Call 4 Action
Cutting wait times at the doctor's office
MILWAUKEE - Are you tired of waiting at the doctor's office?
There may be something that you can do about it.
How can we speed things up?
When you show up for a scheduled appointment, you expect your doctor to be on time.
Unfortunately, things do not always go as scheduled, especially if there is an emergeny or complication.
To avoid having to wait, here is what you can do:
- Call an hour ahead and ask if appointments are running on time.
Although the staff may not be able to predict unexpected delays, they may be able to give you a heads up if they already know that things are running late.
- If you cannot wait, ask if you can be seen by another physician at that time or, consider rescheduling.
- Arrive a few minutes early so that you have enough time to park and complete paperwork.
If you are late, this could cause you or others to miss scheduled appointments.
Sometimes a doctor may run late due to an unexpected emergency, or complicated situation.
What can you do if your doctor is habitually late?
Ask to speak to the administrator of the clinic, or the doctor's nurse and ask them to assist you in resolving this issue.
They may be able to offer everything from an evening appointment, a different doctor, or perhaps a discount on the services provided.
Clinics sometimes bill if you miss an appointment.
Can a consumer bill a clinic for missing their scheduled appointment?
There are a number of people who have tried billing a doctor based upon what the patient's time is worth when a scheduled appointment runs more than 15-30 minutes behind.
Some doctors are paying up, some are not. But, it is worth a try.
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