Consultations

[bennj51189]

Do most surgeons charge for consultations? Because I would want to get a consultation to see if I can realistically afford the surgery, and to see if I like the doctor, and to see if I want the surgery. But paying 150 dollars for a consultation seems rediculous to me, it would just set me back farther, I would have to wait longer until I can spend 150 dollars because I have a lot of other expenses now and I dont want to pay a doctor then not like him and have completely wasted 150 dollars.

[Twin Peaks]

A lot of surgeons charge for a consultation, however, if you decide to have surgery with them, that money goes towards the cost of the surgery.  Obviously, it sucks if you decide not to use that surgeon because then you're out 100 bucks.  There are surgeons that will give complementary consultations though.  My surgeon's office took my credit card # before the consultation and said that they just need that incase I don't show up for the consult because they will charge me $100.  Of course I showed up and they never charged me anything.  Time is money my man.

[MSJ108]

Yup exactly what Twin Peaks said! I paid for one and then went with another doctor. Kinda sucks being out $80 bucks but I understand the docs are busy.

[Paa_Paw]

The cost may seem high, but actually it is not. The office is expensive to equip and staff while it produces barely enough income to cover expenses.  The surgeon makes his money, not in the office, but in the operating room. In some cases, the office actually loses money.

[Noseguard]

I experienced three types of consultation fees, somewhat different from what Twin Peaks posted.

One consult was as he said, $100, but if I booked with him the deducted that from the procedure.  However this was IMO the worst doc I visited and I am glad I had the consult to realize I could, and needed to, do better.

The second was $200, with a credit card.  They took that number and were going to charge it if I did not show, BUT they were still going to charge me if I did show.  All they asked to avoid the charge was to give them a 24hr notice in case I wanted to cancel the appointment.  Which they did.

The third, and the doc I had my eventual surgery with charged me $150, and did not apply it to the cost of the surgery.