What is "reasonable and customary" Drs. consultation fee?

Folks -

I recently had the opportunity to have a surgeon review my films and do a consultation. The rate was almost $1,000 dollars per hour (well, $960 to be exact).

Is this typical of what spinal surgeons charge?

[cervie queen]

I paid a fee of 250 euros to Dr. Bertagnoli for 15 minutes. Actually, it was more like three minutes and the other 12 I was trying to get more out of him. The exchange rate makes that about $325 for 15 min. So I guess $960 per hour is a bargain.

Im sorry, I dont care how good anyone is, there is something profoundly wrong with that kind of charge. That basically over $1000 per hour. It is beyond anything I have ever heard of.

[Fortitudine]

Paul,
I agree. I forked out $320 US just like CQ. But I took half an hour with Dr. B which made it a bit more reasonable! To tell the truth, I made sure I got my money's worth because I think $960/hour is a bit high. On the other hand, there are lawyers who charge $700-$800/hour and they sure aint neurosurgeons! Plus quality often has a price.
In my case, Dr. B. will be cheaper than a US surgeon, and I looked upon the fee as a small - less than 1% of the cost of surgery - price to pay for peace of mind.

[lisa]

The medical examiner in my w/c case got about $5000 an hour and that was for someone who claimed basically all disk herniation tests were negative in someone with an 18mm disk herniation with severe nerve root compression (somehow he wasn't given my MRI)

At least for $1300/hour Dr. B gave a what sounds like a correct opinion.

[spotty14]

Are these doctors charging these excessive fees for consultations when billing to insurance companies? I don't think so. They wouldn't get close to 100% of what they are charging anyways. Why should they be able to do it when dealing directly with the patient?

[gary]

you are correct, i also find it appauling that Doctors can charge whatever they want.I have to wait sometimes up to 2hours because his office often overbooks visits or he gets hung-up in one of his 6-8 daily surgeries. every visit to my surgeon is at least $465.00/ this includes about 10minutes with the doctor, and 3
Xrays of my 2 prodisc implants. The worst of it was adding up all of my medical bills under the trials, the paperwork i signed said the surgery costs were $35,000. However all of the incidentals and hospital and surgeons fees total well over $250,000,my share was 10%,even though my insurance com[pany quoted me a figure of $3,800
U.S. Dollars. I'm still trying to figure out this mess.

[Justin]

I retained Dr. Bertagnoli as "my expert" during my appeal with BCBS. He was teleconferencing for an hour. I was charged 150 euros--however, this was in May 2004.

$1000 an hour seems on the high end to me.

Justin

[Mariaa]

I think that most consultations I've been to over the last 4 years have been between $1000/$1500 as per what the Nurse Case Manager told me (for supposedly half hour). Actual surgeon consultation time lasted anywhere from 10 - 30 minutes altho I may have occupied the exam room longer than this and been seen by NP for history/physical also.

[wbaker68]

I can tell you that most consultations with surgeons that review records of a patient for us in personal injury suits and spend about an hour of their time doing so for their opinion will run in the 1000-2000 range. They charge basically what they are losing out on by not seeing a patient in the hour span. At least that is their claim most of the time.

Heck a half-hour deposition for a standar worker's compensation case, and I can tell you the doctor doesn't look at the file for one minute most of the time prior to the deposition is 1500 and up. Of course if it goes over an hour the cost goes up. It is ridiculous.

Look at what they charge for medical records. Some flat rate of $50 bucks even if one page. Some higher. Most are not fair and we really have no way of getting around it at this point, we are at their mercy.

Sorry, a little off topic, but still in the realm of costs these days....

Bill