Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Pennsylvania
Are missed appointment fees legal to charge in Pennsylvania if no paper work was signed between Drs office and patient stating a fee would be charged if an appointment was broken?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Its not illegal to charge fees.
Many physicians' have this policy. There does not have to be any paperwork. Usually this policy is stated on a notice in the office or on the doctor's website.
Healthcare providers have this policy because too many people are cancelling without notice and this causes problems with scheduling.
Why did you miss the appointment and fell to the doctor? If it was an emergency, then I would try contacting the doctor, explain what happened and ask if he will waive the fee.
If you were just discourteous then that is another matter. If you knew you could not make the appointment and had time to cancel then you should have let them know as it would have been the proper thing to do.