Can dr offices withhold your meds if you don’t get the vaccine? (insurance, retired)

[cdnirene]

Originally Posted by Layden85

I’ve heard that some offices are mandating the vaccine to be seen by a dr. If you have to be seen by a dr once a year to continue your blood pressure meds etc can they stop refills if you can’t go in because you are not vaccinated?

I assume you have to be seen because the doctor wants to take your blood pressure before deciding whether to issue a new prescription?

I take Lipitor to control high cholesterol and usually see the doctor once a year to get a new prescription. In May it was a telephone appointment instead. However there was no need to meet in person as the doctor’s decision to renew was solely based on the results of lab work (blood and urine tests) which he had in front of him during the telephone appointment.

[swagger]

Without giving any medical advice, I'll just say that there are web-based medical services out there which don't suffer from the same kind of local pressures that your regular doctor might be subject to. They're reasonably priced cash based options for people who don't need to see a doctor in person to acquire the treatment they're seeking.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled bickering...

[katharsis]

Originally Posted by dicipher

Layden,

If things ever get to that, you might as well throw the hippocratic oath in the garbage can.

Yep.

[Bobdreamz]

Originally Posted by Layden85

I’ve heard that some offices are mandating the vaccine to be seen by a dr. If you have to be seen by a dr once a year to continue your blood pressure meds etc can they stop refills if you can’t go in because you are not vaccinated?

I have never heard of this mandate before from a Doctor.
At the most I've been asked is to please wear a Mask when visiting.
They then take your Temp and ask if you have had COVID like Symptoms recently.

[Donna-501]

Originally Posted by Bobdreamz

I have never heard of this mandate before from a Doctor.
At the most I've been asked is to please wear a Mask when visiting.
They then take your Temp and ask if you have had COVID like Symptoms recently.

I haven't been to the doctor in about 6 months but that is what they did.

[doc1]

If they can then it's only fair to say they can stop prescribing meds to smokers who don't quit, the obese who won't diet and exercise, heavy drinkers, illegal drug users......................

[dicipher]

Originally Posted by MPowering1

Yes, they can stop refills if their policy is that nobody goes in without being vaccinated. They want to see you annually before they prescribe your meds again. They won't just extend the prescription.

To put your mind at ease, I would call and ask if they're seeing long-standing patients who have not been vaccinated. They'll probably say yes. I don't think the majority are turning people away.

Many doctors offices are also offering virtual appointments.

[mike1003]

Originally Posted by Layden85

Not my dr. I’ve heard about it from someone else though.

Who probably heard it from someone else, rumors start that way

[DubbleT]

Originally Posted by Layden85

I’ve heard that some offices are mandating the vaccine to be seen by a dr. If you have to be seen by a dr once a year to continue your blood pressure meds etc can they stop refills if you can’t go in because you are not vaccinated?

A doctor, pretty much any doctor (KWIM), not one specific doctor. You are allowed to change doctors for just about any reason you want to, although your insurance company might have some input on that. If you don't like the policies at one office, switch to one that has a different policy, it's that easy.

[MPowering1]

Originally Posted by dicipher

Many doctors offices are also offering virtual appointments.

True. I've only heard of two doctors offices that said you had to be vaccinated in order to enter and one of those was a pediatrician's office. I'm not sure either person even thought about asking if they could do their visit virtually.