In the medical care domain, insurance often requires a fixed copay for each visit. This is immaterial of the healthcare provider you approach, the duration of the appointment, or the reason behind your visit. Cosmetic medicine tends to differ from this norm. Since it falls under elective procedures, insurance typically does not cover it.
This allows cosmetic practices the freedom to set a specific fee for an initial consultation. If you have been researching cosmetic surgeons in your area, you have likely encountered a broad range of policies regarding consultation fees. This situation often leaves the patients thinking about whether cosmetic surgeons should indeed charge for consultations.
They may question if a free consultation offers the same quality of service as a paid one, or if the latter might be more comprehensive. The answer to these queries is not straightforward and can vary widely. To gain insight into this matter, let’s delve into the reasons why some cosmetic surgeons opt for consultation fees while others do not.
Is it right for cosmetic surgeons to ask for a consultation fee?
It would be incorrect to consider cosmetic surgeons as greedy if they are asking for a consultation fee. Instead, they do it for the well-being of the patients only. Here are a few reasons why they change fees.
Increases doctor’s credibility
Paying for the consultation fee removes the doubt from the minds of the patients about the credibility of the doctor. Often, those charging nothing might not show much concern for the patients.
After all, they are extending professional services
Just like an advocate, architect, financial consultant, and other professionals extend their services for a fixed fee, cosmetic surgeons can also ask for compensation for their precious time and experience
Can spend more time in one-to-one consultation with the patient
The motive of the doctor remains to make the patients duly satisfied with the right medical information. Getting the fee encourages them to spend even more time with the patients in direct face-to-face discussions. Likewise, by paying the consultation fee, the patient also feels more comfortable in asking a surgeon for his or her time.
Is it right for cosmetic surgeons to serve free of cost
Even cosmetic surgeons who serve the patient free are mostly highly qualified and experienced. They waive the fee to ensure the approachability of every patient, irrespective of their financial background. Here are some of the reasons behind zero consultation charges from several cosmetic surgeons.
Faith in their services
Confidence in their services and the efficiency of their staff, tend the cosmetic surgeons to get appropriate compensation from a lot of patients who prefer to undergo the procedure.
Ease to explore more options
The reachability of immensely qualified and experienced doctors to prospective patients often gets hampered due to financial constraints. Patients prefer to avail the chance of a free initial consultation (if there is any) before choosing the concerned surgeon for cosmetic surgery.
Encourages repeated consultations
Consultation fee acts as a barrier between the patients and the doctor. By charging zero fees, the physicians remove this barrier and allow the patients to turn up for repeated consultations before deciding on the procedure.
Emancipates the patients from the financial burden
Considering the hefty amount charged as consultation fees, the patients feel reluctant to visit top doctors. This denies them the doctor’s advice they deserve. Setting the fee as zero eases the financial pressure from such patients.
Which cosmetic surgeon should you prefer?
In the wake of all the above reasons mentioned behind the cosmetic surgeons charging consultation free and serving free, you might feel stuck in selecting the best one. In either case, we would suggest to make a choice only after going through the whereabouts of the surgeons, which should include their:
- Training
- Qualification
- Certification
- Overall Experience
- Experience in the cosmetic surgery domain
- Patients’ before and after images
- Way to interact with the patients
- Success percentage
- Aftercare
- Reviews and testimonials from previous patients
As you can infer, education holds the key to selecting the right cosmetic surgeon. How the doctor explains the procedure of the surgery followed by its pros and cons should act as a deciding factor. Moreover, a well-informed patient is more prone to return to or recommend the surgeon to others after a comfortable first surgery experience.
Bottomline
A free consultation is likely to limit the face-to-face time of the patient with the surgeon. Nevertheless, it also encourages the patients to have repeated consultations with the surgeon before saying yes to the procedure. Likewise, asking for a consultation fee ensures that the patient spends ample time with the surgeon to discuss the surgery in detail.
A sizable amount in the name of the consultation fee could however discourage the patients from visiting the doctor in person. Hence, both the cases have their respective merits and demerits. You should therefore remain well informed about the surgeon.
Finding out the doctor’s experience and knowledge in the cosmetic surgery field is equally important. To get a well-informed consultation at an affordable fee, you can always visit or contact Dr. Sumit Malhotra, from SIPS Superspeciality Hospital, Lucknow.
