Would you still see a patient that did not pay his/her last bill?

alferec · Mar 14, 2005

I heard that this question was asked in an interview:

"Would you still see a patient that did not pay his/her last bill?"

What do you all think?

Dominic · Mar 14, 2005

well Im not an O.D. yet, and it certainly depends on who the patient is and what kind of business I am in. In a corporate environment there is almost no way I could, but running my own practice I am allowed to make the call. I know that my O.D. sees 2-3 patients a month for free that are homeless and are members of NHS (neighborhood health services). It really does depend on many factors. In a time of emergency I most definitely would help them, money or not.

scraders · Mar 14, 2005

alferec said:
I heard that this question was asked in an interview:

"Would you still see a patient that did not pay his/her last bill?"

What do you all think?

i was asked a similar question at my ico interview:

"what would you do if one of your patients needs an eye exam but cannot pay for it?"

after my horrible response, my interviewer gave me his 2 cents and said something very similar to what dominic just said.

JennyW · Mar 14, 2005

scraders said:
i was asked a similar question at my ico interview:

"what would you do if one of your patients needs an eye exam but cannot pay for it?"

after my horrible response, my interviewer gave me his 2 cents and said something very similar to what dominic just said.

LOL. I used to do admission committee interviews. What was your "horrible response?"

I would never see a patient for routine care that did not pay their last bill.

Even emergency patients, I would work something out with them. Patients who have no insurance will usually come up with something if you simply say "What will give me?" I have accepted payments for eyecare in the following forms:

1: Plate full of stuffed mushrooms from an old italian lady who had no insurance and was grateful I fixed her pink eye.

2: Repair of a clogged sink from a plumber who had no insurance from whom I removed a piece of metal from his eye.

3: Tuned up my snowblower from a small engine mechanic in exchange for a pair of safety glasses.

4: One months worth of snowplowing for my office parking lot from a guy who drove a snow plow and broke his Rx.

So, there are lots of ways to negotiate and receive payment. lol.

Jenny

Kristene9 · Mar 14, 2005

scraders said:
after my horrible response, my interviewer gave me his 2 cents and said something very similar to what dominic just said.

sooo what was your horrible response???

dry dre · Mar 14, 2005

Glad to see such vibrant altruism alive and well in optometry circles. I've never worked with an MD that refused to see/examine a patient because payments were in arrears. I've seen militant collections, but never denial of treatment/examination that was clearly indicated.

scraders · Mar 14, 2005

at first my response was to give the patient a free exam...you know, patients should always be the #1 priority. then the interviewer said what if the next person claims to be in the same situation. and the next, and so on. where do you draw the line? it's very easy to be taken advantaged of this way.

i didn't know what to say, so i changed my response a little. i said give the patient an exam and allow them to pay for it over a period of time. it wasn't the worse answer possible, but it's also not the best one especially the way i tried to cover up.

i thought my response was "horrible" because it was obvious that i shot myself in the foot and tried to bandage it up somehow. not very smooth...

JennyW · Mar 14, 2005

dry dre said:
Glad to see such vibrant altruism alive and well in optometry circles. I've never worked with an MD that refused to see/examine a patient because payments were in arrears. I've seen militant collections, but never denial of treatment/examination that was clearly indicated.

Note that I said that I would not see a patient for ROUTINE care.

FOr emergency patients, I would always see them. But for those who cry poverty, I always ask what CAN you give me? SOme people have given me $10. Some people have exchanged other services. Some people have brought me a home cooked meal.

The instances where you do something TOTALLY FREE should be very few and far between.

Jenny

Kristene9 · Mar 14, 2005

scraders said:
i thought my response was "horrible" because it was obvious that i shot myself in the foot and tried to bandage it up somehow. not very smooth...

Haha, In my mind something "horrible" is like the saying not pay me???? NOT PAY ME? WHY WOULD SOMEONE NOT PAY ME!!!!! then like throw the chair and get up in there face and say something totally off the wall like... Just try not to pay me and see what happens!!!!!!!!!(Then look real evil and laugh). Like this-->

a twitch would be good too.

So see! things could have been much worse! 🙂

On a side note we should start a new thread of things that we wish we could have said in an interview but didnt. Like I think it would be real funny if someone with a straight face when asked why they wanted to be an optometrist would say "It all started in the third grade when I was voted most likely to become an optometrist...and then in the fourth grade..." :laugh:

.... well I think its funny

cpw · Mar 15, 2005

Kristene9 said:
On a side note we should start a new thread of things that we wish we could have said in an interview but didnt. Like I think it would be real funny if someone with a straight face when asked why they wanted to be an optometrist would say "It all started in the third grade when I was voted most likely to become an optometrist...and then in the fourth grade..." .... well I think its funny

and make it into a long diatribe like Chunk on the Goonies. :laugh:

PLPrincess · Mar 15, 2005

cpw said:
and make it into a long diatribe like Chunk on the Goonies.

The Polish version of the Goonies is sooo much funnier than the English.... :laugh:

Eyegirl2k7 · Mar 15, 2005

I wanted to become an optometrist so I could say the following:

"If you cross your eyes that way, they could get stuck like that."
"It's all fun and games until somebody loses an eye."
"Don't pick at it."

Luv,
Eyegirl.

polkadot · Mar 15, 2005

I actually pitched my optometry-dental-lube oil clinic at my SCCO interview.
:laugh:

"Just lean back in your car seat!" - They got a kick out if it.

Would you still see a patient that did not pay his/her last bill?

alferec

Future Army OD

Dominic

PCO C/O 2009!

scraders

Senior Member

JennyW

Senior Member

Kristene9

dry dre

All hat, no cattle

scraders

Senior Member

JennyW

Senior Member

Kristene9

cpw

It's a boy !!!

PLPrincess

Senior Member

Eyegirl2k7

Bridget Jones here

polkadot

let's get physical!

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