An Outrageous Health Care Charge - Personal Example of Response

I thank you for useful suggestions concerning my ongoing efforts to obtain a diagnosis of my strange intermittent/acute infection and I ask that you accept this as full payment of your current bill for services rendered.

Although the personal check for $31.20 was cashed on March 14 2008, another bill from Dr Cenizal's office was received in mid-April for $188.20 and designated as 90 days past due. The accepted check was clearly marked "Acct#1131 Paul Wakfer IN FULL". We consider the services obtained from Mary Joseline Cenizal to be paid for in full and the entire transcription of written exchanges also serves as public notice of the same.

One of the main problems of the delivery and receipt of health care in the US and virtually all of the industrialized world is that the one-to-one patient-physician relationship has disappeared, having been replaced by intermediary health insurance companies and government, this last either directly or indirectly by way of literally hundreds of rules and regulations. The fact that prices for all types of services are ever increasing while the satisfaction of those receiving them very often is decreasing, is very much because the patient is not directly making payment for those services and therefore not interested in determining the cost vs benefit analysis such as s/he would do for the purchase of a new car in comparison to the repair of an older one, or the same prior analysis relative to buying a house or any other major purchase. Simply because a person's body is essential for one's continuation does not make this need for personal involvement in the analysis less important, but actually more - much more.

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