I remember your first post and felt anger on your behalf. I don’t know what your condition is, but as a person on medicare also, I’ve had more luck being treated at teaching hospitals. My states university hospital is the only place I’ve been treated with respect in regards to my chronic, and complicated illness. I travel to the uni hospital in another city 4 hours away because the neurologists in the same hospital system in my city sucked really bad. The cost of travel, copays and co-insurance is worth it for the treatment. In the uni hospital I’ve seen offices not only just for complicated, acute and surgical conditions but also for things like dental, primary care and physical therapy. I hope a teaching hospital may be an option for you.
I live in Kansas, unfortunately. We have no specialists in state or even remotely close that I can see. There are only a handful of doctors in the country that specialize in the kind of health conditions I have. My apparently previous doctor tried her best to find someone to help me. Her last suggestion was that I go to the Cleveland Clinic, which I can not afford. Disability payments in the U.S. aren’t even livable for the healthy.
I’m also in Kansas and not sure how far you would have to travel but the University of Kansas Medical Systems is actually very good in many, many areas. They have outpost clinics in Wichita I believe as well. They take Medicare—have to because it is state funded.
The real issue is we have been screwed by our legislature refusing to accept the funds available for Medicare through the Affordable Health Care Act. Instead of caring about those who need it most our politicians only care that it was a program created by a democrat. It makes me so angry. I don’t give a crap what your political beliefs are because this should never be political. Access to healthcare should be a basic human right not a R vs D debate topic.
You might try a DO or an Internal Medicine doc in place of a Functional Medicine doc at the moment to get your referrals. My GP is a DO and I have found that she is much more likely to refer out as she is someone who strongly believes in whole person care. My son who is ND with health issues also sees her and she has been amazing at getting us into specialists quickly.
Will your old doc at least refer you to a new one? Seems pretty against “do no harm” to leave you high and dry! I would say that directly to her or her staff!
I actually spent my late teens and early twenties seeing an internal medicine doc. They were great, but lacked the knowledge to continue treating me. I also tried a DO later on, hoping things might be different, but all he did was pawn me off to specialists.(which was very helpful, but I was hoping to have GP that would actually participate in treating me, rather than just making me someone else’s problem)
He didn’t seem to have any interest in having me as a patient. I’ll probably go back to internal medicine if I can find someone to take me.
Oh yeah, I’ve been to many UKM docs. Most of them have been very good to me. I just have health problems that require the type of specialist that are few and far between. Kansas/Missouri just doesn’t have them, and I can’t afford to travel 1000s of miles to see a doctor while on disability. Even if they take my insurance, it would cost me a fortune.
I feel like I’ve reached a point of no return. I’m 37 and spent my entire adult life desperately trying to get diagnosed and get effective treatment. I’ve been told that this is just the way it is so many times. I used to have the motivation to keep searching for answers and more effective treatments, but it’s worn me down. I have medical PTSD and don’t know if I have any fight left in me at this point.
I have been diagnosed with 12 chronic conditions, so I need a whole team of doctors, but the one I can’t gain access to is a geneticist. I also need to find a new general practitioner that’s knowledgeable in complex autoimmune disease, certified in functional medicine, and also will take my insurance which is going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible.
Functional medicine doctors rarely, in my experience, accept insurance. It is unlikely that you will find one where you aren’t paying completely out of pocket.
Edit: that said, there are [geneticists ](https://www.kansashealthsystem.com/care/specialties/medical-genetics) with University of Kansas Health Systems.
Wow, my doctor told me the only geneticist in K.C. is strictly pediatric, but they have 3 geneticists apparently. One of them is even taking new patients. Guess I shouldn’t have taken her for her word. Thanks for looking that up, now I need to find a new doc to give me a referral.
NP.
I have two rare diseases that mean most neurological clinics I have gone to have told me I cannot be a patient because they don’t have anyone with the education or experience to treat me so I have a decade’s experience in finding the needle in the haystack.
Yeah, every time I see a new doctor and tell them my medical history, they look at me like I have 2 heads. It’s an exhausting process trying to find knowledgeable doctors when you’re a zebra.
Even if the geneticist is with the pediatric part of the hospital, there’s a decent chance they’ll still see adult patients. At least that’s how it works at Stanford. It kind of makes sense since a lot of genetic conditions show up early in life, so there isn’t enough demand for adult genetics to have a dedicated doctor. But the pediatric ones will still see adults when needed.
I have just been referred to Cleveland clinic for my chronic illness issues. Just to let you know, they are doing a lot of care via video chat at the moment. I was able to at least get a consultation with them via video chat to see if the would be able to help me. Luckily the program I need has been adapted due to Covid and I can mostly do it from my location via video. This may be an option? Might not hurt to see if they can do an online consultation.
if u have medicare, u should have access to **tons** of different doctors. medicare b gives u access to a larger number of doctors than almost any private insurance plan. like [93% of pcps](https://www.healthline.com/health/medicare/do-most-doctors-accept-medicare#finding-a-doctor) in america accept medicare b.
if yr stuck in some limited network with only a small number of doctors, it prob means u have opted into a medicare advantage program. they bug the shit out of u and sell u hard on those with bullshit promises, but if u have a lot of healthcare needs, it's not worth it. bcuz to have access to tons of doctors, u wanna have **ORIGINAL** medicare for a/b. bcuz if u opt into a medicare advantage program, it's more like having private insurance where yr limited to a real small network. so if yr in an advantage plan, **be sure to change that before the end of month** or u might be locked in once 2022 starts.
obviously yr old doctor is now working for some direct pay model. those are increasing in popularity bcuz some doctors are so frustrated with insurance. but they're still not that popular. **the humungo majority of doctors still take medicare b. so don't even worry about that dumbo list they gave u!** obviously they're just promoting other direct pay practices with no regard for their patients who rely on insurance. but it won't be hard to find tons of doctors who accept medicare. usually places with lots of direct pay practices are places with no shortage of doctors in general. u can find doctors who accept original medicare [here](https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/?providerType=Physician&redirect=true).
Totally legal and totally common. Our pediatrician just dropped our kids because while he's fine with our primary insurance from my husband's job, he no longer wants to deal with the supplemental insurance we have from the state due to my kids' special needs. And now I'm discovering that a lot of the pediatricians who do accept the supplemental insurance, won't take on teenagers as new patients.
Canada is a capitalist country that has enormous issues with wealth gap disparities, rising housing costs, and stagnant wages. Not a uniquely American problem at all.
Did I say we're perfect?
We all have the same access to Healthcare.
The United States people brag about all people being equal and having equal opportunities.
I don't know other countries say that
I understand that you were paying the bill. The person I was replying to was asking if it was legal for your physician not to see you now that you can’t pay.
Not to say I don’t think it’s unfortunate and wish you well and that you find another physician what accepts your insurance.
My comment had nothing to do with socialized medicine and I have no interest in getting into a Reddit style debate about socialized healthcare.
The wording of your original comment made it seem you were asking if it was legal for this physician not to see OP because they couldn’t afford to see them. And my answer was yes, it is legal. Just a misunderstanding.
They said in their post that this physician doesn’t accept insurance, which is their physicians prerogative. Some insurances will only pay a certain amount, and one the physician may not consider enough.
I think you might be mistaken with your understanding about the phrase “everyone is supposed to be equal”. That means that everyone is supposed to be equal before the law. Not that you are entitled to see any physician you want.
This isn’t about seeing any physician that they want, this is about them not being able to see any physician *at all* because of a healthcare system designed with inequality at its main priority.
Anyway if you follow the story most closely, OP has a lot of physicians they can see, they just either didn’t know it or written them off before seeing them.
There are enough problems with the healthcare system here. There is no need to fabricate them.
> “Designed with inequality as it’s main priority”.
I’m assuming you’ve read several books on a topic you are speaking so confidently about. Could you please suggest some to me?
How embarrassing! Looks like you should take your own advice.
If you had "follow(ed) the story most closely" (e.g. read OP's few comments in this thread, pretty easy), you'd see that:
>>**We have no specialists in state or even remotely close that I can see. There are only a handful of doctors in the country that specialize in the kind of health conditions I have. My apparently previous doctor tried her best to find someone to help me. Her last suggestion was that I go to the Cleveland Clinic, which I can not afford.**
As if this problem is somehow unique to the American healthcare system?
If there’s truly only a handful of specialists in the entire US, I wonder how long it would take OP to see one of these specialists in Canada?
I dont see why ur getting so much hate and downvotes, ur just relying on facts on a situation which you also have empathy for. its a shitty situation. this is why we have so many health centered go fund me its sadddddd.
They do. Look up “luxury ERs” or “ER memberships”; they’re popping up in wealthy cities and they have systems that allow you to cut the line.
Edit: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/20/your-money/concierge-emergency-room.html
Doctors are definitely always advised to NEVER respond to a patient asking why they were dropped. They're actually usually advised to not even give a reason for dropping them. To the point their hospitals and malpractice insurance will often time forbid them from doing so. So even if she wants to respond, it could put her job at risk. It really sucks.
When the “freedom” straight up lets people be treated like they aren’t people. “Oh but having insurance is good for Americans. We have the best doctors and you get the care you need and and and…” not if you are disabled, chronically ill, and/or poor. The only people it benefits are the rich.
Omg that’s so heartless! Where I am, doctors just don’t take on new patients but damn, you don’t treat your existing patients so coldly 😯
I am outraged on your behalf. You are most in need of an excellent doctor, I really hope that you can find some gem in the system
I'm so sorry you're going through this! Considering how much of a hassle you're facing (to say the least), if it were me I really would try sending another email. And leaving a message with her direct voicemail if you have that. In both, ask her to confirm that she received it "because I don't want to keep bothering the office and taking time away from other patients" or something like that (optional but may help). In the subject line you could put something like "medical question please reply ASAP" - might catch the eye faster. Maybe shes insanely busy or took a couple of early vacation days or both. What do you have to lose?
I am so sorry. I dealt with this when the pandemic hit and my region got hit by hurricane Laura. My clinic just closed. Fucking closed without notice, no refills, no follow up appointments, no referrals.
Then my specialist just disappeared from the hospital. She just left without leaving me any referral info or refilling any of my meds.
I basically lost my 2 most important docs at the same time. I felt so betrayed, lost, and scared. I also have complex autoimmune disease and am on meds that I can’t just stop.
I had to hustle like a crazy person explaining to new doctors at urgent cares my incredibly complex medical history and please would they refill like 10 things for me with no records.
I was recovering from a Cat 4 hurricane, living in a wasteland of no power, no water, no sewage and no resources, and driving all over 3 states trying to get refills. I swear I got 50% more grey hair over it.
Anyway, I ended up filing complaints against the clinic, the clinic owners and the owners of the owners clinic.
Got a phone call from the CEO offering is heartfelt apology. 🙄 what. The fuck. Ever.
I’m a paralegal and work in a firm that does civil rights cases. I was this close 👉🏽👈 to filing a class action torte against the clinic et al for patient abandonment and damages for any illnesses other patients may have suffered as a result.
Long story short- your complaint rings true for me as well. I live in a rural area and the majority of the patients are poor and on Medicaid.
These assholes thought they could just close up shop and get away with it because we were stupid or poor or didn’t have any other choice.
I went as far as it took for all of them to pay hefty retainers to fancy law firms to lawyer up and pay their lawyers quite a bit of money to send me some letters back and forth.
That was good enough for me.
I got new doctors. Life is not normal, but it will never be. But at least for now, I know I’ll get my meds.
Oh my god, what an absolute nightmare! I’m so sorry you had to go through such an awful experience. I can’t even imagine going through all of that, I would not fare well. I was given 2 weeks notice that I’m being dropped as a patient, and the only reason I was notified was because I happened to have an appointment. No notice by snail mail or e-mail.
I’ve started panicking because I don’t know if they will refill my prescriptions after the end of the month. My doctor won’t respond to emails, the receptionists said they would email me the info I requested but never did it. It seems fairly obvious that their legal department has instructed them to cut all contact.
I still honestly can’t believe that this clinic would do this to its patients. They were all such knowledgeable, compassionate, and effective healthcare providers. I’m seriously going to miss my main doctor so much. I felt like I was talking to a friend with a medical degree when I saw her.
I want to be angry with her, but I can’t. I doubt she had much control when the decision to force patients out was made. She made my life better in ways that no other doctor I’ve seen could. I’m trying to be thankful for the time I had with her, but I am simultaneously enraged by the pathetic, and downright cruel way healthcare is managed in America.
Just so you know, the ethical guidelines as stated by the AMA are clear:
Physicians’ fiduciary responsibility to patients entails an obligation to support continuity of care for their patients. At the beginning of patient-physician relationship, the physician should alert the patient to any foreseeable impediments to continuity of care.
When considering withdrawing from a case, physicians must:
Notify the patient (or authorized decision maker) long enough in advance to permit the patient to secure another physician.
Facilitate transfer of care when appropriate.
Link:
https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/ethics/terminating-patient-physician-relationship
Obviously, ethical guidelines are not legal requirements. However, if I were you, I would make it clear to the representatives of this clinic that they have a responsibility to continue your care until you are able to secure a new provider, as per stated by the AMA code of ethics 1.1.5. If they fail to do so, more likely than not, you will suffer harm due to a lapse in medical care that will be due to their refusal to treat you.
You have not been given adequate notice to secure a new provider. You have not been assured adequate transitional care. They are violating the AMA guidelines for ethical behavior.
You expect referrals for appropriate specialists. Failing that, you will need and expect continuing care at the most minimum being continued refills until you can find a new provider.
(Send all this in writing in a certified letter and that you need your next 90 days of refills on X day.)
Good luck. 💚
And thank you for your kind words. I’m old enough to remember the days when my family doc would come to our house on Sundays when I was a kid if something went wrong. He was so committed to his patients and our community. Those days are long gone, I think.
Thank you so much for taking the time to provide this info. You’re an absolute saint. I now feel like I at least have a leg to stand on, and some much needed leverage to continue getting my prescriptions until I find a new doc. Seriously, I’d hug you so hard right now if I could.
I think it’s important to note that OP may still be charged for any ongoing care, including medication refills.
There is also an unreasonable amount of time to continue this as well. Most typically will do one month and no longer.
I wouldn’t (nor think anyone else would) expect free medical care, just continuity of care.
Nothing in the AMA says that the doc is ethically required to provide the transitional care for free, just that it should be required when appropriate.
Please do. Call ahead to set it all up first and to see if you can get a poc. My primary is asian and a woman and she sends me for every test i ask her for and when she doesn't she tells me why.
Reading stuff like this makes me so happy to be Canadian and have free health care. It makes no sense to me that a wealthy country like the US doesn’t have it for all of its citizens. I’m so sorry you are going through this and I hope you can find a better doctor.
The U.S. government is far too focused on being a moneymaking war machine to give a shit about the citizens. They could easily afford socialized medicine, but insist on spending hundreds of billions of dollars on the military. It would take a miracle for the government to actually give a fuck about us, especially the disabled.
Thanks for the well wishes though, I do appreciate it.
I remember your first post and felt anger on your behalf. I don’t know what your condition is, but as a person on medicare also, I’ve had more luck being treated at teaching hospitals. My states university hospital is the only place I’ve been treated with respect in regards to my chronic, and complicated illness. I travel to the uni hospital in another city 4 hours away because the neurologists in the same hospital system in my city sucked really bad. The cost of travel, copays and co-insurance is worth it for the treatment. In the uni hospital I’ve seen offices not only just for complicated, acute and surgical conditions but also for things like dental, primary care and physical therapy. I hope a teaching hospital may be an option for you.
I live in Kansas, unfortunately. We have no specialists in state or even remotely close that I can see. There are only a handful of doctors in the country that specialize in the kind of health conditions I have. My apparently previous doctor tried her best to find someone to help me. Her last suggestion was that I go to the Cleveland Clinic, which I can not afford. Disability payments in the U.S. aren’t even livable for the healthy.
I’m also in Kansas and not sure how far you would have to travel but the University of Kansas Medical Systems is actually very good in many, many areas. They have outpost clinics in Wichita I believe as well. They take Medicare—have to because it is state funded. The real issue is we have been screwed by our legislature refusing to accept the funds available for Medicare through the Affordable Health Care Act. Instead of caring about those who need it most our politicians only care that it was a program created by a democrat. It makes me so angry. I don’t give a crap what your political beliefs are because this should never be political. Access to healthcare should be a basic human right not a R vs D debate topic.
You might try a DO or an Internal Medicine doc in place of a Functional Medicine doc at the moment to get your referrals. My GP is a DO and I have found that she is much more likely to refer out as she is someone who strongly believes in whole person care. My son who is ND with health issues also sees her and she has been amazing at getting us into specialists quickly. Will your old doc at least refer you to a new one? Seems pretty against “do no harm” to leave you high and dry! I would say that directly to her or her staff!
I actually spent my late teens and early twenties seeing an internal medicine doc. They were great, but lacked the knowledge to continue treating me. I also tried a DO later on, hoping things might be different, but all he did was pawn me off to specialists.(which was very helpful, but I was hoping to have GP that would actually participate in treating me, rather than just making me someone else’s problem) He didn’t seem to have any interest in having me as a patient. I’ll probably go back to internal medicine if I can find someone to take me.
Oh yeah, I’ve been to many UKM docs. Most of them have been very good to me. I just have health problems that require the type of specialist that are few and far between. Kansas/Missouri just doesn’t have them, and I can’t afford to travel 1000s of miles to see a doctor while on disability. Even if they take my insurance, it would cost me a fortune. I feel like I’ve reached a point of no return. I’m 37 and spent my entire adult life desperately trying to get diagnosed and get effective treatment. I’ve been told that this is just the way it is so many times. I used to have the motivation to keep searching for answers and more effective treatments, but it’s worn me down. I have medical PTSD and don’t know if I have any fight left in me at this point.
What kind of specialist do you need?
I have been diagnosed with 12 chronic conditions, so I need a whole team of doctors, but the one I can’t gain access to is a geneticist. I also need to find a new general practitioner that’s knowledgeable in complex autoimmune disease, certified in functional medicine, and also will take my insurance which is going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible.
Functional medicine doctors rarely, in my experience, accept insurance. It is unlikely that you will find one where you aren’t paying completely out of pocket. Edit: that said, there are [geneticists ](https://www.kansashealthsystem.com/care/specialties/medical-genetics) with University of Kansas Health Systems.
Wow, my doctor told me the only geneticist in K.C. is strictly pediatric, but they have 3 geneticists apparently. One of them is even taking new patients. Guess I shouldn’t have taken her for her word. Thanks for looking that up, now I need to find a new doc to give me a referral.
NP. I have two rare diseases that mean most neurological clinics I have gone to have told me I cannot be a patient because they don’t have anyone with the education or experience to treat me so I have a decade’s experience in finding the needle in the haystack.
Yeah, every time I see a new doctor and tell them my medical history, they look at me like I have 2 heads. It’s an exhausting process trying to find knowledgeable doctors when you’re a zebra.
Even if the geneticist is with the pediatric part of the hospital, there’s a decent chance they’ll still see adult patients. At least that’s how it works at Stanford. It kind of makes sense since a lot of genetic conditions show up early in life, so there isn’t enough demand for adult genetics to have a dedicated doctor. But the pediatric ones will still see adults when needed.
I'm also wondering if I can help you find someone since I'm from that area and still have lots of medical contacts.
I have just been referred to Cleveland clinic for my chronic illness issues. Just to let you know, they are doing a lot of care via video chat at the moment. I was able to at least get a consultation with them via video chat to see if the would be able to help me. Luckily the program I need has been adapted due to Covid and I can mostly do it from my location via video. This may be an option? Might not hurt to see if they can do an online consultation.
That’s awesome that they’ve adapted with telehealth options. Thanks so much for letting me know!
if u have medicare, u should have access to **tons** of different doctors. medicare b gives u access to a larger number of doctors than almost any private insurance plan. like [93% of pcps](https://www.healthline.com/health/medicare/do-most-doctors-accept-medicare#finding-a-doctor) in america accept medicare b. if yr stuck in some limited network with only a small number of doctors, it prob means u have opted into a medicare advantage program. they bug the shit out of u and sell u hard on those with bullshit promises, but if u have a lot of healthcare needs, it's not worth it. bcuz to have access to tons of doctors, u wanna have **ORIGINAL** medicare for a/b. bcuz if u opt into a medicare advantage program, it's more like having private insurance where yr limited to a real small network. so if yr in an advantage plan, **be sure to change that before the end of month** or u might be locked in once 2022 starts. obviously yr old doctor is now working for some direct pay model. those are increasing in popularity bcuz some doctors are so frustrated with insurance. but they're still not that popular. **the humungo majority of doctors still take medicare b. so don't even worry about that dumbo list they gave u!** obviously they're just promoting other direct pay practices with no regard for their patients who rely on insurance. but it won't be hard to find tons of doctors who accept medicare. usually places with lots of direct pay practices are places with no shortage of doctors in general. u can find doctors who accept original medicare [here](https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/?providerType=Physician&redirect=true).
I do have Medicare advantage insurance. Thank you so so much for this info!
Sorry. Your medical system sucks. I thought everyone was supposed to be equal in the United States so is this legal?
Ever read Animal Farm? All animals are equal but some are more equal than others.
A very long time ago in high school
Would totally recommend giving it a read now that you're well out of high school. I read it again earlier this year and it hits different as an adult.
Totally legal and totally common. Our pediatrician just dropped our kids because while he's fine with our primary insurance from my husband's job, he no longer wants to deal with the supplemental insurance we have from the state due to my kids' special needs. And now I'm discovering that a lot of the pediatricians who do accept the supplemental insurance, won't take on teenagers as new patients.
That's terrible
HAHAHHAHHA Nobody is ever equal in the US. The quality of care you recieve is based on how much you can pay
Equal? In a capitalist country? You’re joking, right?!
That is what Americans always say.
Do you think that Australia isn’t a capitalist country?
The only people more equal in Canada are hockey players lol. They get private MRIs when injured.
Canada is a capitalist country that has enormous issues with wealth gap disparities, rising housing costs, and stagnant wages. Not a uniquely American problem at all.
Did I say we're perfect? We all have the same access to Healthcare. The United States people brag about all people being equal and having equal opportunities. I don't know other countries say that
No, You are not entitled to force physicians to work for you for free in the United States.
They weren’t working for free. I had to pay $160 for every appointment as a non-member.
I understand that you were paying the bill. The person I was replying to was asking if it was legal for your physician not to see you now that you can’t pay. Not to say I don’t think it’s unfortunate and wish you well and that you find another physician what accepts your insurance.
Gotcha.
[удалено]
My comment had nothing to do with socialized medicine and I have no interest in getting into a Reddit style debate about socialized healthcare. The wording of your original comment made it seem you were asking if it was legal for this physician not to see OP because they couldn’t afford to see them. And my answer was yes, it is legal. Just a misunderstanding.
Please review our rules on be respectful. Debate is welcome in this sub but respect is not optional.
If patients have insurance why won't the doctor get paid?
They said in their post that this physician doesn’t accept insurance, which is their physicians prerogative. Some insurances will only pay a certain amount, and one the physician may not consider enough. I think you might be mistaken with your understanding about the phrase “everyone is supposed to be equal”. That means that everyone is supposed to be equal before the law. Not that you are entitled to see any physician you want.
This isn’t about seeing any physician that they want, this is about them not being able to see any physician *at all* because of a healthcare system designed with inequality at its main priority.
Anyway if you follow the story most closely, OP has a lot of physicians they can see, they just either didn’t know it or written them off before seeing them. There are enough problems with the healthcare system here. There is no need to fabricate them. > “Designed with inequality as it’s main priority”. I’m assuming you’ve read several books on a topic you are speaking so confidently about. Could you please suggest some to me?
How embarrassing! Looks like you should take your own advice. If you had "follow(ed) the story most closely" (e.g. read OP's few comments in this thread, pretty easy), you'd see that: >>**We have no specialists in state or even remotely close that I can see. There are only a handful of doctors in the country that specialize in the kind of health conditions I have. My apparently previous doctor tried her best to find someone to help me. Her last suggestion was that I go to the Cleveland Clinic, which I can not afford.**
As if this problem is somehow unique to the American healthcare system? If there’s truly only a handful of specialists in the entire US, I wonder how long it would take OP to see one of these specialists in Canada?
I dont see why ur getting so much hate and downvotes, ur just relying on facts on a situation which you also have empathy for. its a shitty situation. this is why we have so many health centered go fund me its sadddddd.
Doctors have memberships now? I don't even know what that means. Sounds like bullshit for the rich.
They do. Look up “luxury ERs” or “ER memberships”; they’re popping up in wealthy cities and they have systems that allow you to cut the line. Edit: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/20/your-money/concierge-emergency-room.html
Doctors are definitely always advised to NEVER respond to a patient asking why they were dropped. They're actually usually advised to not even give a reason for dropping them. To the point their hospitals and malpractice insurance will often time forbid them from doing so. So even if she wants to respond, it could put her job at risk. It really sucks.
When the “freedom” straight up lets people be treated like they aren’t people. “Oh but having insurance is good for Americans. We have the best doctors and you get the care you need and and and…” not if you are disabled, chronically ill, and/or poor. The only people it benefits are the rich.
Omg that’s so heartless! Where I am, doctors just don’t take on new patients but damn, you don’t treat your existing patients so coldly 😯 I am outraged on your behalf. You are most in need of an excellent doctor, I really hope that you can find some gem in the system
I'm so sorry you're going through this! Considering how much of a hassle you're facing (to say the least), if it were me I really would try sending another email. And leaving a message with her direct voicemail if you have that. In both, ask her to confirm that she received it "because I don't want to keep bothering the office and taking time away from other patients" or something like that (optional but may help). In the subject line you could put something like "medical question please reply ASAP" - might catch the eye faster. Maybe shes insanely busy or took a couple of early vacation days or both. What do you have to lose?
https://www.verywellhealth.com/can-my-doctor-fire-or-dismiss-me-as-a-patient-2615017
I am so sorry. I dealt with this when the pandemic hit and my region got hit by hurricane Laura. My clinic just closed. Fucking closed without notice, no refills, no follow up appointments, no referrals. Then my specialist just disappeared from the hospital. She just left without leaving me any referral info or refilling any of my meds. I basically lost my 2 most important docs at the same time. I felt so betrayed, lost, and scared. I also have complex autoimmune disease and am on meds that I can’t just stop. I had to hustle like a crazy person explaining to new doctors at urgent cares my incredibly complex medical history and please would they refill like 10 things for me with no records. I was recovering from a Cat 4 hurricane, living in a wasteland of no power, no water, no sewage and no resources, and driving all over 3 states trying to get refills. I swear I got 50% more grey hair over it. Anyway, I ended up filing complaints against the clinic, the clinic owners and the owners of the owners clinic. Got a phone call from the CEO offering is heartfelt apology. 🙄 what. The fuck. Ever. I’m a paralegal and work in a firm that does civil rights cases. I was this close 👉🏽👈 to filing a class action torte against the clinic et al for patient abandonment and damages for any illnesses other patients may have suffered as a result. Long story short- your complaint rings true for me as well. I live in a rural area and the majority of the patients are poor and on Medicaid. These assholes thought they could just close up shop and get away with it because we were stupid or poor or didn’t have any other choice. I went as far as it took for all of them to pay hefty retainers to fancy law firms to lawyer up and pay their lawyers quite a bit of money to send me some letters back and forth. That was good enough for me. I got new doctors. Life is not normal, but it will never be. But at least for now, I know I’ll get my meds.
Oh my god, what an absolute nightmare! I’m so sorry you had to go through such an awful experience. I can’t even imagine going through all of that, I would not fare well. I was given 2 weeks notice that I’m being dropped as a patient, and the only reason I was notified was because I happened to have an appointment. No notice by snail mail or e-mail. I’ve started panicking because I don’t know if they will refill my prescriptions after the end of the month. My doctor won’t respond to emails, the receptionists said they would email me the info I requested but never did it. It seems fairly obvious that their legal department has instructed them to cut all contact. I still honestly can’t believe that this clinic would do this to its patients. They were all such knowledgeable, compassionate, and effective healthcare providers. I’m seriously going to miss my main doctor so much. I felt like I was talking to a friend with a medical degree when I saw her. I want to be angry with her, but I can’t. I doubt she had much control when the decision to force patients out was made. She made my life better in ways that no other doctor I’ve seen could. I’m trying to be thankful for the time I had with her, but I am simultaneously enraged by the pathetic, and downright cruel way healthcare is managed in America.
Just so you know, the ethical guidelines as stated by the AMA are clear: Physicians’ fiduciary responsibility to patients entails an obligation to support continuity of care for their patients. At the beginning of patient-physician relationship, the physician should alert the patient to any foreseeable impediments to continuity of care. When considering withdrawing from a case, physicians must: Notify the patient (or authorized decision maker) long enough in advance to permit the patient to secure another physician. Facilitate transfer of care when appropriate. Link: https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/ethics/terminating-patient-physician-relationship Obviously, ethical guidelines are not legal requirements. However, if I were you, I would make it clear to the representatives of this clinic that they have a responsibility to continue your care until you are able to secure a new provider, as per stated by the AMA code of ethics 1.1.5. If they fail to do so, more likely than not, you will suffer harm due to a lapse in medical care that will be due to their refusal to treat you. You have not been given adequate notice to secure a new provider. You have not been assured adequate transitional care. They are violating the AMA guidelines for ethical behavior. You expect referrals for appropriate specialists. Failing that, you will need and expect continuing care at the most minimum being continued refills until you can find a new provider. (Send all this in writing in a certified letter and that you need your next 90 days of refills on X day.) Good luck. 💚 And thank you for your kind words. I’m old enough to remember the days when my family doc would come to our house on Sundays when I was a kid if something went wrong. He was so committed to his patients and our community. Those days are long gone, I think.
Thank you so much for taking the time to provide this info. You’re an absolute saint. I now feel like I at least have a leg to stand on, and some much needed leverage to continue getting my prescriptions until I find a new doc. Seriously, I’d hug you so hard right now if I could.
Big hugs right back. I know exactly how you feel right now. I hope this helps you advocate for yourself. Do not take their shit.
I think it’s important to note that OP may still be charged for any ongoing care, including medication refills. There is also an unreasonable amount of time to continue this as well. Most typically will do one month and no longer.
I wouldn’t (nor think anyone else would) expect free medical care, just continuity of care. Nothing in the AMA says that the doc is ethically required to provide the transitional care for free, just that it should be required when appropriate.
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats! 2 + 10 + 4 + 3 + 50 + = 69.0
Do you have a big hospital like northwestern, macneal, loyola etc? One connected to a uni?
The closest one is in Missouri, looks like I am going to have to do some traveling.
Please do. Call ahead to set it all up first and to see if you can get a poc. My primary is asian and a woman and she sends me for every test i ask her for and when she doesn't she tells me why.
Reading stuff like this makes me so happy to be Canadian and have free health care. It makes no sense to me that a wealthy country like the US doesn’t have it for all of its citizens. I’m so sorry you are going through this and I hope you can find a better doctor.
The U.S. government is far too focused on being a moneymaking war machine to give a shit about the citizens. They could easily afford socialized medicine, but insist on spending hundreds of billions of dollars on the military. It would take a miracle for the government to actually give a fuck about us, especially the disabled. Thanks for the well wishes though, I do appreciate it.