Doctor Waiving Charges for Medical Care - How Does This Happen?

Eh, it's a blessing.
Take it and thank him.

I had this kind of happen before, about 20 years ago. My husband went into the hospital with a seeping appendix and peritonitis. They weren't sure he would make it and he was in the hospital almost a month. Most of the doctors waived their cost, I think because of the seriousness of it, and probably compassion, I'm guessing. My mom had this happen to her too, when she took my dad in for his last dr appt before he died, they told them that he only had about 2 days left, and then told my mom not to worry about the bill. Sorry I'm giving you not fun examples to read but I think a lot of them may have some leeway in that they can write off some things that they want to. My MIL had this happen with a lawyer once.

Way back when my son had ear tubes put in, we had insurance..... a week after the surgery, hubby was laid off! We had insurance for a few months through COBRA, but when we went back to the ENT for a follow-up visit and explained the situation, he said if it became an issue, to let him know, and he would waive the fees.... he felt it was THAT important for regular follow-up visits.

Fortunately, after a few months with COBRA, we then got the kids on Medicaid, and a couple of months after that, he found a new job.

It is nice to see that there are doctors that are still in the practice of treating people..... I realize that the doctors do have a lot of expenses, but it is nice that they can do this occasionally.

I wish that would happen to us! My sons ER visit is costing us almost $500 WITH insurance. That's only because the insurance we had didn't cover ER visit's and we didn't know it at the time (new insurance).
If I were you, I would just take and be thankful!

It is complicated. There is a billing price and an accepted price. Accepted price is what the doctor really needs to get so he can write off charges and still get it.

Another way they look at it is say you are paying your copays, that is money coming in. If they ask you to pay the whole bill there will perhaps be no money coming in.

I have to watch this dance every day because on one side I have our billers and coders and on the other I have collections. :( It is strange but it works. Accept it and move on.

A doctor at our church was seeing my husband and he realized we were having money issues. He came by one day and dropped of some meds for kidney stone pain and then he told us he had waived the bill. It was a blessing for sure.

Nothing is free.

He probably has to provide 'x' amount of free service hours, and if you've already paid (or your insurance company has paid) a LOT, then he probably sees you as having already paid your dues, therefore it's a safe 'write off' for him, especially if you have to go back for and pay for follow up visits.

Doctors can choose to write off any charges they like. If it's their own practice, they can do this across the board (aka completely free visit). If they're in a joint practice, each doctor usually has a set number of freebies/pro bono cases they can take on that the practice eats the cost. Beyond that, doctors can simply choose to not charge for THEIR services (for example; an appendectomy costs about 45k. The surgeon's fee is apx 10k. The surgeon can nix their fee, and the total left is 35k). In an office visit that would cost $200 for the doctor, but the bill is $350 (for other services and goods used during your visit), if the doctor pulls his fees, you're still left with $150.

Hospitals also do this... but they usually pull on grant money. Instead of eating the cost they have you apply (or your doctor applies) for the in-hospital grant. These grants can cover all or partial costs. The hospital still gets paid by the grant. Hospitals can also choose to eat the costs, but they usually don't, because they eat so many costs from people who disappear or file for bankruptcy. So, instead, they make sure they're paid... either out of their own fund that is set aside, or via charitable organizations. ((OF COURSE there are also state and private monies that are able to be applied for outside of the hospital. If you're having problems paying, ask to speak to a social worker. The hospital social worker has not only the grant forms for the hospitals own endownents, but also the state forms, and charitable forms.))

If the doctor waved all charges, it sounds like he's either in private practice, or he used one of his non-family-member-freebie credits.

He must like you? Or feel sorry for you? Or think you can't afford his services but wants you to keep coming back?

But why 'numerous serious procedures?" What does that mean..is he having to clean up his own work? Or complications from his own work? Are the procedures related to one another or separate concerns?

My mom had several thousand dollars of med bills when my dad died (from cancer). The hospital waived all of them. Of course, they had been using the hospital for about 10 years and new the staff very well and had also paid tons of the bills over the years. What a blessing

The doctor is just like anyone else- they can chose to charge or not any time they do something for someone. Usually (or for me anyway) they just don't submit any paperwork. My PT treated one of my conditions for free- since he had already treated 2 conditions for me. He just didn't submit any paperwork to anyone.

It seems, in your case, that the Dr is not telling his billing department that he is not charging for his services. This should not affect your credit report. Things usually have to go to a collections agency for that to happen.