Filling out paperwork before you are accepted as a patient? (Madison: dermatologist, insurance)

[Keeper]

Just curious if anyone has had this happen.

My daughter wanted to take teenage son to doctor as he had been running fever, cold, throwing up for several days. When she called a family doctor she was told she had to fill out paperwork to see if the doctor would see him. They then called her at home to tell her the doctor would see him

I went to the same doctor 3 years ago and didn't have to go through this.

This also happened to a friend who was trying to find a Internal med doctor.

Both had insurance so that wasn't a factor.

Is this something that is just in small towns or have you seen it in H'ville?

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Keeper

she was told she had to fill out paperwork to see if the doctor would see him.

Paperwork always has to be filled out. (And I avoid at all costs providing my SSN.) Also, why is question X "your birthday/month/year" and question X+1 "your age"? Can't they figure that out?

I wonder if this really is "she was told she had to fill out paperwork [and the office will check the schedule to] see if the doctor would see him."

[Keeper]

Could be but this also happened to a friend, who was trying to find a doctor. She had to go the office fill out the paperwork and then the doctor had to look it over before she could get an appt.
She wasn't trying to get a same day appt, my daughter was trying to get him ASAP

When they called my daughter they said 'the doctor said he would see him'. My friend's paperwork was looked over and they told her the same thing 'the doctor would have to approve it'

I just wonder what they are screening? My grandson is a teenager and my friend is a senior citizen. Two different doctors in 2 different towns.

[madisonmamma]

Originally Posted by Keeper

Just curious if anyone has had this happen.

My daughter wanted to take teenage son to doctor as he had been running fever, cold, throwing up for several days. When she called a family doctor she was told she had to fill out paperwork to see if the doctor would see him. They then called her at home to tell her the doctor would see him

I went to the same doctor 3 years ago and didn't have to go through this.

This also happened to a friend who was trying to find a Internal med doctor.

Both had insurance so that wasn't a factor.

Is this something that is just in small towns or have you seen it in H'ville?

YES!!! Isn't that annoying? When we first moved back here, my kiddo got sick, and it nearly took an act of Congress to get him in to see a pediatrician. And we have BCBS, great insurance. We had to fill out a "new patient application" and get all his records from his other dr. (out of state) before that practice would even see him. I ended up going to the doc in the box for that illness....longer wait but less hassle!
I have never had to go through so much trouble to get in to see a doctor!

[southern by choice]

We have good insurance, too, and our experience is the same. I agree its very annoying, like, are we worthy enough for the Doctor???

[Keeper]

Originally Posted by madisonmamma

YES!!! Isn't that annoying? When we first moved back here, my kiddo got sick, and it nearly took an act of Congress to get him in to see a pediatrician. And we have BCBS, great insurance. We had to fill out a "new patient application" and get all his records from his other dr. (out of state) before that practice would even see him. I ended up going to the doc in the box for that illness....longer wait but less hassle!
I have never had to go through so much trouble to get in to see a doctor!

Hmm.. I guess in the future you need to bring records with you. Of course, just try to get them from the other doctor. When I went I did get the meds I needed but he wouldn't do anything else (checkup) until he had my records from FL

Honestly, is it insurance? Of course, you can say 'I have ins when you make appt' but once you get there they can check, or you could pay in cash but I have heard of doctors who won't see you if you don't have ins and want to pay cash.

I am not glad to hear we are not alone in this.

[boilrmkr]

We had the same thing happen and I have never had to do that before. They had to have all of the paperwork in the computer before they would even make an appointment. I needed a physical and they wouldn't do that until I had an appointment to just meet the doctor. Then I could go back to get the physical.

We had the kids doctor get the records from the previous doctor but they too wouldn't see my sick child until he was in the computer. We had to go to a walk in place that time. That's another thing I've never heard of-walk in physicians. We have always had immediate care places for minor emergencies but not just for a doctor's appointment.

[HsvMike]

I don't recall going through this for my doctor or my kids doctor for that matter. We did find the kids a doctor before they were sick, so maybe that is why we didn't have any hassle when their visits came around. But I personally was able to get right in and see my doctor, without any kind of pre-screening. Both my kids and my doctor are in Madison.

[Southlander]

It's probably not the patients' insurance, or lack of. It's probably the doctors' liability insurance company that's requiring this. Especially since it seems to be more than one doctor's SOP. It wasn't too many years ago that Alabama judges and juries were known for giving big awards in lawsuits.

[madisonmamma]

It could be...it is just a hassle!

Every single doctor we have established ourselves with, from a pediatrician to a dermatologist, we had to go through this "acceptance" period. With the pediatrician, it was submitting a form online, and waiting 3 days for a call that "Dr. A" would accept him as a patient. With more "specialized" doctors, I have needed referrals from my general practitioner. My dermatologist and allergist would not see me without a referral.