IT WORKS FOR YOUR LAWYER, WHY NOT YOUR DOCTOR, TOO?

The attorney who represents you for Social Security benefits cannot charge you a fee unless your case is favorably decided and results in past due benefits.  Also, the government will set the maximum fee that is allowed. Each fee must be approved by Social Security individually.  It is against the law to charge more fee than Social Security approves.  The attorney often waits 18 to 24 months to get paid. To put this into perspective, let's try this same fee arrangement on your medical doctor.

Doc, I will pay you a fee - but only if I completely recover.  If your treatment doesn't totally cure me, I owe you nothing.  The maximum fee you can charge to treat me has been set by law.  A judge will review and approve your fee to be sure you don't charge me too much. You have to fill out several pages of complicated forms to get your fee approved. You won't get paid a dime for most patients.  However, you will eventually collect some fee from about 40 percent of all the patients you treat.  That's about 4 out of 10, not too bad, Doc. So what if you treat 6 out of 10 for free?  Incidentally, you will usually have to wait 18 to 24 months to collect any fee for treating me.  During that time, the law does not permit you to send me a bill or ask for any payment.

Let me guess....your doctor is not returning your phone calls?

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