Are more doctors instituting annual patient fees?

An increasing number of primary-care physicians are hitting their patients with a new charge: an annual “administrative fee” of $100 to $300 to help them defray the costs of running their practice.

It’s not not clear how many doctors are charging extra fees, but the number seems to growing -- as are the
fees, say health critics.

And some practioners do seem to be taking things to extremes. A Toronto doctor will face a disciplinary hearing for charging patients a $1,000 a year to receive care. And there are those collection agencies.

There are now at least four companies specializing in helping doctors collect annual fees from patients, according to the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

According to official guidelines, legitimate fees generally cover the amount of time doctors or their assistants spend giving medical advice over the phone, e-mailing patients, providing sick notes, maintaining medical records, renewing prescriptions and tallying missed appointments.

Sounds fair, after all no one works for free, and you could end up paying less than you would in an ad hoc arrangement, say doctors.

But, “in some cases, it’s going far beyond the ostensible reason doctors need to charge fees and it’s about a separate income,” says Natalie Mehra, director of the Ontario Health Coalition.

Patients feel compelled to pay annual fees to ensure that they continue to have the services of a doctor, Mehra adds. “Patients think: ‘If I don’t pay this, am I going to lose my family doctor?’ Or: ‘Am I going to be dropped to the bottom of the list’?”

Is that how you feel? Are you paying annual fee? What happens to this money at the end of year if you don’t need these services?

Diplomatic posting for Sat Maharaj’s daughter ?

Tongues are wagging in United National Congress (UNC) circles over a report that the daughter of Maha Sabha Secretary General Sat Maharaj, Vimala Tota-Maharaj, is being considered for a diplomatic post in Canada.

Vimala Tota-Mahara

This has sent shock waves among top officials of the Congress of the People (COP), who want to know why Stephen Kangal, a career diplomat, was blanked for the post.

Kangal, an expert in Maritime Law, served as acting High Commissioner to Canada some years ago. He was in the forefront of the campaign to “axe the tax” when the former People’s National Movement (PNM) administration had passed legislation to raise land and building taxes.

The People’s Partnership (PP) government, of which the COP is a major partner, had promised during the 2010 general election campaign, not to implement the legislation if the party came into Government.

Tota-Maharaj, a senator under the former Basdeo Panday administration, is currently the principal of St Helena Hindu School. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has to give approval for the appointment.