I usually try to steer this blog clear of hot topics. I take it personally when people stop following and though I tend to lean to the liberal side of things I usually keep most of my opinions to myself.

Until today.

Today I'm pissed off.

Why?

Because my daughter's pediatrician's office is gouging my insurance office and it is pushing me over the edge. Let me explain. My daughter had a wart on her foot. It wouldn't go away after numerous treatments from various over the counter medications.

I took her to the doctors.

They froze it. The entire process took less than 1 minute.

It didn't go away. They told me we had to return.

We returned. They froze it two additional times. Each time the office visit lasted less than one minute.

They billed my insurance nearly $500!

They coded these procedures as "surgical".

I find this insulting.

The best part....I paid $45 in co-pays but now my insurance is saying, "Hey, this is way more than our allowable amount and so you are responsible for the rest."

My doctors office is now billing me $193.00 for my share of the costs to freeze off a wart from my daughters foot.

You have got to be fucking kidding me?

The kicker of all kickers. This is written at the bottom of the bill

Payment is due by May 10, 2010. If payment is not received by the above due date your account will be assessed a monthly $10 re bill fee.

So not only are you billing me nearly $200 bucks for a wart I've already paid $45 for (plus the cost of all the over the counter stuff I tried first) you are now insulting me further by telling me that if I don't pay you that you will in turn start charging me interest just for the privilege of being billed.

I am seriously considering getting another doctor. Of course, this will just cost me more money because I still owe the $200 bucks and they won't copy my kids records until it is paid and then they will most likely charge me a per sheet fee to copy the documents.

Seeing what they charge for wart removal, I'm guessing it will be about $5.00 a page to have my records copied.

Healthcare needs reform. Am I saying that the Obama administration is going about it the right way. No. But at least the issue is on the table. At least it isn't being swept under the carpet like it has been by so many Presidents before.

Doctors should not be allowed to classify a procedure that takes less than one minute to perform as "surgical" and those who do should be ashamed of themselves.