Anyone been dropped by their doctor for lack of visits?

[WilliamM2]

So today I went to urgent care. They wanted me to follow up with my Primary care doctor. So I call his office to make an appointment, and they tell me they will call me back. 6 hours later, they call back to tell me he's no longer taking new patients. I tell them I'm not a new patient, he's been my PCP for over 15 years. She informs me that since I haven't had an appointment in the last three years, I'm no longer a patient of his.

So I'm dropped as a patient because I don't get sick often enough? Has this happened to anyone else? Seems like I should have at least been notified. I've never heard of such a thing, and it sure doesn't seem ethical.

Oddly, his partner is accepting new patients, so they set an appointment with him. Of course I can't get in for three weeks. Good thing the only concern is my heart.

 

[eldorado99]

Yeah it happened to me, though to be fair I havent seen him for 18 years. His office said the same thing but when I got a hold of him directly he had no problem putting me back on the list.

 

[Linux23]

I've never heard of that.

 

[lxskllr]

I haven't had a doctor since I was a kid. I've gone to urgent care, or the emergency room for a couple small issues I've had.

 

[cbrunny]

For profit healthcare. Gotta love that.

 

[BoomerD]

My chiropractor dropped me because the various insurance companies' paperwork got to be too much...(two different work comp carriers fighting over who was responsible for paying what)

 

[boomhower]

Oddly, his partner is accepting new patients, so they set an appointment with him. Of course I can't get in for three weeks. Good thing the only concern is my heart.

My wife passed out at work and spent the night in the hospital because her blood pressure bottomed out. Took three months for her to get into a cardiologist. Good thing turned out nothing was wrong, bad combo of prescriptions.

 

[DrPizza]

Meh, I see my doctor at least once a year for an annual checkup. Often once every 6 months. Cute doctor, too.

 

[Kneedragger]

Yeah since I have a PPO and I started to just go to specialist my main doctor a while ago sent a letter saying I was going to be dropped if I don't come in soon. I said fuck off..

Ended up finding another doctor later and much happier anyways.

 

[WilliamM2]

Yeah since I have a PPO and I started to just go to specialist my main doctor a while ago sent a letter saying I was going to be dropped if I don't come in soon. I said fuck off..

Ended up finding another doctor later and much happier anyways.

Same boat I'm in. I see a specialist every year that does a full physical, blood work, etc, so I had no reason to see my regular doctor, because I never got sick.

If I had received a letter, at least I would have been aware, but they didn't give me that courtesy. I took the appointment with his partner, just in case I don't find another doctor. But I plan to see if I can find a different one, as the whole thing just annoys me, and I'm sure he has the same policy, since they are in the same office.

 

[brianmanahan]

Meh, I see my doctor at least once a year for an annual checkup. Often once every 6 months. Cute doctor, too.

my last annual checkup was... 27 years ago

the sad thing is my insurance would cover it fully, i'm just afraid to go

 

[smackababy]

I don't have a primary care physician. When I need to go to the doctor, I look one up and go.

 

[DrPizza]

my last annual checkup was... 27 years ago

the sad thing is my insurance would cover it fully, i'm just afraid to go

I don't mind the annual checkup at all. A lot of health problems are pretty easy to fix if caught early, and there's nothing they can do if caught too late.

 

[Imp]

I should seriously get a doctor... but I don't have one and am too lazy to google how to get one. I don't have any problems but it's nice to know I don't have to go to the Walk-In Clinic down the street in cracktown.

 

[master_shake_]

I should seriously get a doctor... but I don't have one and am too lazy to google how to get one. I don't have any problems but it's nice to know I don't have to go to the Walk-In Clinic down the street in cracktown.

typically doctors starting a practice need patients like crazy.

also most should be gnawing at the bit to get that sweet OHIP money.

 

[Carson Dyle]

That reminds me, I should probably get a physical soon. Last one was 1979.

 

[Linux23]

I have a team of doctors I go to. I believe it's at least 8 split between the state I live in and the state I work in. I can call in for a same day appointment and usually get it with no problems. They're actually pretty cool doctor's too.

The doctor I had for over 16 years and diagnosed an appendicitis when I was younger I could still call in and leave a message for him and he'll personally call me back. And I haven't been in his office in at least 4 or 5 years.

 

[SearchMaster]

Heh - I had a shitty doctor (and have since replaced him with another shitty doctor).

I have gout so I need allopurinol to stay pain-free. My doctor always wanted to see me twice a year which was a PITA but whatever. I've never had any other health issues besides gout.

I had an appointment scheduled for last August but we had a family trip come up so I called them about a month before the trip. The receptionist told me to call back for a reschedule after I returned. As it turns out, my allopurinol Rx expired in August as well, so I did the pharmacy renewal. The doctor's office called and said the doctor would not renew the Rx because I missed my last appointment and would have to come back in to get renewed. But they couldn't get me in for SEVEN months. I wasn't happy with them anyway and told them to remove me from their patient list.

I found another doctor who could get me in about the same time frame. In the meantime I had four gout attacks - I oughta sue the first MF for pain and suffering or take it out on his ass. The new doctor ran the blood tests but did not order a uric acid test for gout even though I put it on the paperwork and told him specifically it was needed. When I called the office, they gave me a 30 day prescription. So now I get to waste my time and call back every 30 days to get renewed. I hate this idiotic system.

 

[BlitzPuppet]

Meh, I see my doctor at least once a year for an annual checkup. Often once every 6 months. Cute doctor, too.

Is he nice?

 

[DrPizza]

Is he nice?

She is very nice.

 

[Elganja]

i also see my doctor once a year (around my birthday) for blood work, physical, checkup

iirc, it's a law now that a physical is free once a year from your healthcare... so it should be zero out of your pocket

 

[TwiceOver]

For four years I went and did yearly checkups. They would call me, I'd set up the appointment, sometimes blood sometimes not, then one year they stopped calling. Been 3 years without calling so I kinda figure I'm healthy enough they don't want my business.

 

[BoomerD]

It pisses me off that nearly all the doctors around here are part of various clinics...none are in private practice...and it seems like they always want to run some kind of revenue-generating test.

"Damn, doc, I cut my finger and need some stitches."

"OK, we can stitch that up for you, but we're going to have to have blood work done and a CT scan first."

I have to see my PCP every 6 months to get my blood pressure prescription refilled. EVERY time...I get send for blood work.
yeah, my medicare covers MOST of it...but it still costs a couple hundred $$$ every year...for services I don't want or need.

 

[maddogchen]

It pisses me off that nearly all the doctors around here are part of various clinics...none are in private practice...and it seems like they always want to run some kind of revenue-generating test.

"Damn, doc, I cut my finger and need some stitches."

"OK, we can stitch that up for you, but we're going to have to have blood work done and a CT scan first."

I have to see my PCP every 6 months to get my blood pressure prescription refilled. EVERY time...I get send for blood work.
yeah, my medicare covers MOST of it...but it still costs a couple hundred $$$ every year...for services I don't want or need.

private practice is too expensive. Its been like that since 2005. malpractice lawsuits kill them.

They order blood work for you each time just in case it reveals something they missed in your exam. its part of their due diligence in case you try to sue them later for malpractice for something they miss.

 

[maddogchen]

So today I went to urgent care. They wanted me to follow up with my Primary care doctor. So I call his office to make an appointment, and they tell me they will call me back. 6 hours later, they call back to tell me he's no longer taking new patients. I tell them I'm not a new patient, he's been my PCP for over 15 years. She informs me that since I haven't had an appointment in the last three years, I'm no longer a patient of his.

So I'm dropped as a patient because I don't get sick often enough? Has this happened to anyone else? Seems like I should have at least been notified. I've never heard of such a thing, and it sure doesn't seem ethical.

Oddly, his partner is accepting new patients, so they set an appointment with him. Of course I can't get in for three weeks. Good thing the only concern is my heart.

Active patients are two years. Also in the past few years many physicians have switched to an electronic medical record from paper. If you haven't been back in years, they probably didn't even bother to enter you in.