Tipping a doctor, acceptable?

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Hello

My Dad took my grandfather to his cardiologist a couple of days ago. My grandfather was there for a follow-up appointment after having a pacemaker inserted. Before the appointment, my grandfather went to the bank and removed $2000, not unusual for my grandfather who always carries a lot of cash. We don't like it but he does what he wants. At the cardiologist office, my dad sees my grandfather "palm" the money and says to the doctor, "doc, thanks for doing a great job."

Two questions, am I wrong for thinking that this is totally unethical and should I report this to the appropriate outlet, i.e. AMA, state board, etc?

Thanks

gtmoore, RN

The "gift" seems inappropriately large, to me.

Talk to your grandfather and find out his reasoning.

Specializes in Med Surg.

I don't know your grandfathers background but a lot of people from that generation see it as a sign of prosperity to tip big. If he carries lots of cash with him all the time that is probibly his "style".

Hey, he can give me 2,000 smackers anytime he wants.

Really, though, if it was meant as a "tip" I think that doctor was out of line taking it. As for the notion he may have been paying in cash...why was he paying the doctor directly? I've never seen a doctor handle money that way.

wow randy, i'm surprised.....as a professional, why wouldn't you consider this bothersome? just as i would hate to think of a nurse accepting gratuities, i cringe just as much when thinking of a physician doing the same.

Because there are too many unanswered questions in this situation. Ethics can be tricky. What if you were in, say Thailand and you rented a scooter and were stopped by the police for not wearing a helmet. Would it be ok to give the cop (who barely scrapes by on his salary) $5 for the hassle you caused him or would you rather go to court and pay a larger fine which will most likely go into some bigwigs pocket?

In some countries, families do "tip" the nursing staff. I used to work w/ some Korean nurses who told me this was the norm in their country at least 20 years ago when I worked w/ them. If it was truly a tip, I would say it's not appropriate in our country to be doing this and it goes against professional standards. The other issue is, is your grandad getting better care as a big tipper, than someone else who would never dream of tipping. I had a family try to stuff a $100.00 bill in my pocket. I politely declined. In some countries, nurses and many others have a very poor (poverty level) wage. "Tipping" then may be consideredc appropriate as Zenman alludes to.

Specializes in Critical Care.

I think the Dr. (or other healthcare provider) should NOT accept a tip. However, I would talk to your grandfather and the Dr. before doing anything. Get the facts straight. Find out why your grandfather feels he wants to tip. Find out what the Dr. did with the money. He could have pocketed it or donated it to charity (always an option if a patient insists on giving the tip). You might tell the Dr. you are concerned with someone in healthcare accepting a tip. Suggest donating it if he doesn't want to hurt your grandfather's feelings. But, in the end, if its not illegal and your grandfather wants to do it, well, it's his money. You may have a very hard time convincing your grandfather not to do it. And unless he is giving loads of money away all the time, I would probably just forget the issue. I know its not what you want to hear, but you may have to accept the fact that your grandfather is his own person, it's his own money, and he can do what he wants with it. :rolleyes:

Unethical? Yes

Illegal? No

Physicians take bribes everyday from pharm reps...donuts, coffee, meals for their staff, trips to "educational conferences" where they attend a few hours in the am and are off the rest of the day, etc., etc..

Specializes in Critical Care, Quality Imp, Education.

Thanks for all of your perspectives on the matter, especially to 'Crocuta' for the AMA policy on gifts and to 'lalaxton' for the most to-the-point answer to the question of tipping a MD.

Specializes in Critical Care, Quality Imp, Education.
I know its not what you want to hear, but you may have to accept the fact that your grandfather is his own person, it's his own money, and he can do what he wants with it. :rolleyes:

Very true, thanks!

In Greece, and I'm sure other areas of Europe, this is pretty normal. Not sure what heritage your grandfather or the doc have, but that could also be a factor.

I've been reading this board for two years and it find it amazing how most people's first response to anything is to report, write up or cast blame. Interesting.

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