At 03:55 PM 7/1/98 -0400, Dr. Meyer Magarici wrote: >Hi: >Has anyone offered a 900 number to their patients for the attention of >routine calls ? >Would this system create adverse opinions ? >After all, we sell our time (and knowledge) and it seems fair to me if we >could charge a small amount for the telephone advise we are actually giving >for free !. I've heard docs fantasize about doing this, but it would only work if all providers in a given community did it. Otherwise I'd guarantee that the patients who had a choice would quickly switch to an office which gave free phone advice 24 hrs each day. And although it would probably be most valuable in a large managed care setting where the providers take their own after hours calls, I'm sure that the HMO contracts would prohibit it (or would be amended to this effect once the patients began complaining) . Michael Sachs, M.D. General Pediatrician