The Value of a Medical Service

This is the story that Emmett Henderson, a Harvard-trained urologist told me.

One warm July 4 Sunday evening, his answering service connected him to his long-term patient "Joe" - a local plumber. They agreed to meet in a local hospital emergency department at 9 p.m. where Emmett spent an hour successfully attending to Joe's problem. When Joe offered to pay him, Emmett deferred, saying that he would send a bill.

A few days later, Emmett received a furious phone call from Joe who, incensed about the fee amount, accused him of being unscrupulous, of overcharging, of being a robber and a thief and without conscience. Emmett listened without comment and then explained that, on the first workday after the July 4th weekend, he had called the plumbers' union, had inquired how much it would cost to have a plumber come to his house on Sunday night, July 4 for an hour's work and that's what he billed Joe.

Joe paid the bill without further protest.