Obligatory doctor appointments?

[COLGATE4]

We've used a sole Practitioner as our Primary Care Physician for some years now. He eventually retired and a younger doc took his place. Nothing much seemed to change, that is until I received a call from one of the office nurses reminding us that we hadn't been in in several months. I (naively, as it turns out) replied that, since my wife and I hadn't been sick we hadn't seen the need to see the doctor. That's when we were informed that a new company (part of the Humana group) had taken over the doctor's practice and that they had very specific rules for all patients. Chief among these is a requirement that every patient must be seen every three months, rain or shine! The nurses and office personnel are ordered to keep strict records and carry out reporting to the company on this. If you don't comply with this, the office will refuse to authorize refills on your prescriptions. Continue missing or rescheduling your 'mandatory' three month visit and the practice can drop you as a patient. When I grumbled something about 'maybe leaving', the answer was very clear: "For every one that drops out, we get four wanting to be seen".

Medicine in the new millennium - just keeps getting better and better.

[TeeYiYi]

1. It used to be every six months for me...

...and about six months ago it switched to every three. It has to do with your prescriptions.

I don't have insurance. Doctors don't have a choice. I'm not sure where the mandate is coming from. I think it has to do with state drug enforcement and tighter restrictions.

TYY

[jwirr]

8. If you are getting medications and they have to be renewed there is a required doctors visit. He/she

cannot renew them without first seeing you and often without getting blood tests.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. We have dentists and eye doctors calling with appointment dates they have made for us

but these are not mandatory, and we always decline, waiting till WE decide when we can afford to go.
That practice irritates the shit out of me.
But to have an insurance group decide I have to see a Dr. every 3 months??????
That is bullshit.
And expensive, what with the deductibles.
I hope you are going to change doctors.

[COLGATE4]

9. Just as soon as I can find one that isn't being

run by Humana (or some other medical octopus).

[tammywammy]

3. Are you on any medication?

I know people that are on blood pressure medications need to see the doctor more often than once a year. If it's due to that, and you're not compliant with seeing the doctor for monitoring, yes they can and stop refilling medication and drop you as a patient.

[unblock]

4. this is new? i've always had this.

well not necessarily specifically every 3 months, and i suppose it should depend on the specific meds, but for the most part it seems pretty irresponsible for a doctor to blindly renew prescriptions without an occasional office visit.

the only quarrel i have is with the time frame. for most meds, i would think every 6 months or for some even just every 12 months would be fine. a 3-month follow-up should probably be just for new meds or particularly dangerous ones.

of course, mental health is another matter, if we're talking about meds for things like depression, then something like weekly sessions would be necessary.

[COLGATE4]

11. I was accustomed to going once a year for

a complete physical, and office visit if(when) needed. Four times a year is not medical practice- it's revenue generation. Now that practice can bill a minimum of $600 per patient per year, aside from other visits, tests, etc.

[fizzgig]

5. i've never dealt with that from a gp

i see my psych every three months, but i've never been told i have to see a regular doc that often. i go in for my physical and that's it. however, i'm not on any meds other than those.

[BlueJazz]

6. I have to point out that a good MD can find trouble that might be brewing under the skin.

As I write this, I'm looking at five 2" scars (still healing) from surgery last Tuesday (12th) @ 6:30 Am..St Anthonys, St. Petersburg,Fl

I wasn't going to say anything about this but feel I should now.
My Doc. found a small mass on my right Kidney. Turned out to be cancerous. Used Robotic arms to cleanly cut away the mass (About 15-20 %)

Anyway, just saying, I'm VERY glad I went in for my aggravating check-up.
Cheers.

[elleng]

15. I/we are glad you went for your aggravating check up too!

[BlueJazz]

19. Thank you. That's very kind of you. I might point out the surgery is a snap...

...and actually pretty cool. The recovery in the hospital...not so much. (You work me up at 2:30 AM for a stool softener pill.??)

No, not blaming the Nurses.

[jwirr]

7. When you have diabetes it is every 3 months. I used to also have a yearly physical but now I and the

doctor just work it into those 3 month visits. He just tells me it is time for a mammogram and I go get it. It saves the cost of the physical.

[elleng]

10. I usually schedule 'next' visit about 6 months after seeing my gp,

at his request, occasionally after blood tests. Nothing more than that.

[COLGATE4]

13. I used to do it around every 8 months, once every 12 for sure

unless something was up. Hope to get back to doing that again.

[Lee-Lee]

12. Preventive care visits should be mandatory

And hopefully when we reach single payer they will be.

It will help catch more conditions early and keep overall costs down.

[COLGATE4]

14. It looks to me much more like enhanced revenue generation

than preventive medicine.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

16. and until it is single payer that is exactly what it is.

[tularetom]

17. I already fired one doctor over that crap

And I was prepared to fire a second one when he closed down his practice.

I'll decide when I need to see a doctor.

[COLGATE4]

18. I'm with you on that! Thanks.

*(I was beginning to wonder, after seeing all the posts that think this is a swell idea)

[REP]

20. Only once every three months? Must be nice!

I have three appointments this WEEK. It's a bitch having multiple chronic conditions that get worse.

[COLGATE4]

21. I hear you - have been there. Hope you can get

a handle on them soon.

[lunasun]

22. Yes and I have written heRe before about the loss of private practices in this country

It is all going corporate you won't see too many docs like your old one in the future
Making sure the docs don't get paid properly if they do not get healthy PT in
Or esp. Anyone who is maintaining but has been diagnosed ,dispensed script in the past