Can't see a doctor anymore ? - Page 2

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

Yes, the NP can prescribe whatever maintenance medications you are on, as well as prescribe new medications.

When I worked the hospital switchboard, we had calls every holiday weekend from patients who needed to reach the doctor on call from their medical office, needing refills on their maintenance medications. I suggest bypassing the office staff, by trying to contact the on call provider. Some offices manage their after hour calls thru an answering service, but in my area they are handled thru the hospital switchboard.

shopperqvc · ‎03-10-2010

@lovesrecessI just changed PCP because they wouldn't schedule me to see the new doctor at all. My old doctor retired and ever since then all I could see was the nurse practitioner. I have never seen the doctor that is supposed to be in that office. My Medicare Advantage plan even wrote me and told me I had to see the doctor since I had never seen him. They wouldn't give me an appointment with him. The nurse practitioner seemed to take over the office. She refused to even try to get me a prior authorization for a medication that I have taken for years. She claimed those forms were too difficult to fill out and they take too much time. I would have to take a different medicine that she would prescribe. When she told me what the new medicine was I told her I was allergic to it and could not take it. Her answer, "Then do without". On to a new doctor. I'm not going to go back to her. She seems to think much more highly of herself than I think of her. The new doctor is great. A quote from him "We do prior authorizations every day, they are a part of our job". If you can't get in to the doctor, yes, check with your insurance company to see if they are stopping you from getting to see him. If that isn't the case, you may have a problem with that office.

StephaniM · ‎03-03-2016

Go to an urgent care tomorrow and the doc there should be able to presecribe your meds, at least for a few weeks until you can get In to see your doc, PAor NP. Be sure and take your empty bottles with you so they can see exactly what you need. You should not go for days without your meds.

next time, don’t wait until the last minute to refill.

BirkiLady · ‎02-22-2015

@lovesrecessHave you had your annual Medicare Physical? If not and it's overdue, that's a good reason your meds haven't been approved. Another is if you haven't been in for regular lab work. Your PCP cannot help you if you are not working with him/her.

Didn't you realize you were running out of meds and didn't have any more refills? This is a long, holiday weekend. Time is of the essence. Make an appointment first thing Tuesday and see the PA or NP immediately. He/she is quite capable of handling anything you'll need in the way of a medical situation. A medication certainly doesn't require a PCP visit.

Don't be so insulting to their intelligence. Your PCP is busy enough with patients who really need more help than an overdue refill requires. You might find he/she is very capable. That's the thought process behind having them take up the slack of patients without serious issues. All medical offices utilize PA's and NP's for both the patient's and PCP's convenience.

In the future, call your pharmacy a few days in advance of the last few pills to avoid such a prediciment. Why are you four days LATE with your BP meds? All containers clearly state 0 refills. You've had an entire month to get this refilled on time by your pharmacy and had to be aware you were getting low of BP pills if taking them as prescribed. You must be responsible for taking and ordering your own medications. And keep all appointments with your medical office and lab!

ETA: This entire story doesn't make much sense. It's so easy to call a pharmacy and order meds every month. Situations like this should never happen. Perhaps you need someone to fill a medicine container each week and keep track of how you are taking your prescriptions. Have a feeling something is very wrong here. Do you have children near to help?

Best wishes and give the PA or NP a good chance!

PS: A PA provided excellent medical information and knowledge when I recently had unexpected health issues and needed an appointment in a different clinic quickly. Many tests and labs were taken over two full days. The PA did tell me it wasn't as bad as I feared. I already had a RX from my own PCP, who sent me to a specialist. All results were read and sent to my PCP who went over them with me a week later. By choice, I'm returning to the PA (rather than another physician) for my follow-up visit in a couple of weeks. She was that good!

Money screams; wealth whispers.

NYC Susan · ‎03-13-2010

I'm not sure why you're appalled.

You've gone without your meds because you weren't being seen as regularly as your doctor wants you to be. So they've offered a solution: See the NP, and your meds will be prescribed.

As for your Advantage plan only covering NP/PA visits, I would absolutely not take a doctor's office's word on that. They deal with all kinds of insurance, and the only way to get clarification is for you to contact your insurance company directly and ask about your specific plan and your specific coverage. "How do I get to see my doctor?" is a question you should be asking them, and only them.

It sounds to me as though there's been some miscommunication. And keeping up with your office visits/BP checks - as well as not waiting until the last minute to request a refill - likely could have prevented a lot of it.

NYC Susan · ‎03-13-2010

@151949 wrote:
An advantage plan can't just change things mid year - whatever is the policy in the fall during the sign up has to stay the same until the next year. If I were the OP I'd get in touch with my ins. co customer service line and clarify this - I'm thinking she misunderstood & they are saying there are only appts with the nurse .

Yes, something is definitely not making sense. I think you could be right.

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

@lovesrecess wrote:
Have been without my BP meds for four days because my PCP's office won't call the pharmacy and okay the refill. I take my BP a daily and so far, so good, but it is slightly elevated...bottom line, I should not have to go four days without it. I finally got someone at the doctors office to answer the phone and was told they couldn't refill until I scheduled an appt and came in. I said fine....then was told I could only see a nurse practicioner. I told them I would prefer to see the Dr. (Who has been my PCP for ten years). Was told my Medicare advantage plan would no longer cover office visits with a physician only with a nurse practicioner or a PA if it was a serious illness. I am sure the copay will be the same. Can a nurse practicioner prescribe medication? How do I get to see my doctor? I am appalled!

@lovesrecess

Please make a point of staying on top of when refills need to be made so you don't run out of meds.

Just curious ..... WHICH Advantage plan do you have?

Veridoc · ‎07-18-2018

@151949 wrote:
An advantage plan can't just change things mid year - whatever is the policy in the fall during the sign up has to stay the same until the next year. If I were the OP I'd get in touch with my ins. co customer service line and clarify this - I'm thinking she misunderstood & they are saying there are only appts with the nurse .

I agree with you. The advantage plan policy is set in stone for a whole year. I think maybe it is an office policy at the doctor's end and not the ins. co, Insurance coverage is sticky at best, and unfortunately the patient gets caught in the middle.

ID2 · ‎06-25-2012

I'm still trying to figure out why the OP didn't make an appointment the last time she saw them? Obviously its been probably a year since she's seen a doctor. My doctor writes my prescriptions for a year then I have to see him. I make my next years appointment when I leave.

"Pure Michigan"

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

@lovesrecess wrote:
Have been without my BP meds for four days because my PCP's office won't call the pharmacy and okay the refill. I take my BP a daily and so far, so good, but it is slightly elevated...bottom line, I should not have to go four days without it. I finally got someone at the doctors office to answer the phone and was told they couldn't refill until I scheduled an appt and came in. I said fine....then was told I could only see a nurse practicioner. I told them I would prefer to see the Dr. (Who has been my PCP for ten years). Was told my Medicare advantage plan would no longer cover office visits with a physician only with a nurse practicioner or a PA if it was a serious illness. I am sure the copay will be the same. Can a nurse practicioner prescribe medication? How do I get to see my doctor? I am appalled!

@lovesrecess- I'm wondering how this snuck up on you, to where you are suddenly without your meds? Why did you wait until you were so low on your supply? Refills don't go on indefinitely. At some point you need to get into the office, to get a check-up and have your meds evaluated. It would be determined at that point if you would continue with no changes or if you would need something different. It's on your medicine bottle, how many refills you are allowed. Waiting until you were out of medicine probably wasn't the best thing to do. The practice we go to has my doctor and two nurse practitioners. Not to diminish her knowledge and abilities, but an NP usually takes the less serious, more run of the mill, types of cases. She can prescribe medications and order tests, the same way a doctor does. I"m not sure how the whole Medicare Advantage thing works (we aren't there yet), You may have misunderstood because the information you provided doesn't make sense. I'm thinking (speculating) that it could be more along the lines of these simple types of appointments being covered when scheduled with a PA or NP, as a cost saving measure. You don't really need to see a full-fledged physician for a medication refill.