay $50+ for an hour.  Really?  An hour is a LONG time, and I went on a free consult and we talked for about 30mins.  I did schedule another consult with the PS b/c I thought of more questions and things I need clarification on...

I still would like to meet with other PS...preferably FREE!

To think about it, I spent more time with the Counselor/Office Mgr than with the PS.