Nov
11
Do you have to ask for a routine physical examination or will your doctor/health care center just do one ?
By
Question: I am asking because I have a health center that I have gone to for about 2 years and they have never mentioned anything to me about a physical examination. Does the patient have to request one or do doctors usually tell you that you need one or it is time for one ???
3 Comments
November 11th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
It depends on how long this doc has been your doctor. If he has your records, then he’ll likely see when it’s time for another check. If you’re at a new doctor, and have never had a physical done before, then you’ll have to clarify this with your doctor.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Be careful, because many health insurances won’t cover a routine physical exam, so you’d be paying a lot of money out of your own pocket, if so. If the exam includes a full blood work-up, an EKG, or other things, you could be looking at paying a few hundred dollars out-of-pocket.
I know that this is not what you asked, but I felt that it might be worth mentioning to you, just in case you weren’t aware of it. Some doctors will cooperate with you, and they will give you a physical exam, but they will call it something else, when they bill you, so your insurance will then cover it.
Good luck with that.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Be careful when you request one. If you just request a physical exam because you never had one, or because it has been a while since you had one, unless there is a specific problem, you may just end up being stuck for the bill for one,. This could amount to several hundred dollars.
You see, insurance companies require a diagnostic code for almost any procedure. There is no diagnostic code for ” just wanting one”.
I would discuss this with your physician, and see if there might be a specific reason he may see for performing one. For example, is there a history of heart disease in your family ( hint, hint). But talk to your doctor first.