Has anyone had trouble with a doctor that was just plain "bad news"?
A couple years ago I had the misfortune to get real sick. Since I had symptoms including weakness, dizziness, peripheral numbness and memory impairment-I ended up seeing a neurologist, at a large local clinic. I filled out the requisite paperwork, and waited for him to show up. In the examination room he soon appeared. He read the chart, and sneeringly announced: "I don't do numbness, muscle pain and weakness, or bad memories". This dunce then asked me where I work. Next question was "are you here today looking for an excuse to get out of work, or pain medication?" This turd, who reminded me of "Shrek", is without a doubt the poorest excuse of a doctor I ever had the bad luck to encounter. I went home-and began a slow burn. At 8am the next morning I presented myself at his office(he took the day off)and made a complaint with the office business manager. A nice, LOUD one at that, so all the patients and staff could hear. I quit being a patient that day, and am now a "medical consumer". My insurance company and I spend big bucks with these people, and I'll be goddamned if I let someone treat me like I'm being seen in a prison infirmary, when I am at a major clinic in Toledo. Have any of you had similar experiences, and if so, how did you handle it?
Obnoxious Doctors?
updated by CharlieA-Z on Apr 29, 2008 at 09:12:45 pm Comments: 21
Comments ... #
Yeah, I get mad all over again when I think about it. I wonder who these people think they are, anyway. I tell them, and I mean R.F.N. when their service stinks.
posted by CharlieA-Z on Apr 29, 2008 at 06:33:22 pm #
There might be similar services on this here intertexts.
I've never had a bad experience as a patient, but I am a medical student which has exposed me to a few bad docs (not knowledge-wise but in regards to bedside manner). The majority are genuinely intersted in their patients' care, but there is a large percentage of docs who have become cynical and jaded with a lot of the changes that have taken place the last 10-20 years. Unfortunately, problems created by legislators, government bureaucrats, lawyers, and insurance companies gets transferred to patients.
My recommendation is to go by referals from other patients. There are some really great doctors out there that are willing to spend time with their patients, but sometimes you have to search. In my opinion, it is far better to have a doctor that is willing to listen and discuss your care than a doctor that is brilliant but does neither of those things.
By the way, Charlie, if you want a dedicated neurologist head to the University of Toledo. We have several that are some of the smartest and most patient-dedicated physicians I have ever seen. Unfortunately, there tends to be a long wait to see them for the first time.
I agree-I go to one in the big round bldg. out there. He is absolutely first rate!!
posted by CharlieA-Z on Apr 29, 2008 at 09:12:03 pm #
Since we're all friends -- hey friends -- I don't mind telling you all that a few months ago, I went to my new-ish family doctor for a pap smear. As the doctor was prepping to do the procedure, she referenced a previous visit's conversation and asked how my allergies were doing and if I was still using a particular over-the-counter drug. I replied that I was, and it was working out fine, and she indicated her approval and instructed me to keep taking it. Then she did the procedure.
When I got my next summation of benefits from my insurance company, I noted that they'd paid their portion for TWO visits, both dated the day of my pap smear, and that I was responsible for two co-pays. I sort of disregarded it, as I'd written a check for my standard co-pay on the day of the visit and the receptionist had taken it with no questions. A few days later, I did actually get a bill from the doctor indicating I owed an additional co-pay for that visit. When I called up the billing department, they confirmed for me that indeed, I was being billed for two visits. When I pressed, the CSR looked up my file and said one was coded for a pap smear and the other was coded for allergic rhinitis. I was billed separately for having an approximately 20-word conversation about nasal congestion!
The best part of this story is that I immediately called my insurance company, because I considered this bill to be fraud at the expense of both the insurance company and myself. The insurance company was not bothered in the least. "Yeah, sometimes that happens," I was told.
***
But the most obnoxious doctor I ever encountered was the one who, when I went to him complaining of ongoing numbness and shooting pains from my hip all the way down to my ankle, offered me a prescription for Paxil. WTF? I declined it and the next time I went to that particular office, I requested a different doctor.
I would call the doc about two copays being charged. I'm not at all surprised about billing the insurance company for two visits because everything that happens must be documented and billed for by the doctor. Unfortunately that's the hand insurance companies have dealt physicians. But I don't think that should be passed on as an additional copay.
As far as Paxil for pain relief, believe it or not, but SSIRs are actually being increasingly used for pain control. They've been found to help manage chronic pain, and paxil is a cheap SSIR so it makes since that would be the one prescribed.
HeyHey and jmleong, regarding the copays...
The doctor doesn't determine whether 2 copays are owed. It all depends upon the patient's benefit plan. (Not the insurance company as a whole, but the patient's specific benefit plan purchased by their employer.)
Some benefit plans are set up where the patient would only owe one copay per day for the same doctor. Other plans are set up to accumulate a copay for each visit billed, no matter what.
And its not something arbitrarily determined by the insurance company either...when the employer negotiates a benefit plan, one of the options they have available is whether their employees can be assessed multiple copays per day or not.
Of course, the doctor's office could choose to write off the 2nd copay if they wished, I suppose.
mom2 - How do you prevent from being billed by an out of network doctor whom you did not choose to see.? A recent surgical procedure done at a hospital and by a surgeon both in my network produced a slew of out of network charges for physicians whom I presume participated in the surgery without my prior knowledge or consent. I never laid eyes on any of them either. I've got another surgery coming up and I would like to avoid this if I can.
holland - what was the specialty of the doctors you were billed by last time?
(There are often procedures in place for certain specialties if you had the procedures done in a network hospital. Generally, the specialties you'd have better luck with would be something like a radiologist or ER doc for example. It could take an appeal to get reconsideration, but depending on the specialty of the doctor it would potentially be a pretty "winnable" appeal.)
The specialty was Podiatry and I had to have a perfusionist to spin down platelets for a bone graft. I think it was the perfusionist and some bone specialist - don't really know for sure. For the next one can I say something in advance?
The long term lesson is not to rely on a doctor, a stranger, a faith healer, or any one else for health care. Especially if you really care about your health. Fortunately for the health care system, most people, it seems, don't.
Thanks for the advice and comments HeyHey and Mom2.
I actually just paid the stupid bill last week because I got some 30-days past due bill and, jesus, I work almost 60 hours a week every week -- I don't have time to argue a battle in which no one's listening to me. I had already talked to the doctor's office, the insurance company and the billing company, with zero results. Further indignation would require time I just don't have. So I lose.
But I get to bitch about it on the Internet in the middle of the night, so that's something, right?
Remind me, though, the next time I go to a doctor for a sore throat or whatever NOT to also mention my occasional indigestion. Unless I want to pay for two visits.
***
On the Paxil thing, it really is news to me that it can be used for pain relief. So thank you. However, the context in which the doctor offered it to me was, I felt, belittling and, yes, obnoxious.
What gets me is waiting for 1.5 hours! Granted, there are some 'emergencies' that require that, but when that isn't the case, wait for a reasonable amount of time (20minutes is my guide) then advise the receptionist that you've waited for 20 minutes and to reschedule your visit for "something that is a little more convenient for the doctor".
If everyone did that, they'd quit over-scheduling.
posted by GraphicsGuy on May 01, 2008 at 09:05:46 am #
I like your idea, since sick people seem to have been created for the medical professions' convenience.
posted by CharlieA-Z on May 01, 2008 at 10:56:59 am #
Unless you're the first appointment of the day, or after lunch I would assume you will be seen 20-30 minutes after the appointed time. I take my mom to one to two appointments a month. We have never, never been seen at the appointed hour. That's why I have no problem with being "on time" or 5-10 minutes late. I have always been seen at the doctor's convenience.
posted by oldsendbrdy on May 01, 2008 at 11:06:41 am #
I had an extremely nightmarish situation with my child's pediatrician almost 2 years ago.
She had what appeared to be an ingrown hair on her shin. The doctor checked it out and suggested we see the surgeon "just in case". The surgeons office was in the same building, different floor, so I went straight there from the doctors office with the referral and they scheduled the initial appointment, wrote it down on an appointment card, handed it to me and we left.
The day of the appointment my daughter and I left early just in case there was paperwork, traffic, etc. I got to the surgeons office and went to the reception desk to check in. The receptionist looked at the computer screen, asked my daughters name again, looked back at it, typed something in and then told me that I had missed my appointment, it was actually the day before. I pulled out the appointment card, which clearly read that days date, showed it to her and was told they must have made a mistake and that I should have called and double checked the date/time of the appointment. I looked at her and asked "Don't doctors offices usually call to remind patients about appointments anymore?, and she got REALLY shitty with me and told me that I would now have to wait for them to "fit my daughter in, they would call me with the date for our next appointment". I left and although I was ticked, I didn't think much of it.
The following week my daughter was sick and I had to take her back to her pediatricians office, it's a group and the doctor on duty can vary. The doctor that I had this time was one tha twe had never seen before, she asked why we were there today while looking over my daughters chart. She then turned and asked how the appointment with the surgeon had went, and I started to explain to her about the mix up with the appointment time. This doctor WENT OFF on me, completely, telling me that not getting my daughter treated was a form of abuse and was I really willing to take the risk of losing her because I was too lazy to take her to the appointment. I'm like WHOA LADY, it wasn't that I didn't take her, it was that they made a mistake when they wrote the date and time down on the appointment card, I took her when the card said to and her appointment was for the previous day, it wasn't MY mistake.
The doctor said she'd go call and see what she could do, and walked out of the room. A little while she came back in all pissy and handed me a card and said "I got her an appointment for tomorrow, you WILL take her to that appointment, you WILL talk to the staff in the surgeons office respectfully and if you don't I WILL see to it that your daughter is taken away from you for neglect".
To make a long story short, the bump on my daughters leg was nothing more than built up oil from an ingrown hair and it is now permanently in my daughters records at the pediatricians office that that doctor is NEVER to treat her or talk to her! I don't think I've ever been so pissed off in my entire life!
posted by justsimplyholly on May 02, 2008 at 11:04:25 am #
I hope you wrote this physician a letter or did something. Hell, I'd would have gotton an attorney to write a letter. After all, you were falsely accused of abuse.
I wrote the practice and let them know that if the doctor had put anything in my daughters medical file accusing me of abuse or neglect it needed to be removed, that I never wanted this doctor to treat or talk to my daughter and that if these requirements weren't met I would hire an attorney and sue the living shit out of them!
I've not had a single problem since, if I call for an appointment I almost always get in that day and I have not seen this specific doctor at this office "yet", although I'm fairly sure she does still work in this specific group of doctors.
posted by justsimplyholly on May 02, 2008 at 04:27:00 pm #
You know, there is one other thing that bothers me, not about my daughters pediatrician. Both of my children are seen by a psychiatrits for ADHD, I usually schedule appointments for both of them on the same day, back to back. Every time we go, we're very lucky if we get the amount of time for one full appointment, usually it's about half that time, and sometimes only one of the kids can make it to the appointment (If this happens I call ahead of time to cancel the appointment). But EVERY time the insurance company gets billed for full appointments (45 minutes) for both kids, even if I've cancelled for one.
I've called the insurance company and told them this, they said it's standard practice and since a prescription was written for both kids even if only one went, that it is legal. And we wonder why insurance costs are so friggin high?
posted by justsimplyholly on May 02, 2008 at 04:30:48 pm #
The next time I get sick, if I can't get into the Toledo Hospitals' clinic, I'll get some sort of patent medicine at the drug store. I hear "Dr. Schlepps' Nerve Tonic/Hair Restorative" is sold in this area. Is there such a compound?
posted by CharlieA-Z on May 07, 2008 at 07:56:02 pm #
Oh Yeah! Just last Tuesday with a local hand surgeon for a first appointment. The whole affair was about the process of getting the patient into the system rather than serving the patient. They wouldn't even talk to me without vetting all my insurance information first over the phone. I was OK with that. That's everywhere. The appointment was scheduled for two weeks later. I sat and waited from 3:00 intil 4:20. There were only two other patients come and go during the time they kept me cooling my heels. Their explanation was that they had to confirm my insurance (?!) and that they were working me in because I was an emergency?!. It was no emergency for sure. The worst part though was the doctor. We actually got in a verbal fight over proper surgical infection control procedures - the kind the Federal Government recommends. I've had one MRSA and I don't want another. This guy was furious when I mentioned that in 2009 Medicare would no longer pay for infections contracted by patients in hospitals. He had no idea these changes are coming and that MRSA in hospitals is serious and patients have a right to question and be concerned. This guy is definitely part of the problem and will be dragged kicking and screaming into the solution phase. He ended the visit by claiming that some patients were just looking for an excuse to sue! I have no idea where that tirade came from. I just wanted my hand fixed without getting an infection in the process. This hand surgeoun is also part of a large practice of cosmetic surgeons. I get the feeling he is good with boobs and tummy tucks but not much else. And his snotty office staff is just as bad. Whew - I feel better now.
posted by holland on Apr 29, 2008 at 05:51:14 pm #