# medical payment



## Loopylou41 (Apr 26, 2011)

Hi,

Happy New Year to everyone. I hope 2014 is the year we all become parents, whether for the first or second time. Just wondering if anyone else has been asked to pay for their medical? We received a letter with our medical forms from the LA advising we were liable for the payment to our Doctor of £78.69. When I called our surgery the Practice Manager advised she has never heard of potential adoptees paying this and that she has a payment form to complete and send to the LA for payment. I feel as though they are just trying it on. 

After all the errors in our home report and now this, I don't have much trust in this process.
Would appreciate feedback from anyone else who has been asked to pay.

Thanks
Xxx


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## Agnes49 (Oct 13, 2013)

Hi loopylou, happy new year to you too, I don't have experience of adoptive carers but I complete fostering assessments for local authority and private agencies and all prospective carers medicals are paid for by LA or agency, carers aren't expected to pay. I would be surprised if adoptees Are expected to pay and agree with you they are maybe trying it on and hoping you just pay up. I would question it??
All the best in your journey
Agnes 49


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## Loopylou29 (Mar 4, 2013)

I think it depends on the LA. We've had to pay for medicals twice and I know many others on here have had to pay for their medicals. Very few agencies cover the cost of medicals for adopters. Medicals for fostering are always paid for as the funding is different.


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## EverHopefulmum (Sep 23, 2009)

Sorry loopylou41, We too had to pay for our medicals. It was made clear to us from the start, so surprised your LA didn't mention it to you.


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## MummyPhinie (Oct 27, 2013)

We have just booked our medicals, the receptionist wasn't quite sure how much our gp charged, but our La will cover up to £95 as set by baaf, if it's any higher we will have to foot the difference.


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## Flash123 (Jan 29, 2006)

We too had to pay for ours - bah humbug


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## babas (Oct 23, 2013)

Our LA has paid for ours.


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

We had to pay for ours, £77 each


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## skyblu (Sep 9, 2010)

We didn't pay for ours. I would question it.
Skyblu.xxx


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## Daddyboo (Paul) (Dec 24, 2012)

We would have had to pay for ours at £125 each if it was not for the fact I volunteer at the surgery and they kindly waived their fees (we are with a Voluntary Agency and not an LA though).


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## Loopylou41 (Apr 26, 2011)

Thanks for your replies. We haven't paid as the doctor's Practice Manager said we shouldn't. They are sending their payment request to the LA for payment and told us to ignore the letter from the Adoption Team.

I think the fact some have paid and others haven't just shows how the whole system needs looking at. Surely irrelevant of LA there should be set guidelines issued from the Government to follow. 

The fact the LA has said we should pay and our doctors have said we shouldn't is a little concerning. I feel terrible for people who have had to pay this when others don't, seems very unfair.

X


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

Our doctors surgery also insisted we didn't have to pay. I sadly had to insist we did as firstly they were thinking about medical assessments for fostering and secondly we went with a voluntary agency (although a small part of me thought I should just let them send the bill to our LA, they were that disorganised when we enquired they probably would have just paid for it  ) I hope with being a local authority you don't have to pay, it's a lot, especially at this time of year!

Happy new year


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## Mummy DIY Diva (Feb 18, 2012)

We had to pay.  Some authorities will pay but not many.  The price you've been quoted is as cheap as they get we paid more than double that each. The issue is they aren't on the nhs but you have to have them done by your gp surgery so just have to pay what they ask. Just another inequality to stomach I'm afraid  x x


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## Macgyver (Oct 27, 2008)

We had to pay twice as the first one was over six months old by the time we went to matching panel


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## Daddyboo (Paul) (Dec 24, 2012)

Macgyver said:


> We had to pay twice as the first one was over six months old by the time we went to matching panel


I don't understand that, as it was at least 9 months between medicals and matching panel for us - I had an early medical due to my disability. we didn't get told to do a second one.


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## Miny Moo (Jan 13, 2011)

We had to have an update on ours for AP ad they had been done almost a year before, we just had a firm for the doctor to sign to say nothing had changed no charge thank goodness for that.

1st time round our surgery wanted to charge us £175 each, I argued our case quote BAAF and they lowered the price to £150!! We changed surgeries after that, this time round we were charged £90 each by our new surgery.


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## Loopylou41 (Apr 26, 2011)

Mcgyver - that isn't good. The more I hear I can see why this process puts people off.

If they want people to come forward they need to make this process clear from the start.

My friend adopted and after the child was placed was told she required a Hep C test as her parents had it. Shouldn't they have been told that? Luckily the test was negative.

I think this will be an interesting year  

Xxx


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

I'm afraid adoption land offers several hoops that one must jump through in order to make it through to the other side. If you want it enough you just have to grit your teeth and go for it. It's so worth it. Very worrying for your friend finding out such vital information about the birth parents after placement. I'm glad all was alright, but how concerning. I know this is very different but we found that sometimes it's all about reading between the lines with profiles, the information not given is where you find some of the children's difficulties when you dig a little deeper.


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## Loopylou41 (Apr 26, 2011)

X-Lolly-x I am guessing you need to use your head and not let your emotions take over, which I am sure is very difficult. 

I will be sure to ask lots of questions if/when we get to that stage.

I hope you enjoyed your first Christmas with your LO. I remember my friend's was magic with her lovely girl. She was so happy.

Thanks for your advice.  

Xxx


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

It's very hard to do, especially after a long process to get to that point, and then that smiling little face staring up at you from the page... takes a strong person not to just melt!! I remember reading profiles and willing them to 'fit' and trying to convince myself they did even if they didn't. It's very hard but it does work out in the end. So glad you're friends had a lovely Christmas, we did too thank you very much. I hope you did and maybe you'll be celebrating as a family of 4 next year


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## Anjelissa (Jan 11, 2007)

Hi Loopylou,

We've adopted twice (through 2 different LA's) one covered the medical cost, one didn't, so I suppose that pretty much sums it up, it really varies from authority to authority.
Mind you, it's swings and roundabouts, as one authority paid a settling in grant and one didn't, so it's the same for everything really. 

Lots of luck,

Anj


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## Loopylou41 (Apr 26, 2011)

Hi Daddyboo (Paul)

That seems a bit steap in price. I had mine today and my GP laughed his way through the form at some of the questions. At the end he just ticked boxes and said I am very healthy. Quite worryingly he spotted a major error in my medical notes from a previous doctor advising I had a termination when I was 3 months pregnant with my daughter...very strange. He has deleted this from my notes now. He did say he considered adoption but the process put them off and how it is a shame with all those lovely children needing homes.

Our 2 day APT is at the end of January so I will be interested to see what happens here. 

Xxx


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## Wyxie (Apr 10, 2013)

We had to pay for both of ours.  The full medical was £77 which I kind of felt OK about, because it was a full dredge through our medical records and 30 minute appointment with each of us.  The "top up" one which covered the half a dozen times we'd visited our GP since the first one, and didn't even need a meeting, was £70 each, which took the piddle a bit I think in comparison.  

One of the couples in our prep group were quoted £235 each by their GP surgery and they refused to budge on that cost - they ended up transferring to a different GP although it did mean their panel date was bumped back by 2 months.  I think a lot of people in that situation would have just caved and paid.  I completely agree that there should be an across the board policy on who pays and how much.


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## Flash123 (Jan 29, 2006)

A couple of weeks ago didn't jes (sorry if it wasnt jes) have a cabinet meeting to discuss the changes to adoption? The inconsistency with medical fees was one issue she was going to bring up. It really is something that needs to be addressed.


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## claudia6662 (Aug 29, 2013)

Hey Loopylou, me and DP didnt pay for ours, even though the woman on reception thought we had to as well, we said our agency pays for it and they did, so i suppose who you are with x


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## AdoptionDreams (Feb 10, 2010)

I just received my medical information in the post today. It states our LA are covering the charge for both DH and I x


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## Daddyboo (Paul) (Dec 24, 2012)

To be fair to our surgery, If I was to pay for the medical I would've got my money's worth.
The appointment was booked for 20-30 minutes and yet I was in there at least an hour, I have a medical history as thick as an encyclopedia!


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## Loopylou41 (Apr 26, 2011)

Daddyboo (Paul)

Yes I suppose it is dependant on your medical history. If our daughter ever applies to adopt I think she will need an hour...lol. 

I bet you are getting excited for next week, must be a lovely feeling to know this process has been worthwhile. Hope it all goes well for you.

X


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## 2708belle (Sep 22, 2012)

Hiya,

Luckily we didn't have to pay for our medicals, but we went through them not quite knowing if we'd be charged or not as it wasn't explained properly to us! I would question it.


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## AdoptionDreams (Feb 10, 2010)

I have my medical tomorrow morning. Why on earth am I feeling so nervous about it? X


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