We need a new pediatrician in Chapel Hill PRONTO (Raleigh: elementary school, health)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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I share in your frustration Kudzu. Went to my doctor one time, visit went well and I was on my way. Three months later I needed to see her again: my Dr. had left the practice. I said "OK", I can see another doctor, right? "We're not accepting new patients I was told". I said "I'm not new, I've been coming to your practice for 10 years!"
Well, since you'll be seeing another Dr. for the first time, you're considered a new patient--and we're not accepting new patients at this time. "But I'm not a new patient!!!"
Apparently I was. Took me a month to get in to see a new doctor at another practice!!!!
Sometimes I think the person answering the phone is not properly trained or makes up things as they go along.
My doctor got a new receptionist once and when I called to see him on a Monday, my only day off, I was told "Dr. K will not see you on Monday as we are now saving those appointments for emergency patients."
"Are you kidding me? I've been his patient for 15 years, Mondays are my only days off and now you are telling me he won't see me on Mondays?"
"Yes that is our new policy"
"Well then, I have an emergency right now so when can he see me".
"What is your emergency?"
"I'm about to have a stroke because my favorite doctor is about to lose patients with a ridiculous new policy. And you can tell him I said so. I'm coming over right now."
He immediately called me to say his new employee had misunderstood her instructions and of course he would see me and to just come on over.
Misunderstood the policy and completely lacking in common sense as well. It's just how things are these days.
Quote:
Originally Posted by no kudzu
Sometimes I think the person answering the phone is not properly trained or makes up things as they go along.
My doctor got a new receptionist once and when I called to see him on a Monday, my only day off, I was told "Dr. K will not see you on Monday as we are now saving those appointments for emergency patients."
"Are you kidding me? I've been his patient for 15 years, Mondays are my only days off and now you are telling me he won't see me on Mondays?"
"Yes that is our new policy"
"Well then, I have an emergency right now so when can he see me".
"What is your emergency?"
"I'm about to have a stroke because my favorite doctor is about to lose patients with a ridiculous new policy. And you can tell him I said so. I'm coming over right now."
He immediately called me to say his new employee had misunderstood her instructions and of course he would see me and to just come on over.
I recall a thread some years ago in parenting about annuals and I think you participated. I was in the minority when I said after a certain age I didn't think well check ups were necessary. I'm older (69) and have raised 7 kids all together including 1 bio, 3 step and 3 adopted kids. All went for well child check ups till they were in 3rd-5th grade and always if they had fever more than 24 hours or other symptoms. If they played sports they were checked out for that, all got flu shots and vaccines at county health department or doctors' office. And once I even took a 9 year old girl to have some strange lump on her chest checked out which turned out to be breast buds! Boy was I embarrassed.
I know I will be slammed for this but I think costs for insurance and medical care are so elevated because of overuse of them. Does every healthy, growing, well -functioning child need a well check up after they are in elementary school? Our last 2 are Vietnamese and I have growth and weight charts to go by for them. They communicate well with me and I know about their periods, can see their skin issues, etc.... 6 month dental cleanings, eyes checked annually, orthodontics and doc when needed.
DH just called and daughter appears to have a bad cold and swab for nose was taken which will determine if it is flu and he has rx for Tamiflu if that is the case. No red throat or tonsils but still slight fever. She'll miss her band concert tonight which bums her out but she will get over it.
Thanks to all for suggestions. We will check other clinics out soon and will move both girls there asap so we don't have this happen again.
As you may know we're from the UK and I totally agree with you. I don't think healthy children need an annual check up. I never had them, they don't get done in the UK. So far my kids have been very healthy. My 5 year old has never been sick that he needed to see a Dr. And yet we got here, they took his blood, urine etc etc. and the Dr declared that he was healthy. I almost said I could have told you that!
So id love to stop these well child check ups but I have s feeling pediatrician will insist. Probably a way of making money and keeping their med neg insurance lower.
Malpractice insurance is extremely high and it all just might be a cover-your- arse type of policy. But , as far as I know, the only thing which determines an increase in premiums would be malpractice lawsuits and not what they actually do with patients.
I know shots are needed at different grade levels but you can get those at county health clinic without having to see a doc. And your child's school will let you know in plenty of time what shots are required before the school year starts.
When we took a daughter in to get her 6th grade shots I was told the doc had to do a complete physical. When I balked I was told, "You have excellent insurance so it won't cost you any out of pocket". I told her that was not the point and that I did not want to contribute to out of line insurance premiums. She actually shook her head at me.
When we took a daughter in to get her 6th grade shots I was told the doc had to do a complete physical. When I balked I was told, "You have excellent insurance so it won't cost you any out of pocket". I told her that was not the point and that I did not want to contribute to out of line insurance premiums. She actually shook her head at me.
Rightly so.
You clearly have no idea how much it costs the insurance company to pay for an annual physical. Less my $15 co-pay, the visit was around $45 to the doctors office and lab work is under $100 under BCBS.
If that's all you do all year, you are a major money maker for the insurance company (or your company, if they are self insured).
One year I had an MRI done. $2500 billed, $700 reimbursed, and my plan had no co-pay and no deductible. I walked in, did it, and didn't 'pay' a cent out of pocket, but my monthly premium was around $400/month (company paid the majority, thankfully). They recovered that MRI fee in under two months!
(Yes, I understand the more we use our health services/insurance, the higher premiums will go)
I agree with your thoughts, we need to introduce choice and competition into the market place and treat health insurance like we treat home and auto insurance, but that isn't the setup now, and forgoing an annual checkup is pennywise and pound foolish. I've had many family members saved from cancer by catching it early with annual checkups. Long term dollars were saved by the bucket and more importantly they were able to be fully cured vs. dying of a completely preventable condition. They all felt fine, no health issues on the surface.
Buddy of mine had a checkup done where they found something wrong with his heart. Open heart surgery fixed it, he's fine now, but the issue was only found with his annual checkup. He was within a month or two of dying. That one really hit home, he was super healthy, always exercising, etc.
On a side note, went to the Vet today, dog has a kidney stone. $130 for vet visit, urine analysis, digital xray and medicine. Yes I understand it's a dog, let's be honest it's all flesh and tissue! How much would that have been if I went to Raleigh Radiology!! A couple hundred for the xray alone....
As you may know we're from the UK and I totally agree with you. I don't think healthy children need an annual check up. I never had them, they don't get done in the UK. So far my kids have been very healthy. My 5 year old has never been sick that he needed to see a Dr. And yet we got here, they took his blood, urine etc etc. and the Dr declared that he was healthy. I almost said I could have told you that!
Really?! They did a blood draw and a urinalysis? My kids have never had that done unless they were really sick. I don't think they've ever had a blood draw and the only time they had a urinalysis that I remember was when we thought one might have a bladder infection.
They've always been to a UNC Healthcare practice, too, so pretty standard doc.
For our well child check ups they do things like hearing and vision screenings, height and weight checks, shots if needed, check for scoliosis, listen to heart and lungs, check reflexes, look in the ears and throat and eyes and that's basically it. Pretty quick and painless, but I'm happy for the screenings.
For our well child check ups they do things like hearing and vision screenings, height and weight checks, shots if needed, check for scoliosis, listen to heart and lungs, check reflexes, look in the ears and throat and eyes and that's basically it. Pretty quick and painless, but I'm happy for the screenings.
Except for shots, I think this is actually done in school as well. My girls are Vietnamese and Asians usually have a very thick and different ear wax so whenever they get checked in school we always get the report that they have excessive ear wax.
I think my kid may have had one vision screening in elementary school, but none of the rest of that.
I really don't know about the blood draw and urinalysis that angelkitten was talking about. Has anyone else had that with a routine well child check up?
No None of mine had blood draw for anything even when sick with strep once. And I don't recall any urinalysis until junior in high school and appendicitis.
Our oldest daughter was born in Korea and when she was 4 months old doctor insisted she have hepatitis test as part of well baby check up. I held her in my lap as they stuck her 3 times till I finally got up and walked out. No way was I going to put her through that. Now if there had been some symptoms I might have considered it. Never went back to that a hole either. She's now 32 and fit as a fiddle.
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