Doctor Holds Patient Hostage Until She Pays Her Bill
A doctor named John Drew Laurusonis and two of his assistants in Georgia have been accused of locking a woman in an examination room "when concerns arose about her ability to pay the bill." The three were indicted last week on charges of false imprisonment for the October 4th, 2007 incident.
For several hours, the staff refused to allow her to leave, locking her in for periods of time, [her attorney Joseph] Fried said. They had her log into her bank records from a computer while she was there, he said. "They said, 'Don't you have anyone who loves you who can come and help you? Because you're not leaving until this bill is paid,' " Fried said. "They made her feel like she was a criminal. She was made to feel like she couldn't leave without something bad to happen to her."
One reason the patient couldn't pay was that she was charged nearly eight times more for the visit than she was initially told by clinic employees, from $98 to $755.
The patient, Frances Bales, was described as "less assertive than other people"—by her attorney, no less. We hope Bales remembers to bring a Taser or pepper spray to her next appointment. In fact, maybe all patients of Dr. Laurusonis should make sure friends and family know where they're going and how long they expect to be gone, just in case there are any billing problems.
"Police: Clinic workers imprisoned patient who couldn't pay" [Atlanta Journal-Constitution] (Thanks to Deborah!)
(Photo: Getty)
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Comments:
This is just strange. It sounds like the doc and staff were sampling some of the pharmaceuticals for themselves ;).
my guess is she will be able to pay for anything she wants after taking him to court...and I say good for her
Seem that would be an invasion of privacy making her log into her online bank account and why couldn't they just bill her or setup a payment plan?
There may be a fire code violation if you can be locked in to rooms at the Clinic.
Any way this need to blow up in to a big news store so more people can see how bad the us health system is.
Screw her. Something bad should have happened to her. Why is medical care any different than buying stuff at the store? She's the criminal. Does she go eat at expensive restaurants and then say she didn't think it'd be that much? She'd be arrested. But for some reason people think that medical care is a right. Why would anyone have a right to someone else's labor, in this case the doctor?
BTW, the picture is funny.
Wow. That's just awful.
@kublaconsumer: Why don't you RTFA or even this sentence on the Consumerist page?
One reason the patient couldn't pay was that she was charged nearly eight times more for the visit than she was initially told by clinic employees, from $98 to $755.
@kublaconsumer:
Douche, hope you go to an expensive restaurant, get charged 8 times more than you thought it would be, and end up washing dishes for a year.
@kublaconsumer: I agree completely. However I am a little curious as to why the cost was increased so drastically. And they probably should have called the cops instead of imprisoning her themselves, if for no other reason than so that they wouldn't be sued later.
@kublaconsumer: Let's just assume you are a troll, and your comments require no point-by-point analysis.
@kublaconsumer: Troll McTrollypants.
If you went to lunch intending to spend ten bucks, and the restaurant charged you more than 75 dollars and locked you in the storeroom until you paid and made you access your bank account through their computers (with who knows what keylogger software on them), I bet you'd be howling fit to hear across the state line. And not about "the restaurant's right to get paid for their food."
@kublaconsumer: We don't have enough information. From the sound of it, she was told it would cost $98 (it depends on the manner in which this "estimate" was provided, however, but in any case being off by a factor of 8 is still probably outside the bounds of "reasonable accuracy"), then her card was charged $755 instead.
"One reason the patient couldn't pay was that she was charged nearly eight times more for the visit than she was initially told by clinic employees, from $98 to $755."
If you went to eat at a restaurant and your menu stated that a steak was 35.00 but when the bill came you were charged 280.00 for the steak, would you pay? I think not.
@kublaconsumer: Did you read the entire story? She was told the appointment would cost $98. However, when she showed up they tried to charge her $755.
I'm not saying that she shouldn't have paid but she should only be charged the price she was quoted. If the doctor and/or staff had been forthright in the first place then she may not have made the appointment with them.
That what she get for being a legal US citizen.
This lady was nuts if she thought x-rays were just going to be a "little more". It would seem like there was a communication problem going on. The patient failed to ask what a procedure cost before hand and the doctor forgot to make sure the patient knew the price and could pay. The bill as it stands is 100% legit. They performed a service on her that was expensive.
But if you didn't validate ability to pay or the patient's knowledge of the price before performing the service, that is your own damn fault. The doctor's recourse is to bill the patient and send the bill to collection's where this woman's credit will be destroyed. He will never get paid and the patient will never be able to get a loan again.
Yes, our system sucks.
Other than holding her for so long... She should have been forced to pay. Yes they way the doctor detained her was unorthodox, it would seem to me, that she didn't have any money in the first place. Why would you go to the doctors let alone anywhere, KNOWING you do not have any money to pay for the service you are receiving.
Clearly there was some miscommunication at some point. Yes, she may have _initially_ been told $98, but did she somehow mislead them when they told her the tests would be more? Non-emergency tests for an unisured patient are not on-the-house, after all, so perhaps her lack of assertiveness was misunderstood as expressing her ability to pay when (and if) she was told the tests would add to her total, which could have led to the later upset on the part of the small business owner who had already incurred costs due to the tests (that is, the doctor).
To all: If one asks the restaurant how much a dinner is and they say $98 but then you order tons of other stuff for $755...then one should expect to pay. If you go to the mechanic and they estimate a certain cost, but once they dig into the issue it's more, then one should expect to pay. If you ask to have a remodel done, but then other issues are found that require more $ then one should expect to pay. If one goes to the doctor to have something looked at then it's entirely possible that it could cost more to have it thoroughly looked at. In fact had the doctor not done a thorough job he could be sued. So really the victim here is the doctor. He's forced to provide a service to someone without compensation. The fact that they detained her is no different than detaining a dime store thief.
@kublaconsumer: Wow. Regardless of whether she was in the right or not, we don't imprison people in the U.S. for not paying their debts. And we certainly don't let random people imprison someone for the same reason. And, it sounds like she wasn't expecting, for whatever reason, it to cost so much. Instead of these high pressure tactics, the office should have offered to settle with her for a lower amount (since the amount they bill is so high only because the insurance companies pay such a small percentage anyway).
That being said, who knows what actually happened.
@kublaconsumer: "One reason the patient couldn't pay was that she was charged nearly eight times more for the visit than she was initially told by clinic employees, from $98 to $755."
If I went to a restaurant, ordered something off of the menu and then went to find out that the actual charge was 8 times the menu price, I probably wouldn't be able to pay either. She was responsible and got a quote before receiving the services. If the price was going to rise substantially, the clinic also had a responsibility to make that clear.
@kublaconsumer:
I never thought anyone deserved to get sick and need medical attention but I think you just changed my mind.
@kublaconsumer: Maybe the fact that "she was charged nearly eight times more for the visit than she was initially told by clinic employees, from $98 to $755" had something to do with it.
Besides, wouldn't you detain the person only long enough for the police to arrive, assuming you believed it to be a theft of service? Seems this clinic decided to take matters into its own hands, maybe because they figured the police would notice they weren't in the right about the issue?
@Concerned_Citizen: Yeah, he certainly does have recourse. That does not include physically holding someone against their will, taking their keys, etc. If someone tried to take my keys like that they would regret it.
A little research goes a LONG way, see what they say about this guy on RateMD.com
"Staff was incompetent..unable to draw bloodwork or properly hook up ekg leads. Performed procedures without explaining why necessary. When asked, stated "it's protocal" however never checked pts. blood pressure or pulse when pt. presented with dizziness and fainting. After six "protocol" test informed patient they owed $2400.00."
" I went to this doctor for PINK EYE! I told him I had no insurance when he came in the room after an hour. He didn't say a word to me, put drops in my eyes and walked out and never came back. I went to pay...$400!!!! He is a fat, rude jerk if you ask me! "
" He uses already used needles, and has old medicine and tests that he uses for patients. I saw a nurse drop meds on the ground and pick it up and give it to another patient! He is very mean and yells at his staff and us. When I came in for a sore throat he charged me to have a strep test and a flu test along with a bunch of other things I don't even think were necessary to charge me for. I will never come back or recommend him to my worst enemy! "
Where is the doofus with the GOP elephant avatar to tell us, "Don't go to the doctor if you can't pay. It is implicit in the visit that you will pay! I wouldn't have let her go either. They should have trenches out back for cheap and poor people alike!"
Go McCain!
...unless you call the restaurant, ask them how much a hamburger costs, then actually go in and order a 10 course meal. many patients are vague at best with their complaints over the phone and MANY like to downplay their symptoms. then they see the doc and tell them this "simple fever" started a few days after having unprotected sex with a prostitute, and a few HIV, syphilis, hep B, CBC, chem panel, etc tests later and you can really rack up that bill. it's not that she was charged 7 extra times, she was charged the equivalent of 8 times her "estimate", which is exactly what it is, an estimate based on what you say. all that being said, locking her in the room and all that was definitely not the best way to go about it all.
Regardless of what the price she was told and the price she was changed there is no reason she should have been locked in a room, much less log into her bank.
I'm fairly sure that she will have no problems paying any of her bills after her lawyer gets his cut. I'd also guess that the doctor in question may be looking for a new career or at least someone on staff at the office.
@kublaconsumer: The difference between paying for healthcare, and say, buying a new car is that one is an option, not a necessity. However, as living beings when your health is in question your only option aside from getting care is illness and death.
What if food suddenly became ten times as expensive as it is now?
Would all the poor and middle class be allowed to die?
@vgerik1234: You have got to be kidding me. Most normal people would have broken down the freakin' door (I know I would) if in the same situation. Either call the cops (they didn't, sounds like they knew where that would go) or bill her. Hold her or anyone against their will and it goes from a bill dispute to false imprisonment to a large settlement and possible jail time for the clinic workers involved.
@SuffolkHouse: Well I think you should have a plan on how to compensate the Dr before going there.
However, being locked in is not appropriate. They have her information, they could deal with it through the appropriate channels later.
I recommend you all surf over to Google Local and leave a review about what happened: [local.google.com]
@kublaconsumer: actually it is very different. She has a right to freedom. She committed no crime. Had they advised her of the additional cost, I am sure this wouldn't have been an issue. On top of that, they held her hostage. This could potentially be rung up to a kidnapping charge, which is federal by the way, as they were "extorting" money from her while denying her the right to freedom. This could be extraordinarily messy in short order.
@kublaconsumer:
To a point, I agree with you. I'm not sure the "shopkeepers" privilege would extend to this situation, but I do agree that there is no per se right to healthcare. She was essentially stealing from the Dr.'s office.
I can't wait until the judge throws the book at this asshole. He will get the imprisonment and proper raping that he deserves.
@SuffolkHouse: Are you stupid? Do you go to the doctors then say "Sorry I can't pay, thanks for the service though"? They are vague on the reason exactly why she couldn't pay other than she had no money. Just like kubalaconsumer said, do you go to a restaurant and order food then say "Oh I can't pay". This lawsuit is going to fail. A restaurant near where I live, does not let you leave till you pay. Whether it means call a family member and bring you money or what. It makes complete logical sense to not let someone leave till they pay.
However, they way the explained how she was detained is sketchy. She was "locked up without the ability to leave". That makes it seem way too harsh.
Caveat Emptor
As per Kublaconsumer's analogy to a fancy restaurant: She went in, got the price for the entree and proceeded to order appetizers and deserts all the while expecting the price to remain the same. The office should have informed her of the rising costs per each extra service (tests) she received.
Health care is often on an infinitely inelastic demand curve. Meaning no matter what the price, people will demand it. The 3rd party payor system (insurances / medicare & medicaid ) have built consumer mindsets in such a way.
If consumers more readily paid the front end costs to health care, I bet they would shop for care based on price & quality. I also bet they would do more preventative care, since its cheaper to prevent than to treat.
why wouldn't they just bill her and if she couldn't pay it. Detaing someone against their will is illegal and they should have at least called the police, which in my opinion is ridiculous. What about payment plans? I had a 1,000 hospital bill and was allowed to pay minimum oF $10 a month if I wanted to.
She didn't go in and order the extra tests. The doctor did. How many people actualy know what the doctor is ordering, and why? I know everybody here does, because you are all MD's, but normal people don't, and in fact, take the doctor at face value.
I think it has already been established that this "doctor" was unethical, and probably doing illegal things, too.
The real question is, how many others are there?
@CaptainConsumer: To the rescue, thanks for that. Cool website.
PS: This story reminded me what problems Canadians avoid. Maybe it's why their so much more laid back?
@kublaconsumer: I hope someone locks you up. Go back and RTFA. She didn't order "extra" services that jacked her bill up.
@kublaconsumer: She was quoted 98$, so it's normal that she didn't brought 1K$. Stop blaming the victim.
A good doctor would have offered some payment plan, since the amount was 10 times that was quoted originally. Not keep patient hostage.
I would love to see your troll's reaction, if in an ''expensive restaurant'' you were billed 10 times the price quoted to you before meal...
@Crymson_77: I agree that they should have detained her only until police arrived. But it is a criminal matter IMO. No different than ordering other services with no ability or intention of paying. It was her responsibility to clarify that more testing was addition cost...just like everyone verifies that refills are free before consuming 20 sodas.
I don't know why people, when they head into a doctors office, lose their ability to realize the costs of this stuff. (actually I do, just like agent888) Training doctors, developing equipment, etc, is expensive and time consuming.
People should pay for all their health care just like they pay for their DirecTV and big tailpipes for their cars.
Whatever happened to "first, do no harm"?