Botox, mole checks, and third-party payers

David Hogberg explains why dermatologists see Botox patients quicker than mole checks:

The final problem with the third-party payer system is that it makes providers less “patient centered.” Since the patient isn’t paying directly, the doctors have less incentive to make the care more convenient, like having evening and weekend appointments. That further diminishes the amount of time available for appointments for dermatologists, thereby increasing the wait.

Thus, I don’t find it at all remarkable that wait times for Botox are shorter. We pay for Botox out of pocket, which forces doctors to attract “customers.” Customers aren’t going to pay for your service if it is inconvenient. If the wait time is too long, they’ll just take their money elsewhere.

The same would happen with mole examinations if we paid for more of them out of our own pocket.

Prev
Next