Can you charge for missed appointments?

Yes, according to medicare rules, a doctor. can charge a patient for a missed appointment, but they can't pick who they charge. If they charge for a missed appointment, they must charge all who "no show"

Although it isn't a question of legality as there are not laws governing such action.

The policy to charge for missed appointments is made by many doctors and health care providers, including dentist, psychologists, even some clinics. It may not seem fair to the individual who is being billed but it is most assuredly not illegal.

In the UK:

Here in the UK we don't pay for health care as we have the National health Service paid for through taxes and national Insurance, but even here we are starting to have to pay for missed appointments.

If you don't turn up the doctor has to wait a while to see if you do which wastes his time, and the appointment could have been used for someone else who needed it.

It is calculated that each missed appointment with a family physician costs �30 (about $44 dollars, and each missed hospital appointment costs �50 (about $70).