How long does it take you to get appointments?

[Anonymous]

We are Tricare Prime living in the DMV and though we've had great care in the past, the last couple years I've seen a steep decline in appointment availability, especially at Ft. Belvoir. Looking for a reality check - maybe it's the same everywhere, even in the civilian world?

How long would you expect to wait for the following appointments:

A pediatric appointment (think something more time sensitive than a well-visit but not necessarily an urgent care/ER visit)

A routine mammogram

Physical therapy initial appointment after a referral

An MRI

Orthopedist after a major injury (ER visit and then guidance to follow up with ortho)

Cardiologist after an abnormal EKG done by primary care

I realize not everyone has tried getting every one of these appointments on the civilian side, but if you have tried for any, I'm really curious about wait times. As active duty, I'm stuck, but I'm thinking of switching my family to Tricare Standard because of hard it has been to access military appointments for my dependents.

[Anonymous]

just called a dc hospital to get a dermatology appt for suspicious mole and told january is next available

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:just called a dc hospital to get a dermatology appt for suspicious mole and told january is next available

Wow, you have time to get skin cancer. Sounds like the UK's national health system: my mother called for a lump in her breast, and she was given an appointment 3 months from her call date. Thank goodness it turned out to be benign.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:just called a dc hospital to get a dermatology appt for suspicious mole and told january is next available

Can you go out of network? My dermatologist doesn't take insurance but will submit our claims for us. Her cash price is way lower than the kind of bills I see specialists submitting to the insurance company as their opening bid. I think I pay about $170 for a full body check. I just made an appointment for a family member for the first week of August.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:just called a dc hospital to get a dermatology appt for suspicious mole and told january is next available

Yikes, that's crazy.
It makes me livid that they have taught people so much about monitoring their health, getting scans at the proper times, etc., and now there's now availability to follow up.

I had a small cancer finding during a colonoscopy and it took 5 months including 2 cancelled (by the surgeon/practice) procedures to get the rest removed. That seems insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are Tricare Prime living in the DMV and though we've had great care in the past, the last couple years I've seen a steep decline in appointment availability, especially at Ft. Belvoir. Looking for a reality check - maybe it's the same everywhere, even in the civilian world?

How long would you expect to wait for the following appointments:

A pediatric appointment (think something more time sensitive than a well-visit but not necessarily an urgent care/ER visit)

A routine mammogram

Physical therapy initial appointment after a referral

An MRI

Orthopedist after a major injury (ER visit and then guidance to follow up with ortho)

Cardiologist after an abnormal EKG done by primary care

I realize not everyone has tried getting every one of these appointments on the civilian side, but if you have tried for any, I'm really curious about wait times. As active duty, I'm stuck, but I'm thinking of switching my family to Tricare Standard because of hard it has been to access military appointments for my dependents.

Most of these listed take two months for me to schedule, except
--orthopedic surgeon--saw him in 10 days and scheduled surgery with him after in 6 weeks,
--MRI never takes more than a week,
-- and unfortunately my dermatologist takes 6 months. I think more dermatologists have gone the cosmetic route, so there is a shortage.

[Anonymous]

I have no issues getting in quickly (within the month) for a mammogram at Walter Reed.
Every other referral I’ve gotten has been sent to civilian (dermatology and sleep). Yet when I’ve been at Walter Reed, it appears like a ghost town.
Not helpful, but also struggling with Tricare right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:just called a dc hospital to get a dermatology appt for suspicious mole and told january is next available

Wow, you have time to get skin cancer. Sounds like the UK's national health system: my mother called for a lump in her breast, and she was given an appointment 3 months from her call date. Thank goodness it turned out to be benign.

But, she can choose to go private, which is still cheaper than here with some of the types of insurance we have.

My ILs are in the UK. They use NHS mostly, but for some things that they don't want to wait for, they pay for private. I told them how much my u/s was when I was pregnant, and my IL was floored. They worked for the NHS, and said even private, it would've cost a fraction of what I paid.

One of my ILs had breast cancer, all treated for free by the NHS. They also have other health issues.

When my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, they told her she'd have to wait six weeks for the surgery even though they knew it was malignant. I told my sister to call the hospital back, and to firmly state that this was unacceptable.

I think a lot of people who live in the DC area with good insurance live in a bubble. Most Americans have to deal with crap healthcare and long wait times. I mean, rural people are losing their hospitals, thanks to Rs, even though those rural people blame the hospitals rather than the Rs, where the blame really lives (they are true MAGA cultists).

[Anonymous]

Rheumatologist - October is the earliest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have no issues getting in quickly (within the month) for a mammogram at Walter Reed.
Every other referral I’ve gotten has been sent to civilian (dermatology and sleep). Yet when I’ve been at Walter Reed, it appears like a ghost town.
Not helpful, but also struggling with Tricare right now.

It took me six months to get a mammogram. Specialists are 3-9 months. Primary care varies, usually I can see my doctor by phone within a week. I use doctors on demand more. MRI, ct, ultrasounds are 2-3 months out but you have to keep calling for a few weeks to just schedule the appointments. Rarely see the same doctor twice. Been years and finally have a possible diagnosis but no doctor at wr can treat it and no one will accept my referral even if I private pay as only a few places treat it. Most docs are residents or fellows and mess things up. Took my kid in and the resident changed and gave hs all the wrong meds so have to go back and get it fixed. Did not get to see our doctor who I scheduled with. I have to make peds appointments a few months out.

[Anonymous]

We use a concierge service so it's only 5 days or so max. Illness can be same day/house visit/next day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are Tricare Prime living in the DMV and though we've had great care in the past, the last couple years I've seen a steep decline in appointment availability, especially at Ft. Belvoir. Looking for a reality check - maybe it's the same everywhere, even in the civilian world?

How long would you expect to wait for the following appointments:

A pediatric appointment (think something more time sensitive than a well-visit but not necessarily an urgent care/ER visit)

A routine mammogram

Physical therapy initial appointment after a referral

An MRI

Orthopedist after a major injury (ER visit and then guidance to follow up with ortho)

Cardiologist after an abnormal EKG done by primary care

I realize not everyone has tried getting every one of these appointments on the civilian side, but if you have tried for any, I'm really curious about wait times. As active duty, I'm stuck, but I'm thinking of switching my family to Tricare Standard because of hard it has been to access military appointments for my dependents.

Don't switch to standard. Talk to your primary care and ask for a second opinion and get referred out if needed. The Cardiology clinic at WR is good. They should be making active duty a prioirty. PT rarely takes anyone. Ortho is insainly busy. For peds, call the clinic directly if its an emergency or go online and there are usually appointments but not with your ped. For an MRI, call other local bases.

[Anonymous]

Civilian here. PT is always 4-8 weeks for adults and that's calling multiple places. If for a kid, even worse and good luck finding one that takes kids and takes insurance. Had to drive 45 minutes for the only available one once.

Pediatrician - within a few days but not necessarily our typical/ favorite provider and also I was willing to go to their office that's 20 minutes away instead 7 minutes.

Dermatologist new patient visit for a young child took about 4+ months and a long drive a few years ago, but there aren't too many.

We've used OrthoVirginia's walk in clinic. You may have to wait all day or sometimes they get full. Never gotten referred after an ER visit.

We have seen pulmonology, allergy, dermatology, and an eye specialist (off the top of my head) for an adult very quickly like same/next day for acute issues but it takes a doctor calling to get you in. Cardiology may not have been super fast for the initial appointment but it wasn't an acutely urgent issue. Getting tests from the established cardiologist can take weeks.

MRI or similar - it's been a while but maybe like 2-3 weeks at the most when we have lots of personal schedule conflicts but willingness to try locations all over the area. I almost always prefer a time I like to a closer location.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Civilian here. PT is always 4-8 weeks for adults and that's calling multiple places. If for a kid, even worse and good luck finding one that takes kids and takes insurance. Had to drive 45 minutes for the only available one once.

Pediatrician - within a few days but not necessarily our typical/ favorite provider and also I was willing to go to their office that's 20 minutes away instead 7 minutes.

Dermatologist new patient visit for a young child took about 4+ months and a long drive a few years ago, but there aren't too many.

We've used OrthoVirginia's walk in clinic. You may have to wait all day or sometimes they get full. Never gotten referred after an ER visit.

We have seen pulmonology, allergy, dermatology, and an eye specialist (off the top of my head) for an adult very quickly like same/next day for acute issues but it takes a doctor calling to get you in. Cardiology may not have been super fast for the initial appointment but it wasn't an acutely urgent issue. Getting tests from the established cardiologist can take weeks.

MRI or similar - it's been a while but maybe like 2-3 weeks at the most when we have lots of personal schedule conflicts but willingness to try locations all over the area. I almost always prefer a time I like to a closer location.

Re the same/next day appointments for pulmonology, allergy, dermatology, and an eye specialist that other providers arranged for us -- these were all new patient appointments at the time but like I said for acute issues that the first provider couldn't diagnose or treat appropriately and that has the potential to worsen. Do you have issues in Tricare seeing someone quickyfor conditions like that or just when it's a good idea to see someone as soon as possible?

[Anonymous]

Called a few days ago for my annual physical. No availability until mid December. 5 months. Sigh.