Doctor availability (moving, state, relatives, years)
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My wife and I are concerned about moving and having problems getting in to see the doctors we need to see when we're on Medicare. Now, we all know things will not get better in the future, so we are at least trying to avoid planning on moving to a state or area where this is a serious problem already. So the question is, has anyone had a serious problem being treated by an appropriate physician for a particular problem? . If you have, can you please let us know in what state this has been a problem. My wife has allergies, eye problems, and of course needs a gynocologist too. Any information you can pass along would be appreciated.
My aging relatives (80s and 90s) live in Florida, have Medicare as their primary insurance, and have never been turned down by a physician for any of their many multiple needs. They use different specialists at different times besides just their primary care doc. Of course, there's a large senior population in that state.
I lived in Florida and I remember chatting with a patient in a doctor's waiting room who had been going to this same doctor for years and she was telling me that once she got on Medicare the staff (not the doctor) started treating her badly... too much paperwork. She saw a distinct difference in how they dealt with her.
I've known a few people who said they had a hard time finding physicians who took Medicare in Florida. Eventually they found one, just took a little more effort than they expected. I wouldn't make that a reason not to move somewhere. If you're really concerned about this, you could always do a trial run. In other words, choose a town that interests you, and try calling the local doctors to see how hard it would be to set an appointment.
My MIL lives in Florida and moved last year. She's on medicare and had a primary physician but wanted to find a new one closer to where she moved. It took her 8-10 months to find one that would take her. Many are not taking on new patients.
I'm a couple of years shy of being eligible for Medicare, but I live with an 85 y.o. and many of my neighbors are on Medicare ... and we discuss health issues, politics, etc., frequently and I've not heard one person mention he/she has had or is having difficulty locating a physician/specialist which accepts them with their Medicare. I'm in Chicago.
It can be difficult in general to find a new doctor. There is a dearth of generalists, and many FP's and IM's practices are full. If you want a new doc, look in summer when the newly minted ones are able to take new patients.
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