primitives discuss obligatory medical appointments

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025423896

Oh my.

By the way, there finally appears to be a glimmer of light; the end of the tunnel can't be too far off now, the primitives forgetting all about a cop killing a thug down in Missouri.

COLGATE4 (6,003 posts)    Thu Aug 21, 2014, 01:12 PM

Obligatory doctor appointments?

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.

^^^voted for it.

<<<has no sympathy for.

TeeYiYi (6,205 posts)    Thu Aug 21, 2014, 01:19 PM

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.

jwirr (23,984 posts)    Thu Aug 21, 2014, 01:31 PM

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 (36,892 posts)    Thu Aug 21, 2014, 01:20 PM

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.

^^^voted for it.

<<<has no sympathy for.

tammywammy (19,923 posts)    Thu Aug 21, 2014, 01:23 PM

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 (25,614 posts)    Thu Aug 21, 2014, 01:24 PM

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.

fizzgig (20,864 posts)    Thu Aug 21, 2014, 01:28 PM

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.

^^^probably has no idea alcohol and marijuana are "meds" too.

BlueJazz (19,856 posts)    Thu Aug 21, 2014, 01:29 PM

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.

jwirr (23,984 posts)    Thu Aug 21, 2014, 01:29 PM

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.

^^^the primitive who watches her grandchildren dine on junk food the last half of every month.

[Carl]

It is called "liability" idiots.

[DefiantSix]

COLGATE4 (6,003 posts)    Thu Aug 21, 2014, 01:12 PM

...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 PITA, hypochondriac leftist that drops out, we get four normal people wanting to be seen"...

Fixt, to fill in what the DUmbshit left out.

[GOBUCKS]

I strongly encourage DUmmies to refrain from seeing a doctor, ever.

Even with their free democrat insurance, that six-thousand-dollar deductible is lurking out there.

They should also never forget that nearly all doctors are rich Republicans.

The tiny handful who are rich democrats were affirmative action med students, and are likely to kill you.

So, DUmmies, stay away from those quacks!

And as your terminal illness progresses, keep posting so we can enjoy it!

[ChuckJ]

Speaking of health care, I heard a story today may be of interest to the DUmmies.

Last night a guy's wife had an extremely bad migraine headache. It got to the point that she had him take her to the ER at their local hospital. There was no other patients there, but it took 2 hours for the wife to be taken care of. When the husband asked why it took so long he was told that since she only had a migraine she was not a priority case. To top it off, since the couple have Obamacare insurance they were required to pay $150 BEFORE she could be taken care of.

For the record, I don't know how much truth there is to the story. I just know that it was the story told by the husband.

[DumbAss Tanker]

It doesn't take much reading between the lines to figure out that the real reason is because a few years back, the DUmmie BS'd the old doc into giving out some highly-controlled pain meds of some sort, the kind that now gets providers in a jam with DEA and their State licensing guy if they rubberstamp the scrip renewals.

[thundley4]

It doesn't take much reading between the lines to figure out that the real reason is because a few years back, the DUmmie BS'd the old doc into giving out some highly-controlled pain meds of some sort, the kind that now gets providers in a jam with DEA and their State licensing guy if they rubberstamp the scrip renewals.

In other news.

The Obama administration moved Thursday to restrict prescriptions of the most commonly used narcotic painkillers in the U.S. in an attempt to curb widespread abuse.

The Drug Enforcement Administration said it would reclassify hydrocodone combination drugs such as Vicodin and put them in the category reserved for medical substances with the highest potential for harm. The "rescheduling" means people will be able to receive the drugs for only up to 90 days without obtaining a new prescription.

The opioid pills are taken by millions of Americans, including after dental surgery, for back problems and broken bones. Currently the pills can be refilled up to five times and prescriptions can cover a 180-day period. The new classification will take effect in 45 days, the DEA said.

"Today's action recognizes that these products are some of the most addictive and potentially dangerous prescription medications available," said DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart.

The change means that, in most instances, patients will have to present to a pharmacy a prescription from a health-care provider and no longer can rely on a phoned or faxed-in one.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/dea-restricts-narcotic-pain-drug-prescriptions-1408647617

I blame the overly medicated lying DUmmies for this.

<<Never had a prescription lasting more than 7 days.

[Boudicca]

In other news.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/dea-restricts-narcotic-pain-drug-prescriptions-1408647617

I blame the overly medicated lying DUmmies for this.

<<Never had a prescription lasting more than 7 days.

I have to see my doctor every 30 days or so to get a new Rx for hydrocodone.  Not sure if it's a Ft. Huachuca directive, a Tricare directive, or higher up, but a few idiots went doctor shopping on post and in Sierra Vista; one overdosed and died, so hey, we all get to report in.  If you've got nothing to hide it's not a problem.  I always combine a doctor's trip with one to the commissary.  I just wish addicts didn't screw up the system so we all get lumped in as potential abusers.  Ah well, I always bring in my remaining pills even though it's not mandated; as I said, I've nothing to hide.  Not sure what the hell problem a dummie would have going in once every three months since Obamacare was gonna provide manna from heaven for free.