Why is there a Waiting Room?
Who invented waiting rooms, and why are they so big now? I can’t answer the first one, but I can answer the second. They are so big because your physician has to book a very large amount of patients in order to pay his/her rent and staff. The physician gets less health insurance reimbursement per patient, and rent and salaries increase every year. They also need more staff to deal with…you got it…. the insurance companies.
Let’s talk…
There are many things right with our health care system but there are also many things wrong with it. One of the biggest things is the fact you can wait hours to see a physician and then get to spend 5-10 minutes with them. It often ends up being an unsatisfactory encounter for both the doctor and the patient due to stress, impatience, both parties trying to be heard, and no one actually getting anything out of the appointment.
When people hear we are “private” or “self pay” medicine, they generally assume that they would have to spend thousands of dollars to see the physician and get testing done; that, after paying for health insurance. This is not true. We have to look at the advantages of private medicine first.
- No waiting room. All appointments are made in order for the patient to be seen on arrival.
- No 5-10 minute appointments. 30- 60 minutes are put aside just for your exam and questions.
- No appointments 6 weeks down the road. We will see within a week.
- No financial surprises. We will tell you the cost before you walk in the door.
- No inflated prices. We have negotiated prices for any extra testing/ care required.
The radiology companies, and the OR’s that we use, take health insurance. We have no financial involvement with them, so there is no ordering of unnecessary tests or surgery and your insurance can be billed for these services.
For most of us, time is valuable and so is trust. It is up to you to decide how much it is worth to you.
We are in the process of planning a new office. There will be no waiting room.
Last modified: December 11, 2020
