Many of us not yet on Medicare visit the doctor in fear of the sizeable bill we will owe, even if only for the deductible or the copay. But, a Harvard Medical School study shows that if you add in the opportunity cost, visiting the doctor costs you more than you think.
The Harvard researchers looked at the amount of time you spend traveling to the doctor and the amount of time you spend waiting to see the doctor. And, they found an average additional cost of $43. That’s more than the average out-of-pocket cost of $32.
A standard doctor’s visit takes a total of 121 minutes. Travel time averages 37 minutes. And, we spend about 64 minutes completing forms and waiting to see the doctor once we arrive at the office. We would have earned an average of $43 working in that time.
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