OCR Text |
Show PHYSICIAN'S FEE. Tho conscientious physician should formulate for himself a fee rate, and exact this of all his patients who expect ex-pect and are able to pay the "market rates" for all they receive, whether groceries or medical services. He is not in duty called upon, except in case of emergency, to treat one who cannot afford af-ford to pay his regular fee, but if he does be remits a part or all of his bill to meet the necessities of his patient. . But this is a voluntary act of charity, and the practitioner has no moral right to compensate himself for the undercharge by overcharging the next millionaire who seeks his advice, lie should exact ex-act of him only the regular fee which he charges fr services rendered to all his welFto-do patients. It was the highwaymen of old who robbed the rich to feed the poor, but in these days of organized medical charities the physician physi-cian is not called upon to nil this role. After the death -of a multimillionaire the newspapers sometimes report the filing of an excessive bill for medical services against the estate. It is these rB."brts rare, we are pleased to note, for the honor of the profession which bring discredit upon our guild, and give occasion for omments upon the "rapa-ciousness "rapa-ciousness of physicians,'' exposing the honorable and conscientious practitioners, practition-ers, who constitute the great mass of our profession, to the undeserved charge of "commercialism." New York Medical Record. |