Linda Brandwin, R.N. Linda Brandwin is a registered nurse and a medical billing and claims specialist. For the past 10 years she has worked directly with insurance companies to give advice and guidance to the health care consumer. Readers may send email or write Linda Brandwin at 5500 Single Oak Hill Ct., Woodbridge, VA 22192.

Much happens behind the scenes at the doctor's office
Sept. 12, 2003

Q: I went to my doctor's office just to check my blood pressure. He charged me $25 and I didn't even see him. His nurse took care of me. Why does my doctor charge that much when I can go to the grocery store and get my blood pressure checked for nothing.

A: A doctor's office visit is referred to as an E and M visit…evaluation and management. Simply stated, the physician evaluates and manages your care. Many things happen when you walk into a doctor's office. A certain amount of time is blocked for you depending on the purpose of your visit. Your chart is pulled. Someone takes your blood pressure and records it in the chart. Your doctor reviews and evaluates the information. If you are on blood pressure medicine he then decides if the medication is effective and how he should manage your care. He will decide when your next blood pressure visit should be. If there are any changes to your care an office staff person or the doctor will notify you. Then a claim will be generated from the visit and then sent to you or your insurance company. This is where the $25 goes. But, remember, if the doctor is a provider of your insurance company, he will probably receive less than the $25 he charges.

Getting your blood pressure checked at the grocery store is fine. But if the reading is too high or too low, you will end up seeing your doctor anyway. Also, you can not be sure how accurately the blood pressure monitor is calibrated. Some physicians believe that the monitors at grocery stores read a little higher than the monitors in their office. This may be so that the store does not have any liability for people with questionable blood pressure. However, there is nothing wrong with using the blood pressure monitors at stores. They will give you a fairly good blood pressure reading. Just keep in mind that they are no substitute for a visit to your doctor's office.