My late grandmother, Nellie, coined the term “chiseler.”
I thought of her today at the oral surgeon’s office. It turns out, my wife, Staci, and I garnered a 50% discount on the removal of the 5 pesky baby teeth.
How? It was a three pronged attack…
I came from the hospital in between cases dressed in scrubs. The oral surgeon was in his sixties, and we talked about his cardiology issues a bit.
Next, Staci mentions–without any hidden agenda–that our daughter will soon need wisdom teeth removal. This piques his interest.
Finally, there is a bit of hollering on the part of the patient, as he inherited his dental bravery from his father.
Voila, we get an Oprah-like random act of kindness and the 12 minute procedure is reduced by half, down to 400 dollars, or in EP terms, the same as the Medicare allowable for a dual chamber pacemaker.
Yes, we are chiselers.
Non would be grinning.
JMM
Anonymous says
Good for you, who makes a decent living as a doctor. You get 50% off at the oral surgeon. The working poor, with no health insurance, get to pay full boat retail for their health care. No negotiated rates for them! Does this strike you as fair in any way, shape or form?