Doctor charged me $400 "plus" to deliver my kid

[Fiscal]

Is this normal? Legal? Private hospital, wife has health insurance. Doctor said it was 400 USD for him to personally deliver the baby, otherwise whatever resident was on duty that night to deliver it.

 

[sergio]

Is this normal? Legal? Private hospital, wife has health insurance. Doctor said it was 400 USD for him to personally deliver the baby, otherwise whatever resident was on duty that night to deliver it.

I've heard of this sort of thing before -- for example if you want the head of a department to do surgery you are asked to pay a fee beyond what is covered by your insurance. My understanding is that insurance covers treatment but does not guarantee a particular practitioner.

 

[expat0tree]

It sounds like: "Pay me if you want us to do a good job, otherwise our other, less trained staff will do as their please..." Why would anyone fall for that?

 

[sergio]

It sounds like: "Pay me if you want us to do a good job, otherwise our other, less trained staff will do as their please..." Why would anyone fall for that?

Not sure it's that bad. Presumably everyone on the team is competent but if you want the dept. head you may have to pay more.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

Congratulations on the safe arrival of your newborn: you must be very proud and I am very happy for you.

Is Fiscalito/a a Christmas Day baby?

 

[nikad]

It is normal. I have some doctors on my insurance that when I book an appointment online it specifies you have to pay, for example 1000$. My plan has no co pays however ( Medicus ). I don't think anybody tells you about this in advance and it is something relatively new.

 

[Wryter47]

$1000 USD or Pesos? Yikes.

 

[Fiscal]

Congratulations on the safe arrival of your newborn: you must be very proud and I am very happy for you.

Is Fiscalito/a a Christmas Day baby?

Thank you! Christmas Eve baby

 

[nikad]

$1000 USD or Pesos? Yikes.

pesos, prices in Arg are always in pesos.

 

[ben]

This is related only tangentially, as our doctor never asked for anything of the sort.

However, he had gone on vacation and when it was time to go to the delivery room, his replacement did not arrive at the hospital (Suizo) in time. The hospital's obstetrician on duty ended up doing the honors (together with our partera), and my wife was extremely happy with this doctor's care.

We subsequently had another couple of small but pressing issues that were of sufficient urgency to necessitate a middle-of-the night hospital visit, and ended up coming across the same doctor, who was amazing each time.
Long story short, we learned that this doctor had a private practice, and upon finding out that our previous ob/gyn had decided to stop accepting Swiss Medical, we happily switched. No regrets since.

The moral being that you can find excellent doctors on duty in the delivery room as well.
In our case, it was a private hospital - but the doctors are frequently the same ones in the public system as well.