[nanfromsactown]

This is very useful information, and while I haven't checked in my state of California, I'm sure the numbers are similar.

I have recently become self pay for my back injury due to settling my work Comp case. My attorney was sure I would be paying $.50 on the dollar for my treatment since The docs would no longer have to dictate reports and in general it would be less of a pain to have me as a patient.

But not so! My first visit back to my pain doc was going to cost $150, which is their "cash pay" amount for a basic office visit. When I told them my settlement states I am to pay the work comp fee schedule amount, the price went down to $89 with an additional "report" fee of $12, for the dictation they need to put into their file. Then this week I was referred for an epidural, and the first quote was $915, which then dropped to $650. I am a bit upset about my conversation with the scheduler because when she first called me with the $915 figure, I asked her if that was the work comp fee schedule amount and she lied to me and said yes. Then she called me back and back peddled.

The whole thing is wrong for many reasons, that insurance companies get to negotiate the costs down and then the cash pay patients are being forced to pay much more. I know the system needs to change but I don't know how to change it. It's frustrating.

I'll get off my soapbox!