Insurance companies...a doctor's and a patient's experience

I recently received this letter from a patient who had cataract surgery and I think it is important to share.  As a healthcare provider,  I do my best to make sure patients are treated fairly, but I, as all physicians,  have little control over what the insurance companies or federal government will or will not cover and what they will reimburse.  As physicians, we can bill an insurance company $1000.00 for a procedure, but we may get paid nothing, or as little as $1.00, depending on the insurance - company pre-determined fee schedule.  Hopefully this will help clear some popular misconceptions about what doctors charge and what they actually collect.