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Doctors Bid For Business Online

Cosmetic Surgery Patients Pick Lowest Web Bidder

BOSTON, Updated 6:58 p.m. EDT May 8, 2000 -- Doctors are now bidding online for cosmetic surgery business, putting liposuction, tummy tucks and eye lifts just a mouse click away.

VIDEO Heather Kahn Reports

Dawn Buchanan found a doctor to remove the fat from her eyelids via BidForSurgery.com, which calls itself an e-exchange for cosmetic and other elective surgeries. The online surgery bidding is part of health care Web site Medicineonline.com.

Site visitors enter anonymous requests for specific procedures and medical information, participating doctors respond with their credentials and price.

Since Bid for Surgery launched in March, 150 physicians have joined the exchange to service the 245 consumer bid requests. Bidding is blind so doctors do not know what other physicians are charging.

Bid for Surgery does not verify credentials, but does require a consultation before surgery is booked, which could require a long distance, expensive trip.

The concept of bidding for a facelift or a nose job leaves some doctors squeamish.

Additional Health Web Sites:

• WebMD
• MedicineNet.com
• DrKoop.com
• AskPhysicians.com

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