Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Stealth Inflation (Medical Division)

Need a doctor to fill out a health form for your child’s summer camp, school or day care? It may cost you extra.


As many primary-care doctors struggle to cover the growing costs of running their practices, some are charging patients extra for completing paperwork outside of a regular office visit, reports MarketWatch. Per-item fees, where they exist, have risen in the past few years, practice-management experts say, and typically range $5 to more than $20 a pop. On the high end, the fee can rival or exceed your office-visit copay, depending on your health plan.

Just think of it as the medical industries answer to baggage charges now tacked on by airlines.

Note to Paul Krugman: These types of hikes do not occur during a deflationary period.

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