Waiting times at the Doctor's office

[denice]

I avoid the doctor as well.  I went for years with not going to a doctor as well.  I am now 60 so I do bite the bullet and go for checkups.  I don't go annually like I am supposed to.  The main reason I avoid it is the long wait and then only seeing the doctor for a few minutes.  I do now have the option to have a nurse practitioner do most of the annual checkup which has cut down on some of the waiting.  The main wait that I have now is waiting for that couple of minutes with the doctor so that the doctor can 'sign off' on it.  I am suspicious that is so they can get a higher reimbursement.  I do medical billing and took a medical coding and billing course and I know the reimbursement is higher if it is billed as a doctor visit rather than a nurse practitioner visit.

 

[artiemom]

 
I avoid the doctor as well.  I went for years with not going to a doctor as well.  I am now 60 so I do bite the bullet and go for checkups.  I don't go annually like I am supposed to.  The main reason I avoid it is the long wait and then only seeing the doctor for a few minutes.  I do now have the option to have a nurse practitioner do most of the annual checkup which has cut down on some of the waiting.  The main wait that I have now is waiting for that couple of minutes with the doctor so that the doctor can 'sign off' on it.  I am suspicious that is so they can get a higher reimbursement.  I do medical billing and took a medical coding and billing course and I know the reimbursement is higher if it is billed as a doctor visit rather than a nurse practitioner visit.

Denice, about the billing. The doctor HAS to see you in order to bill for the exam. There is no way about it.

I worked in a teaching hospital. We had residents and Fellows. Fellows are full fledged physicians who are doing an optional, additional, intensive training in a specialty. Even though they are fully graduated and vested physicians; the patients they see Have to be signed off by an official Attending. Some insurance companies are very strict about it.

I had many patients be seen quickly by the fellow, only to be left waiting for a very long time just for the attending to say a quick hello and be visually seen by the attending...

Insurance companies really do 'own' the medical establishment.

 

[denice]

I think it depends on how much autonomy the state gives to nurse practitioners.  Ohio gives a lot, some practice on their own in walkin type clinics.  In states like Ohio nurse practitioners can bill insurance but they always have to bill at the lowest rate for established patients regardless of what was involved.

 

[louann jude]

 
I know in this area Nurse Practitioners have taken some of the basic care.  Many multi physician practices have a nurse practitioner for routine care and many OBs have one for yearly exams as well as monthly visits for routine pregnancies.  They also do some deliveries.  The field of Nurse Anesthetists is also growing.  I know there are requirements as far as a physician anesthesiologist being available and how many nurses per physician are giving anesthesia at a time.  

There are also a few of the small walk in clinics in supermarkets for the most routine care that is staffed by Nurse Practitioners.  They can only do things like ear infections, UTI's, blood pressure checks, vaccinations but that certainly does help.

I see a NP and I think I have for the last couple years. I am from KY and I hate going to the dr there. There is no such thing of appointments there for a family doc. Then where its walk in only you have at least a 3 to 4 hour wait to get in the back then another 1 to 2 hours to see the doc which takes all of ten minutes. I once waited 10 hours for a doc and was out in less then five when seeing her. 

So 5 years ago when I moved to Ohio and got in the back within 15 minutes I was amazed. The only reason I get frustrated with the wait times now is I have two small kids and they get pretty wild after a while. IF it was just me I would enjoy my time away from home. 

 

[foxxycat]

Ugg I absolutely HATE going to appointments. of Any kind. I HATE waiting.

I had a primary care doc who if my appointment is 4-I was lucky to be seen at 5:30. So I try to be patient but some days I would let them know I need to reschedule. And Now that I know about all these ins and outs I wish I had time to book a first appointment of the day but then I would need to burn vaca/PTO time and I just cant do that-so I only go when its urgent. I get a physical every 5 years. The work has free yearly blood screens and my vitals are really good. so I don't feel its necessary to go yearly unless there are preexisting conditions. Its all about money.

I can't remember the last time I had bloodwork. The last time it was 2007? it was almost $800 even with insurance. no thanks. Forget it. So unless I have some major thing going on forget it. I just use home rememdies or change my eating habits to help with whatever ailment.

my cats get more bloodwork than I ever have done on myself. I just don't have the patience. Doctors in general tick me off. They don't listen to me or even read my history. I had an awesome doctor all these years but he retired because of Obama care bullcrap. So now they have someone else but I just never went back.

I do wonder about if someone starts a new doctor-how do they get my history of prior doctors? Do they actually call them and ask for transfer of records with my permission or do they get the history from the insurance company? I always wondered how safe my records are if the doctor says they have to confer with insurance company=so can they get my past things on my insurance from other doctors without my knowledge or are they only allowed to get information that was used in that same office in prior appointments? I just wonder if they have a database of different peoples history and instead of me repeating myself every single time=I know that if a doctor is in a multidoc practice and a computer database=I know they can see the prior notes/etc but I wasn't sure how this works=so in essence I could start fresh with a new doctor and not bring up the past illnesses?

Sometimes I overthink things-but yes I am very angry how $$$ rules this profession. Between inconsiderate rude obnoxious nurses with their attitudes and bickering bullcrap and then the doctors they always seem to cop an attitude if you go in there with say "depression" on your chart=I am considering starting fresh and not bringing up any of my past issues that seem to have been resolved. I would love to work in the medical field but I don't know how to "pretend" to be nice to everyone and involve myself in coworker bullcrap. I notice this same crap in vets offices and doctors office.

The women who man the phones are the gate keepers. the doctor I had=they had a horrible receptionist who used to lie and make up crap so I couldn't get refills=I had to page the doctor to speak to him directly and inform him of the issues with the front staff=luckily she quit=one of the medical assistants I was able to ask her if she noticed x y and z. Evidently most people are too scared to bring up these issues to the doctor=he didn't know she was making it difficult to get issues resolved. Jon also had the same doctor=-he had to wait three weeks for some paperwork-because of HER. He used to get so bloody angry. I finally went in face to face on the day she was off and get it straightened out. Turned out she wasn't communicating with the other staff about messages and notes..

I was just curious if you guys had this problem? I am so glad she is GONE but oh my GOD how very frustrating for FMLA and insurance paperwork=getting the run around=call insurance then they say nope=call doc..call doc and get told oh its getting dealt with-good grief. I can't imagine how many other people never spoke up-now I repeat myself to the doctor even if the people signing me in ask me the same questions-I cant see the screen and cant see if they even type in anything I am saying. So VERY FRUSTRATING! Why are WOMEN so catty?!?!! But again its probably my imagination. or my inability to "pretend" to be nice. I don't do nice. I do Honesty. I try to be kind with my words but I abhor BULLCRAP!

 

[denice]

Doctors, with your permission, can get a lot more than they used to because of electronic records.  At some point we are supposed to be able to get a card that has a chip on it with their medical history which is updated as you go on..

A new patient is supposed to get a longer appointment time, a more thorough exam, and a oral history taken.  That is why new patient appointments are billed at a higher rate than established patient.  If you haven't been to your doctor within the last 3 years they can bill again as a new patient,

I haven't had blood work done as much as my kitties have but i can tell the doctor or nurse if I am not feeling well.  I can also tell them what my symptoms are and how long I have been feeling unwell.  Kitties can't do that so blood work is done more often.  That is just my personal opinion of course but that is what I think anyway.

 

[denice]

 
I see a NP and I think I have for the last couple years. I am from KY and I hate going to the dr there. There is no such thing of appointments there for a family doc. Then where its walk in only you have at least a 3 to 4 hour wait to get in the back then another 1 to 2 hours to see the doc which takes all of ten minutes. I once waited 10 hours for a doc and was out in less then five when seeing her. 

So 5 years ago when I moved to Ohio and got in the back within 15 minutes I was amazed. The only reason I get frustrated with the wait times now is I have two small kids and they get pretty wild after a while. IF it was just me I would enjoy my time away from home. 

I love the autonomy that Ohio has given Nurse Practitioners.  I am even at my age healthy with no chronic conditions that have to be monitored and controlled so a Nurse Practitioner is fine for me.  Of course if or better said when, my health status changes then I will need to go back to seeing a physician.

 

[stewball]

So what do you consider to be a reasonable wait at a doctor's office?

I had to bring my mother to an appointment yesterday and was shocked when she only had to wait for 10 minutes before her name was called. I think some people had probably canceled because of the snow. I have had to wait for well over an hour before and by that point my blood pressure was through the roof. Another time I was brought back into the exam room and was in there for so long that I wandered out in the hall in my johnny, looking for anyone at all to see if they had forgotten about me.

Take a book with you. I do.

 

[stewball]

Ugg I absolutely HATE going to appointments. of Any kind. I HATE waiting.

I had a primary care doc who if my appointment is 4-I was lucky to be seen at 5:30. So I try to be patient but some days I would let them know I need to reschedule. And Now that I know about all these ins and outs I wish I had time to book a first appointment of the day but then I would need to burn vaca/PTO time and I just cant do that-so I only go when its urgent. I get a physical every 5 years. The work has free yearly blood screens and my vitals are really good. so I don't feel its necessary to go yearly unless there are preexisting conditions. Its all about money.

I can't remember the last time I had bloodwork. The last time it was 2007? it was almost $800 even with insurance. no thanks. Forget it. So unless I have some major thing going on forget it. I just use home rememdies or change my eating habits to help with whatever ailment.

my cats get more bloodwork than I ever have done on myself. I just don't have the patience. Doctors in general tick me off. They don't listen to me or even read my history. I had an awesome doctor all these years but he retired because of Obama care bullcrap. So now they have someone else but I just never went back.

I do wonder about if someone starts a new doctor-how do they get my history of prior doctors? Do they actually call them and ask for transfer of records with my permission or do they get the history from the insurance company? I always wondered how safe my records are if the doctor says they have to confer with insurance company=so can they get my past things on my insurance from other doctors without my knowledge or are they only allowed to get information that was used in that same office in prior appointments? I just wonder if they have a database of different peoples history and instead of me repeating myself every single time=I know that if a doctor is in a multidoc practice and a computer database=I know they can see the prior notes/etc but I wasn't sure how this works=so in essence I could start fresh with a new doctor and not bring up the past illnesses?

Sometimes I overthink things-but yes I am very angry how $$$ rules this profession. Between inconsiderate rude obnoxious nurses with their attitudes and bickering bullcrap and then the doctors they always seem to cop an attitude if you go in there with say "depression" on your chart=I am considering starting fresh and not bringing up any of my past issues that seem to have been resolved. I would love to work in the medical field but I don't know how to "pretend" to be nice to everyone and involve myself in coworker bullcrap. I notice this same crap in vets offices and doctors office.

The women who man the phones are the gate keepers. the doctor I had=they had a horrible receptionist who used to lie and make up crap so I couldn't get refills=I had to page the doctor to speak to him directly and inform him of the issues with the front staff=luckily she quit=one of the medical assistants I was able to ask her if she noticed x y and z. Evidently most people are too scared to bring up these issues to the doctor=he didn't know she was making it difficult to get issues resolved. Jon also had the same doctor=-he had to wait three weeks for some paperwork-because of HER. He used to get so bloody angry. I finally went in face to face on the day she was off and get it straightened out. Turned out she wasn't communicating with the other staff about messages and notes..

I was just curious if you guys had this problem? I am so glad she is GONE but oh my GOD how very frustrating for FMLA and insurance paperwork=getting the run around=call insurance then they say nope=call doc..call doc and get told oh its getting dealt with-good grief. I can't imagine how many other people never spoke up-now I repeat myself to the doctor even if the people signing me in ask me the same questions-I cant see the screen and cant see if they even type in anything I am saying. So VERY FRUSTRATING! Why are WOMEN so catty?!?!! But again its probably my imagination. or my inability to "pretend" to be nice. I don't do nice. I do Honesty. I try to be kind with my words but I abhor BULLCRAP!

I wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of you my friend.