Are you "allowed" multiple issue at your doctors appointments?

[Anonymous]

Yes this has been happening lately with my PCP and dermatologist. My issues aren’t even complicated. Not my podiatrist though.

[Anonymous]

It's extremely transactional now, if you are a pleb who uses insurance. You need to schedule everything piecemeal. You usually get a warning when you come in for a well check, that you aren't allowed to discuss any concerns, or will need to schedule a 2nd appointment.

Your particular provider might bend that rule, if they are good.

Or pay for a real non-insurance "concierge" provider.

[Anonymous]

So while we're trying to save the planet and reduce car travel and improve efficiency, the health sector wants us to maximize our use of time and resources.

It's like doing the household laundry by doing a separate load for each sock, shirt or piece of underwear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they're related I only need one visit.

What they're trying to stop is someone coming in for the free yearly checkup and then bringing up major issues that needed more time to discuss.

But at a yearly checkup, I got a notice saying I couldn't bring up any problems. It's nuts.

So what’s the point? You just sit there and hope the dr figures it all out without you mentioning symptoms or concerns??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they're related I only need one visit.

What they're trying to stop is someone coming in for the free yearly checkup and then bringing up major issues that needed more time to discuss.

But at a yearly checkup, I got a notice saying I couldn't bring up any problems. It's nuts.

I have an idea of what you should do if you do have a problem: make a (shorter) appointment for that problem. At THAT appointment, for your wart/shortness of breath/rectal bleeding/sexual dysfunction ... do not expect the doctor to peform a breast exam, or order routine cholesterol labs, or offer you preventative vaccinations for shingles or Hep B.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So while we're trying to save the planet and reduce car travel and improve efficiency, the health sector wants us to maximize our use of time and resources.

It's like doing the household laundry by doing a separate load for each sock, shirt or piece of underwear.

May I introduce you to telehealth appointments for acute issues? You may also be interested in combining an in-person urgent care visit in the same car trip with a Target run, then picking up your kid from swim practice. #planet

[Anonymous]

I had my pcp tell me that. At an annual physical I brought up my back pain, and she said I'd need another appt. I asked if the other appt could be in 20 minutes and she said, no has to be a different day.

However, I *love* my GYN who will talk about everything and everything, including non-GYN issues (like my back!). He also always asks if I'm up to date with pcp because if not, he'll give me an order for normal bloodwork.

Maybe he doesn't care about the billing side very much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they're related I only need one visit.

What they're trying to stop is someone coming in for the free yearly checkup and then bringing up major issues that needed more time to discuss.

But at a yearly checkup, I got a notice saying I couldn't bring up any problems. It's nuts.

I have an idea of what you should do if you do have a problem: make a (shorter) appointment for that problem. At THAT appointment, for your wart/shortness of breath/rectal bleeding/sexual dysfunction ... do not expect the doctor to peform a breast exam, or order routine cholesterol labs, or offer you preventative vaccinations for shingles or Hep B.

I don't bother with much with my PCP. He sits in front of his computer and checks off that I've had every cancer screening (yes) and vaccination (yes). He prescribes a couple of things that my specialists don't. He doesn't understand much about my complex health issues. He is not going to overrule my specialists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So while we're trying to save the planet and reduce car travel and improve efficiency, the health sector wants us to maximize our use of time and resources.

It's like doing the household laundry by doing a separate load for each sock, shirt or piece of underwear.

May I introduce you to telehealth appointments for acute issues? You may also be interested in combining an in-person urgent care visit in the same car trip with a Target run, then picking up your kid from swim practice. #planet

My acute issues generally require hospital based tests and extensive lab work, not Dr Zoom in Arizona prescribing a Z pack.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had my pcp tell me that. At an annual physical I brought up my back pain, and she said I'd need another appt. I asked if the other appt could be in 20 minutes and she said, no has to be a different day.

However, I *love* my GYN who will talk about everything and everything, including non-GYN issues (like my back!). He also always asks if I'm up to date with pcp because if not, he'll give me an order for normal bloodwork.

Maybe he doesn't care about the billing side very much.

Who is your gyn?

I used to go to dr pardo at foxhall and I stopped because she was so rigid. Not only could I not bring up any problem issues at the annual, she wouldn’t do normal bloodwork. It was annoying. And then of course now we only get paps every few years. So you take off work and go get a pelvic exam with no testing and can’t discuss any issues? It’s weird.

My gyn now is much more flexible and accommodating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's been a long time since I went into an office at my last gyno appt we could only discuss one thing like BCP or cramps not both. Insane. They said it was because of billing issues and for each thing I have to come back. Anyway like if you go to a foot doctor for pain, a wart, or an ingrown toe nail do you need 3 appointments? Dermo? A cyst and acne are those two appointments? Primary care IBS and sleep issues two appointments? How are things being handled these days. I need to catch up on things but if I'm going to nee that many appointments I think I'm good. Thank you.

I bring a list to my internist. No joke. Not a good doctor for.

[Anonymous]

This will be increasingly common as hospital systems continue to cut appointment times.

[Anonymous]

No, I’ve had to book another appointment when I asked about something unrelated. I thought it was because of booking—the doctor would have to go to the next appointment and couldn’t take the time. Busy HMO office.

[Anonymous]

I would like to know if the providers on this thread talking about "insurance fraud" were born yesterday, or think that we were. Insurance fraud is billing insurers for services that aren't provided, or billing for more intensive services than were provided, or providing and billing for services that aren't necessary. There is no fraud involved with providing additional services during one visit. In fact, insurers almost always prohibit a provider from billing for 2 visits for the same patient in the same day. If the services can reasonably be provided in one visit, the insurer WANTS the provider to do that. And of course that's the case, because requiring the patient to come back another day costs the insurer more money.

No, this penny-ante BS is about providers generating revenues by billing as much as they possibly can. It costs insurers more, but ultimately it costs patients more, in increased premiums and copays. And it's terrible medical care. A good clinician should not be making it as difficult and inconvenient as possible for patients to get the care they need.

That said, PPs are correct that "wellness" visits are not designed for patients' needs. They're mostly an opportunity for providers to collect medical information, which insurers then use to justify raising premiums. At wellness visits, the goal is to hear about and record everything that's wrong with you, not to do anything about it. So if you want an annual check-up, make sure you are making an appointment for one, and not for a "wellness" visit.

[Anonymous]

Is she just trying to maximize her billing/profit?

I would never go to a doctor like that.