This is a very common question I get, why did my Podiatrist charge me so much? Is my Podiatrist commiting fraud? Did the Podiatrist make a mistake? Rest assured the vast majority of Podiatrists are ethical billers, who bill accepted amounts for most procedures or office visits. However, there are Podiatrists that do tend to take advantage of people, and that is unfortunate.
Before calling up your podiatrist and accusing him of fraud, please read the bill. All medical bills are itemized based on services provided. Remember, the Podiatrist charges you for your visit and then any procedures or dispensed material is charged separately. For example if you went into have an ingrown toenail removed depending on how your Podiatrist billed that, he can bill you for the office visit as well as the procedure to remove the ingrown toenail. If you went in for tendonitis then you were billed for the office visit as well as any brace or walking boot that you were given during the visit.
Now if there is a charge, for something that did not occur during the visit. Do not go and accuse your Podiatrist of fraud. Generally, it is just an innocent mistake that sometimes makes it through the cracks. Remember, the bill passes through two to three people before it reaches you, there may have been a mistake during the implementation of the bill. So just call up the Podiatrist and point out the mistake. 90% of the Podiatrists will apologize profusely and correct the mistake. Remember, one of the reasons Podiatrists do not commit fraud is the penalties are severe in relation to the consequences.
Now a lot of people are convinced they have been over charged by the their Podiatrist, before you think a Podiatrist is overcharging please compare your bill to the last bill you got from a medical doctor. Remember, Podiatrists are just like medical doctors with similar fees, just because someone is a Podiatrist does not mean they charge less then other doctors.
Do some Podiatrists overcharge? Probably. Below I have listed some price ranges for commonly performed Podiatry procedures: ****Please Note.. some prices may have increased since the writing of this article****
New Office Visit $90-150
Established Visit $30-$80
Ingrown Toenail Removal $100-200
Permanent Ingrown Toenail Removal $200-400
Walking Boot $80-150
Wart treatment $50-100
Cortisone Shot $50-100
X Rays $70-150
Callous Trim $20-50
Toenail Trimming $30-70
Orthotics $150-400
Now, those are just some of the main charges. Remember, if you go in for two ingrown toenails, you get charged for two ingrown toenails. That is how these things work. Now there is far more nuance to any medical bill and the Podiatrist may have charged you for something you do not realize at the visit. If you are upset talk to the Podiatrist calmly. If you are still upset, you can email me your question at sjstinehour@yahoo.com. And I will try to help you find the answer. I hope this article helps you in deciphering your bill from the Podiatrist.