Community Chat

[Kalli]

With regard to scheduling an appointment, is preference given to those who have private healthcare, like Blue C, (or the plan offered by that particular hospital system), as opposed to those on Medicare?

Here's the deal...I go to a Nurse Practioner for yearly gyn.  I absolutely love her and have been going to her for at least 15 years.  She's the one everyone wants to get an appt with. She treats her patients as if they are the only one, keeps up with what's going on in our lives, has the most recent medical knowledge.  

It's really hard to get an appt with her.  (Right now, I'm told she's booked completely for 2021.) I discovered many years ago that if I wanted to maintain my yearly appts, it was best to schedule the next year's appt at the same time I signed out and paid for the current one.  That has worked for me for over 10 years.  

Last year I tried to do that and was told her schedule was booked for months and to call back to schedule my next appt in a few months.  Well, I knew if I waited I'd never get in, still they refused.  I thought maybe this was a new policy.  Then I found out that my friend was able to schedule her appt for a year away when she left her most recent appt and there was no problem.  The difference is that friend is younger and not on Medicare yet. After my last appt, I aged into Medicare.  That's the reason I'm wondering if preference is given to those not on Medicare because Medicare pays less?

[suzyQ3]

@Kalli, I don't know the answer to your question, but If I were you, I would speak to a different rep or maybe someone higher up.

[Still Raining]

This whole year has been hard.  Some have closed down for a bit or gone tele or have been laid off or sent over to the main hospital.

Today I trying to schedule an infusion but a whole cancer site is shut down due to the virus.  Which I take to mean all the providers have been infected. Going to be a long drive.

Just hang tight.

[happycat]

I'd be calling down there and asking for the office manager, tell her exactly what happened and ask them why? 

I have never heard of such. 

[Kalli]

@Still Raining @suzyQ3 , This happened last Sept.(2019).  I actually was able to get an appointment after trying several times, asking different schedulers and pleading my case.  Spent what seemed like hours on the phone. Finally someone did schedule my appointment for this Fall, which is in a few weeks, however the person who got me in asked that I not tell anyone else what she did! 

I hadn't thought about this for months and just assumed that the appointment office had adopted a new procedure by not allowing anyone to schedule for the next year.  However, when I found out my friend had her 2020 appointment a few months ago I happened to ask her by chance if she was able to schedule for next year and she told me, "of course" which made wonder about them denying me due to Medicare.

[ahoymate]

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@Kalli wrote:

@Still Raining @suzyQ3 , This happened last Sept.(2019).  I actually was able to get an appointment after trying several times, asking different schedulers and pleading my case.  Spent what seemed like hours on the phone. Finally someone did schedule my appointment for this Fall, which is in a few weeks, however the person who got me in asked that I not tell anyone else what she did! 

I hadn't thought about this for months and just assumed that the appointment office had adopted a new procedure by not allowing anyone to schedule for the next year.  However, when I found out my friend had her 2020 appointment a few months ago I happened to ask her by chance if she was able to schedule for next year and she told me, "of course" which made wonder about them denying me due to Medicare.

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Very frustrating kalli. I would call & speak with the office manager. Explain the situation, nicely, and ask what's going on?  If they don't take medicare patients they should tell you.

[noodleann]

If they're taking patients preferentially whose insurance reimburses better or with less paperwork than those on other insurance--whether it's private or government--is that actually wrong or illegal? 

[fresh kitty]

I had my yearly checkup scheduled for Nov but with the virus I canceled it being it wasn't necessary and thought they could get another person in . I was told they could reschedule me in mid February so I took that. She said that some of the doctors aren't working or only part time so it's crazy in these troulbled times.

[patbz]

@Kalli :  I'm sure you hit the nail.on the head!  The year I turned 65, my primary care doctor insisted that I schedule with a particular gynecologist ( due to family history issue).  When I called that doctor and they asked if I was on Medicare, they told me  they weren't taking any Medicare patients.  Fortunately, I persisted and mentioned that I was also covered by bcbs and that my doctor insisted that I go this particular doctor.  I went to that gynecologist until I relocated to Arizona.  I know that doctors don't like additional paperwork and rate of reimbursement of Medicare.

[4kitties]

Does Medicare cover a yearly gynecologist exam?  I may be mistaken but I think they only pay for one every two years.  Maybe that could have something to do with it?