r/HealthInsurance • u/arwenthenoble • 14d ago

Claims/Providers Full office visit co-pay charged for MyChart message

I had a question about a temporary medication I was taking and sent a message via MyChart. The message was only regarding the medication (no other health questions were asked).

I received my EOB and was charged a full $50 co-pay like when I go in person for a visit or have a full video visit. When I looked online, I see in general messaging costs listed as much lower than a visit. Does this mean my insurance doesn’t differentiate a full visit from a brief question in a message? If I had known, I would’ve scheduled an online telehealth visit instead.

I’ve had a lot of medical costs this year and another random $50 stings. I will avoid using MyChart going forward.

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u/nyc2pit 13d ago

You must be. I'm a specialist and I can promise you I'm not answering. I have a family and interests outside of the office, and if you're going to pull me away from them the LEAST I'm gonna get is some compensation from it.

I give a few people my cell phone number. Most of them are good about it, but I have abusers of that too.

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u/NavyBeanz 13d ago

Ok so you do give a few your cell phone number. Are these high risk or medically complex patients?

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u/nyc2pit 13d ago

Those I think might have a need to let me know something urgently. And that I trust.

Sometimes other docs families.

I know what your getting at though. You're not special. I have plenty of "medically complex" patients and the vast majority of them do.bot need my number. They can call.the office like everyone else.

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u/NavyBeanz 13d ago

Ok but my urologist gave me his number. I didn’t make him. Why is your issue with me?

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u/nyc2pit 13d ago

No issue with you.

Plenty of issue with your comments.

Your urologist is exceptional. Make sure you treat him as such.

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u/NavyBeanz 13d ago

I’m only commenting on my own experience and my own experience is that my specialists encourage us to use the portal and respond to it. I never knew it was a thing until this post.  

I hope my urologist is. He’s doing a procedure on me on Monday. He’s also 63 and is the son of medical missionaries. He might have gone into medicine for a different reason than you. 

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u/nyc2pit 13d ago

Sorry to be the one to break it to you ....

Medicine used to be a calling. And it was very well compensated so it was easy to be generous. Your urologist likely has a 8 figure net worth, paid off his loans in the first 2 years of practice, was his own boss, etc.

It's now mostly job. Loans are mid-six figures for most. Pay is good but nothing like what it was - as long as you're a specialist and not a PCP who is vastly underpaid. You work for a corporate conglomerate and your boss is an MBA who knows fuck all about medicine but can whip up those excel spreadsheets in no time.

So please excuse me while I say "fuck off" to your implication that your urologist is a hero and I'm just in it for the money. Your good vibes doesn't pay my mortgage, or put my kids through college.

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u/NavyBeanz 13d ago

You really should redirect your anger to administration and insurance and not patients

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u/nyc2pit 13d ago

I only direct it to entitled patients who don't think I deserve to be compensated for my time.

Or, like, the ones that think a message is the way to co.tinue a visit that ran out of time because of their "medical complexity."

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u/NavyBeanz 13d ago

I feel very badly for your patients 

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