Over the past year, hundreds of you have asked Whistleblower for help. While we can't investigate each tip, we want to share more of what you tell us. In 2009, we started publishing a few tips each week to stimulate online discussion and create ways for our readers to help each other. Unlike our news stories, we have not verified this information. If you have a tip, send it to whistleblower@startribune.com.
During her son's physical, a mother wasn't sure what to do about a small wart on his foot. When the doctor offered to remove it, the mother thought it was her only option. Here's what she wrote to Whistleblower:
"The [wart] did not go away, but soon enough, a bill of $216 came to my mailbox."
After a friend asked why she didn't try an over-the-counter medicine first, the mother was surprised that the doctor hadn't suggested it. She didn't know that there might be another fix.
"We come to the clinic and doctors and rely on their professional judgment, though they actually are aiming at the maximum benefit to themselves," she wrote. "It is fundamentally wrong."
Do you think doctors should bring up cheaper options when recommending treatment?
