Tuesday, April 25, 2006

A VISIT TO THE PODIATRIST

I went to the foot doctor today.
The price was a hand and foot.
No, the price was both hands and both feet.
Feet are important, I know.
And the price to pay for their analysis and treatment is reflective of this importance.
Here's the price list of my visit:
X-Ray Foot 2 views: $55
X-Ray Ankle series: $150
Injection Fascia, Tendon: $115
Injection Hydrocortisone: $5
Strapping Foot/Ankle: $52
Diagnosis Plantar Fascitis/Fibromatosis: $728.71 (Why don't they just round off the price? Why the 71 cents?)
Total: $1105.71
Popcorn: Free
I'm going back to college.
I want to be a foot doctor.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually, you made an error. The number after the word "Diagnosis" is the ICD9 (International Classification of Diseases version 9) code number for the diagnosis of Plantar Fasciitis. This number is used to classify the diagnosis. Your totla bill then in fact was $728.71 less.

News from Mad Plato said...

I have no idea what you are talking about.
Translation is needed.

Dr Edgar Abbes, DPM said...

728.71 is a diagnosis code. A code used to bill your insurance instead of writing the much longer plantar fascitis which doesn't fit on the insurance billing form box provided for diagnosis. All diagnosis are billed to insurances in this way, using a code for the diagnosis and the treatments. For exapmple an ingrown nail is 703.0 and atheletes foot would be 110.0. These are not charges but code numbers. You were not billed 728.71. I hope that's clearer than the previous post by anonymous.