Normal billing procedure, or should I question this?

Finance, Taxes, Banking, Insurance and Retirement
1
I needed an ultrasound, and was a tad taken aback to find that the person doing the procedure was a student.

After some time, the student could not figure out how to use the wand, so called a doctor in. The doctor spent quite some time walking the student through how to do the procedure while the student tried again.

The doctor then did the ultrasound himself.

I just got the bill, and was surprised to see that I have been charged for three ultrasounds. Once for the first attempt by the student, once for the time the doctor was instructing the student, and finally for the ultrasound the doctor did. All charged at the same rate.

Is it normal that one pays for a student, and at the same rate as a doctor?

I have no objection to being a guinea pig for a student, although it would have been nice to have been asked upfront, but being charged three times for one ultrasound seems a bit much.

So... normal billing procedure, or should I question this?

Many thanks.

2
I would question it. It doesn’t sound normal to me.

3
I don't have an official answer, but I personally would question this.

It doesn't seem right that you're held responsible for the 3 ultrasounds. It's possible that this slipped through as a simple clerical error.

Let us know how you go!

4
For me it's normal for the welcome and prep to be one person, then the ultrasound done by a junior, then a senior comes in to have a look and sometimes also re-does part of the ultrasound. This is surely on-the-job training for the junior. I've never seen the bills. I always go way over my franchise.

5
Tad cheeky. I'd challenge it. Talk to your insurer as well.

6
It does not sound logical - I would query it...

7
Wow. Sounds like you qualify for the Switzerlanded thread.

8
Talk to your insurer - pretty sure they’ll object to that! (Maybe the billing office made a mistake as they didn’t understand what happened?)

9
if it wouldn't have been a doctor but a car mechanic, would you ask yourself the same question?

10
Exactly. Obviously doctors need to learn but not at the expense of the patient and their insurance.

11
Hey, they should be paying you for educating their students.

And tell your doctor you don’t want their trainees in the future.

12
I'd be asking other questions if a car mechanic had been doing the ultrasound!

13
How else would you detect deformations in your crankshaft?

14
Ah, but had this been a car mechanic, I wouldnt have needed to ask the question, as I would have had a binding quote for the work.

If only seeing the doctor were so straightforward!

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I think I'll just turn this over to my KK as it will be in their interest to sort it out.

Thanks for your input, one and all!

15
Bill the clinic/doctor for time wasted due to 2 screwed up ultra-sounds at exact same price they billed you.

Suggest to them that you deduct from their invoice directly

16
Not your problem. Same for the time, why would you pay for the student's instruction.

17
I don't agree with this part because I think that, as a general contribution to the world, there are times when patients hold still while a stundent learns. After all, there really is no other way for a trainee to get it right than to start somewhere and try, and fail, and get in the expert, and learn from them and try again.

I do think that sometimes there is room for stating that one doesn't want a trainee, and I've even done so on certain limited occasions where the procedure was particularly tricky and I was particularly exhausted.

Meloncollie, I agree with all the other posts on this thread saying that you shouldn't be charged 3x. I'd be interested to hear back whether or not your medical insurance will bother to query it, or just pay.