She’s Sharing How Her Pediatrician In Manhattan Is Now Charging An Annual Fee Of $350 Per Child, Which Means She’s Going To Have To Pay $1,000 Every Time She Wants To Take Her Kids To The Doctor
Healthcare is extremely expensive in the United States. Nearly half of all Americans struggle to afford it. And it doesn’t look like the costs are going down anytime soon.
TikToker Chelsea (@cityloveletter) is a mom of three living in Manhattan, and she’s sharing how her children’s pediatrician is charging an annual fee of $350 per patient.
Since Chelsea has three kids, it would require her to pay over $1000 just to be able to visit the doctor.
And that doesn’t include the cost of insurance, copays, or any other fees. Not to mention that simply living in New York is a strain on one’s finances.
Chelsea compared the charge to a “broker’s fee” for pediatricians and asked TikTok users if this type of practice would be acceptable anywhere else.
Many TikTok users described similar experiences they had, and some explained why an increasing number of doctors are implementing this system.
“Our pediatrician in Los Angeles is doing the same. $150 per child. Talk about de-incentivizing the lower class from taking their kids to the doctor,” commented one user.
“That’s because it’s being used to cover overhead costs, which have become astronomical as insurance companies cut reimbursements even more,” wrote another.
“My previous pediatrician charged $10 per form that they filled out. So every school form, camp form, etc, cost $10,” stated a third.
rogerphoto – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual people
“This is becoming more and more common all over the US! I’m in Florida, and I see it all the time,” someone else chimed in.
Apparently, the act of adding an annual fee to the already high costs of healthcare is part of something called concierge medicine.
A concierge medicine model is a form of healthcare that provides patients comprehensive care. There are a lot more perks, such as home visits and convenient 24/7 access to a physician.
The price you pay depends on your primary care physician and where you’re located. Doctors are choosing to turn to concierge medicine because of the difficulties of dealing with insurance companies.
Whatever the reason for the changes, it’s forcing the average American to face major challenges just to obtain necessary services.
The frustrations regarding the healthcare system in America are being felt nationwide, and only one thing’s for sure. The United States healthcare system is broken.
@cityloveletter We will be looking for a new pediatrician asap #nyc #nycmom #nycfamily #citykids #grift #foryoupage #storytime
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