22 October 2022
To all my valued patients,
Fees increasing for 2023
Let’s get the bad news out of the way first, so that the New Year may then bring many good things into your life: fees are modestly increasing for 2023.
The cost of running any business, especially one as licensed and regulated as a medical practice, is substantial. My practice philosophy is to combine excellence with frugality, keep my overhead as low as possible, and then pass those savings along to you in the form of the lower fees.
Inexorably, costs continue to rise, including fees for business services, all sorts of taxes, general business expenses and special fees associated with medical licensure and practice. Accordingly, I have established an incremental increase in fees for services beginning January 1, 2023. Anyone on disability or hardship is exempted from the fee increase. I continually survey the prevailing rates for similar medical services in our community and I have only found one other psychiatrist whose rates are as low as mine, a semi-retired, independently wealthy, elderly gentleman who stopped taking on new patients almost a decade ago.
The rate for a no-show has not changed. It continues to be 25% of the appointment fee. For example, for the $250 55-minute visit, the no-show fee will be $62.50. In contrast, most psychiatrists charge 100% of the appointment fee for a no-show. Of course, exceptions will be made for personal emergencies.
Above all, know that I am not happy unless I am providing you with the best possible medical (psychiatric) care and healing human connection. And although I love each and every one of you, it is my ultimate desire that you move your journey forward, solve your problems, win your battles, accept your defeats, surmount your challenges, grow as a human being, and eventually, get your fee down to zero because you won’t have to come and see me anymore.
Yours,
Dr. Larry Pastor
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