Doc R Us

Personal Finances Health Related Finances
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Open the day shuffling, on Hold, arranging, appointments for what had been a scheduled Echo Cardio scan set initially my Cardio Doc… Ended up in September! Early, but then the Cardio Doc didn’t have an opening until the end of September! And I found he is retiring the end of that month!

The other mess was my access to MyChart, a Providence group, didn’t like my login/password, then would go on to have me input vital info and still wouldn’t let me in, round and round… I’d given up until today, the support line had me on Hold for an hour & a half, resolved in only a few minutes, but, that is the longest hold I’ve ever done…

Oh, and my PCP, internal med Doc promoted himself, no longer seeing patients, no note, no letter, then I was told there was a letter, then told to ignore it, so I’ve no idea if he is or isn’t leaving…

So here I am, 80, having to go Doc shopping for both an internal med Doc & a cardiologist… The last cardio Doc took me to the fellow I have now, really like him, but he’s outta there… The last PCP was a great guy, older, had some legal issues, was put on trial for killing his wife, but hey, he never hurt any patients! He was cleared, said it cost him a bundle, but I’d go back to him if he still practiced… So the hunt is on…

weco

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Two years later, my Doc Shuffle is continuing…

Cardio Doc retired, had one for one visit, now he’s gone, thought I had another, vanished, but now have a lady cardiologist that seems good, started me off with a stress test last week, carotid scans, blood tests…

PCP Internal med Doc as noted above vanished, had one, one visit, gone, currently none, so a PA or NPA for now…

Our Dentist is gone, retired, new replacement seems hungry, wanted a $5K project after the first visit, cut that back to simpler repairs, but she’s also tried to nudge DW into expensive upgrades… OK for now, but…

Dermatologist is still aboard, hopefully she sticks around…

Financial guy has turned us over to his daughter, all is OK…

Tax guy retired, again, turned it over to his daughter…

The chase continues…

weco

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Get some younger guys. Ones that aren’t likely to retire before you expire. Though if they move (or quit), you can’t do much about that. 1poorlady’s gyn quit a couple of years after she started seeing her. No fanfare, just quit. She was our age, or maybe a bit younger at the time.

Her endocrinologist died, as did our ophthalmologist (since replaced the opto, but endocrine we are using our PCP).

If/when we need new doctors , we will go for younger ones that should outlast us. We hate hunting for new docs.

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Well, some progress, new, younger, Cardiologist, she had me set up for a stress test right off, carotid scans next…

Still no PCP, a PA or NPA for now…

Headed to a new Orthopedic Dr next week, overdid something, R hip is giving me fits, had it set up for last week or so, but got sick with a gastro virus, so had to cancel, try agin see how it goes, but it’s stopped my walking out n about… Boring…

Gettin old ain’t as easy as it seemed…

weco

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I remember when I got a new cardiologist. He set me up for a stress test so I’m at home on the tread mill trying to get into shape for the dreaded stress test. I day of the test I go in and there’s the tread mill. I get ready to get on and the technician says sit here on this bench. She gives me a shot and about two minutes later she says OK the test is over. It seems that if you have COPD they give you a shot that simulates heavy activity on your heart. That was fine with me.

Yea, I hear ya. We’ve had several dentist retire and our favorite oncologist retired. Hated to see him go. He was great. Went to his replacement and the replacement wondered why I was even there.

Several visits back I asked my PCP if he had any plans on retiring and he indicated no. Would hate to search for a new one.

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Well, a while since my last posting, since then, Ortho Doc sent me off to Physical therapy for my hip pains, MRI showed spinal stasis as the cause, joints are OK… So many weeks of PT twice a week, stretching, strengthening has done the job. A great PT lady, also was vital, doing daily exercises as well.. Big help…

In the meantime my DW’s L hip deteriorated, shots, PT was no help, MRI showed the joint is worn to bone on bone, surgery was way off in late June, but they pulled it up to.. Tomorrow! 4/16… So we’re off to a nearby hotel tonight, surgery tomorrow afternoon, she opted to stay overnight, so I’ll pick her up Thursday morning.. So far 3 norse calls, offices visits as well, met the Dr, recommended by a friend/patient, they do have their act together…

So now we have collection of walkers, crutches, canes, toilet seat riser, shower seat… once over we’ll return the collection to where we got them, another friend, and make a lot more room here! Dr said they don’t want her to use crutches, but they are here if they were needed… A mechanical lending library, it seems…

Still no regular Dr, but the PA is decent, cardiologist is very good, some scans coming up after all this Ortho is sorted out…

weco

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Usually insurance co has list of doctors in plan. Doesn’t that make shopping for new doctor easier?

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Not so far… Providence here seems to have been decimated… I may could flip to Sutter, but that would be a total restart…

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That’s my experience too. In most areas a handfull of insurance companies dominate. Most doctors and hospitals etc are in their networks. But if you move to town with coverage from a different one finding doctors who accept it or in network can be difficult. That happened to me when I moved to St. Louis with company provided Cigna insurance. Their list was out of date. Doctors no longer accepting patients. Blue Cross Anthem is big here. But so is United Healthcare.

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