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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ceres on January 27, 2009, at 16:48:47
I'm new to posting (visited on/off, but usually too muddle brained or upset to jump in.)
I'm wondering if others have had this doctor issue or have some ideas.
My doctor moved without giving notice & I have been trying to find a new MD for almost 2 months.
I have insurance for the first time, but my GP had told me not to use it for mental health, as would preclude obtaining future insurance. But, now I have to use it, as I can't afford regular rates (previous MD had rare sliding scale).
I called the doctors from my insurance list within an hour's drive. Only a few returned my calls & they are not accepting new patients.
Ones whose message machines state that they are accepting new patients, aren't calling back. And, I didn't ramble on their machines. I was clear, polite & concise & repeated my ph#.It's disheartening. I thought most health & helping professions had some guidelines & set of ethics for responding to those seeking help.
Any ideas?
Posted by Phillipa on January 27, 2009, at 16:57:28
In reply to Finding a Doctor - How to Elicit Responses?, posted by ceres on January 27, 2009, at 16:48:47
Welcome to babble. Gee I thought I had problems finding pdocs. Nothing compared to you. Do you live in a remote area? Are there any health care agencies in your location like mental health clinics which sometimes offer sliding scaled based on income. But no one every told me that if you'd seen a pdoc it would interfer with insurance why is mental health any different than any other illness. I don't understand that reasoning? Love Phillipa
Posted by ceres on January 27, 2009, at 17:13:43
In reply to Re: Finding a Doctor - How to Elicit Responses? » ceres, posted by Phillipa on January 27, 2009, at 16:57:28
Thanks, Phillipa.
I live in a smallish town, but there are mid-size towns close by & a large metropolitan area an hour away.
I'd have to qualify for county programs to use the local clinic. One has to be almost homeless to qualify.
I will probably have to start calling doctors much further out. I'm just worried that when I'm employed full time again, I won't be able to set aside a big chunk of the day to get to appointments.
I called some local no-insurance doctors & the going rate was $350 for a consult & $250 per follow up. I don't know who can afford this.
-Ceres
Posted by ceres on January 27, 2009, at 17:21:43
In reply to Finding a Doctor - How to Elicit Responses?, posted by ceres on January 27, 2009, at 16:48:47
Oh, & about mental health dx's being an obstacle to future insurance, that's if one has to get an individual plan. If you work for an employer that carries group coverage, I think they have to take you then, but I'm not sure how that works.
One of my friends was denied insurance because of a previous (not current) diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder. But, she was trying to get insurance on her own, as she doesn't have any through her job.
Posted by Phillipa on January 27, 2009, at 20:43:13
In reply to Re: Finding a Doctor - How to Elicit Responses?, posted by ceres on January 27, 2009, at 17:21:43
Yes fine through your job and if change jobs they have to accept you pre-existing conditions and all. Separate plans are different. Did you doc desert you with out a referral and another doc? Don't know if that's legal. Seriously. Maybe someone else can help out. Love Phillipa
Posted by ceres on January 28, 2009, at 2:52:54
In reply to Re: Finding a Doctor - How to Elicit Responses? » ceres, posted by Phillipa on January 27, 2009, at 20:43:13
Thanks for validating, Phillipa. I don't know about legality, but my psychiatrist did not do a good job ending things. I only coincidentally discovered he was moving on. It was traumatic & psych/med issues were put aside to quickly deal with his leaving.
I asked him for some doctors' names & assumed that one would pan out.
I'm hoping he was simply avoiding ending w/ his patients & I wasn't just forgotten, but will never know.
Though he was a p-doc & not a therapist, he was such a rock for me & he knew about things that I couldn't share w/ family & friends. He provided that feeling of temporary sanctuary that I thought would be there long into the future.
Aside from the traumatic ending, I appreciate him. He never made me feel bad about sliding scale & was so unusual in offering it. He's a genuinely good person who doesn't lord status over others. I saw much evidence of that good over the years. ~ Thanks for the space to see it.I guess there are others out there who have to commute long distances to see doctors & maybe have to take sick days to do so.
I'm so lucky to have this health insurance for now & I'll try to focus on that. -Thanks
Posted by bleauberry on January 28, 2009, at 16:57:04
In reply to Finding a Doctor - How to Elicit Responses?, posted by ceres on January 27, 2009, at 16:48:47
As you already mentioned, you might have to expand the scope of your search to a larger distance and then plan some strategic way to fit that into your working schedule, maybe using vacation time, sick time, personal time, or scheduling the appointment late in a day so you can leave work just a little early to get there.
You could try writing them and include a self addressed stamped envelope to make it easy for them to respond. State your case on one page, where you've been in treatment, where you are now, and where you want to go. Ask if they feel confident taking your case. You could even state things that are important to you as screening questions, such:
How easy are you to reach by phone?
Can I schedule a rush appointment if something goes wrong?
How would you rate your success at treating patients with similar symptoms as mine?Doctors you do not receive a response from, well, that was any easy way to weed them out. That narrows it down. Some will respond. Take a good look at those. One of them is your winner.
The doctors not accepting new patients, well, you don't want them anyway. There are several reasons they are too booked, most of them not good reasons. For example, the revolving door effect of not getting people well. Or in it for maximum profit rather than genuine medical passion. Or just not enough doctors for the population. None of those things are what you want.
Posted by Ceres on January 28, 2009, at 18:37:30
In reply to Re: Finding a Doctor - How to Elicit Responses?, posted by bleauberry on January 28, 2009, at 16:57:04
Thanks, Bleauberry. It's good to get your feedback.
I hadn't thought about contacting doctors through the mail.
I don't think I can do too much screening as it turns them off. They know they're in high demand & I should be appreciative that they take my insurance, which might not reimburse that well & creates extra work for them.
My last doctor was 50 minutes away, per Map Quest. It took over an hour to get there & I'd have to leave an extra 35 minute spread & even then, missed a few appointments sitting in traffic. I figure that those doctors that are further out, via various hwy interchanges will present more unpredictable route time. Driving's been an issue lately because of little sleep & poor thinking skills. That's temporary.I got a tip a couple weeks back that might be useful for someone else in this same situation. I located a therapist who contacted a doctor who wasn't responding to me. And, I might try this again. The MD responded to the therapist a week later. Then he confirmed an appointment the day before, but canceled it the morning of & left rescheduling vague. He didn't give me any other contact info & I've never actually talked w/ him.
Anyway, that added to my feeling that it's time to quit. I think most people I know take med vacations & have heard that it makes their drugs more effective when they go back on them. I have friends who say "things happen for a reason" & "maybe the universe is trying to tell you something." That's not so logical on the face of it, but who knows. They're at least optimists & maybe a different course is needed.
Sorry to go on so much.
I'll look up some doctors' addresses & give that a try.
Thanks again.
Posted by bleauberry on January 29, 2009, at 17:55:18
In reply to Re: Finding a Doctor - How to Elicit Responses?, posted by Ceres on January 28, 2009, at 18:37:30
> I'll look up some doctors' addresses & give that a try.
> Thanks again.
>
>
Yeah, try that. There is no downside to it.I would not be afraid to do a little pre-screening in your letter. The ones who will not answer those questions are either: Too busy (you don't want em anyway); too uncaring (you don't want em); would have to lie to answer the questions (you don't want em); would feel threatened (you don't want em); or do not have passion for what they do as work (you don't want em).
Someone who is passionate of their work and is skilled will respond to your letter. It's that simple.
This is the end of the thread.
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