Can speech pathologists who have private practices reject you if you don't have private insurance, but cash?

I was laid off of my job and my inusurance has ended. In the meanwhile, I need to see a Speech and Language Pathologist. I called a private practice near my home, and she asked me if I had private insurance and I said, "no, I will pay with cash." She then referred me to the local hospital and hung up the phone. Is this ethical of the profession? If not I am going to report her.

Yes, there is no requirement that they accept all people who want their services. It's a free country - they can pick and choose who they take.

MOST people who say they will pay with cash, don't. I'm not saying you will - but 80% of them will either "forget" to bring payment, or bring a check that bounces, and end up NOT paying for services.

Maybe you should offer to pay for the session, UP FRONT, in cash, BEFORE each session begins. Or pay $500 a shot - which should get you five one hour sessions. Up front, so they know they're not going to get stiffed.

I think if it's a private practice, they can refuse anyone for any reason. They want the security of billing an agency rather than depend on your good intentions.
Greedy.

A private business can deal with whom they please and on the terms they please.

This is not a reportable incedent.

Yes. She's in a private practice, and they can accept anyone they want to. Only if she was getting grants from the state to practice could she not reject you. (Or if she was state-employed.)

Many practitioners, especially any kind of specialist, don't take cash patients. Primarily because they don't pay. (I'm not saying this is you, but it pertains to a good many.) Then there's the hassle of getting paid - often times, involving collection agencies.

I believe private practices reserve the right to decide who they will accept as patients (as long as it is not against the patient's civil rights and is a non-emergency situation). Come to think of it, I think that hospitals and healthcare providers can refuse to treat a patient as long as it isn't an emergency situation or in violation of civil rights. I know for a fact that a doctor can refuse further treatment to a patient if they have overdue bills or excessve bills as long as it isn't an emergency situation.

I've never encountered a provider that flagrantly expressed that they will not treat self-pay patients, but there are plenty who do not take certain health insurance plans and some who don't accept medical assistance or medicare.

Some providers actually reduce the rates for their services if the patient is self-pay to make it more affordable. I've taken advantage of this in a few situations when I wanted to see a provider after I changed health insurance plans.

I suggest that you contact this particular office again and state that you are a self pay patient and will pay for treatment in full in advance of services (negotiate so that you pay the day of your appointment). This might appease them enough so that they'll make an appointment for you. Once you've established good credit with the practitioner they may convert to billing you for services.

From experience, the major concern that private practices have with taking self pay patients is that many do not pay for the services rendered if they are billed or do not pay in full. To overcome this many have adopted pay-in-advance policies in which the patient pays prior to treatment, but usually on the day of service.

With that said, a Speech and Language Pathologist at your local hospital should be no less qualified to treat you than a private practitioner. Actually, hospital based practitioners may treat more patients per year than someone in private practice. They also often have more resources at their disposal.

Lastly, contact your State's Attorney General's office if you are in doubt of the ethicacy of the provider's actions. The office probably has a Health Advocacy Unit that could answer your question or at the minimum a Consumer Protection Division (as a patient you are a consumer).

A business can refuse service to anyone. Except if you were an illegal immigrant then they'd have to give you all the services you wanted and charge you nothing.

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