I have a problem. Tonight my father was complaining about how I should get a checkup for all the boils on my head (I’m working on trying to fix that), and being the guy who wants permanent fixes, I’m just going to get a checkup now while I’m still looking for a job.
But the last time I had a regular, non school-based checkup was in 2014 with my old family doctor after the Obamacare thing, and as a result, I’ve had to sign up to a health plan- and as such I haven’t seen the current doctor listed on my card yet. I tried this year to see a doctor while I was in school to do a checkup before I left, but the doctor said I didn’t need one since I was well (the doctor was notorious for poor medical service).
With a Medicaid card and a health plan from some company, I’m utterly confused. Now what do I do?
Eh…after I made the main topic (which I can’t edit due to restrictions- I work slowly), I had changed my primary provider to a provider located at Mercy Hospital at 2525 S. Michigan- the hospital my father likes (cause both I and my father were originally located (and born) in Bridgeport), so now with that settled, it’s just a matter of getting the appointment made, boom, bang, done.
Mercy has a “find a provider” search function on their website. For your purposes, you want someone in Internal Medicine or Family Medicine. You can enter your preferences (if any) for gender, languages spoken, facility and ZIP code. When you click Search, a list will come up, with phone numbers you can call to ask if they’re taking new patients, see if they accept your insurance, and make an initial appointment. http://www.mercy-chicago.org/find-a-physician
The other option is to call the number on your insurance card, and tell them you need to set up a Primary Care Provider, and they’ll try to find you one in your area that they cover.
Expect it to be a few weeks before you can get in, if you don’t have any current pressing need. It’s a good idea to make your calls now, though. Once you’ve seen them once and are “an established patient,” then they’ll be able to get you in quicker when you’re sick.
On top of that, if there aren’t any pressing matters, since we’re so close to the end of the year, you may be better off pushing your first visit into the new year. I don’t know what kind of plan you have or anything at all about Medicaid, but if you have anything that involves deductibles that reset each year, there’s not much point in throwing any money at it now if it can wait until January 1st.
However, keep in mind, A)if anything is bothering you, you should deal with it now and B)You’re not the only person thinking this way. December and January fill up fast so if you do plan to push this off until the new year, you should still make the appointment now. You can always change/move/cancel it, but at least you have something on their books.
Well by November 1st the primary care provider should be switched (I already put in the request online), and then I’ll make the appointment. Since I’m not working right now, there should be no problem with me finding some sort of date and time. I’ve been to Mercy a few times for blood tests and ear, nose, and throat care, so hopefully I should have some history with those guys.
The only that that isn’t covered in my plan (Harmony) is Elective cosmetic surgery, Custodial care services, and Elective abortions. Obviously the latter isn’t going to apply to me. If there’s a cost, it’ll be either because the drug I take is brand name (but at $3.90), over the counter (at $2.50), or…well, that’s about it. I might be dumb when it comes to the new law, but I definitely found a good plan when I was picking.
Maybe they’ll figure something out because I can tell them the boils are effecting my sleep (they are). Actually, they’re not really boils, they’re just a bad infestation of pimples, but I still need a checkup so dad won’t be bitching about my health.
I did mention I like permanent fixes to problems so they don’t arise again.
Word of warning: if you’re scheduling this as a routine/annual/preventative checkup don’t be surprised if the attention to your boil situation ends up counting as a second office visit, and whatever impact that has on your insurance.
Basically you need to have a “primary care physician” (PCP). You would first go to that doctor with concerns and also have regular check-ups. Then if it is something the PCP can’t handle, he/she would send you to a specialist or send you to have special tests done.
Anyway you can’t start out seeing a specialist. You need to be “referred” by your PCP.
Some PCPs take a long time to get an appointment - months in some areas. Sometimes they are not even taking any new patients! But if you need to see someone right away, you can go to Urgent Care or the Emergency Room of a hospital.
OP, w/ more information your doctor can give you better treatment usually; if you keep a food journal from now until your appointment they can look at possible food sensitivities or other things where your diet may be influencing your skin’s health.
Preventive annual visits don’t even have a co-pay under the ACA; but a visit to address a specific concern the patient has can be charged a co-pay if the insurance they have allows it. When they ask what you’re being seen for you’ll tell them it’s for a preventive checkup and then during the visit your doctor will ask if you have any concerns; that’s when you mention any specific medical issues.
My dad get screwed by that once. Went in for his yearly visit. Got a bill later for a few hundred dollars. When he called to remind them that annual visits shouldn’t cost anything with his insurance he was told that it wasn’t an annual visit but rather a ‘consultation’. A little more digging revealed that at some point in the visit he mentioned that from time to time he gets really bad stomach right about here. The doctor said ‘that could be diverticulitis’. That was it, nothing else was mentioned about that subject. So now, instead of a regular visit it was a consultation with a possible diagnosis of diverticulitis. He went back and forth with them (and the doctor as well) but they wouldn’t budge. Eventually he paid the bill and found a new doctor.
The bill was really high, I have a funny feeling everything done during the entire visit was probably billed as part of the consultation. Ever since I heard that story, I’ve told people they may be better off doing they’re regular (free) annual check up separate from bringing up a complaint, if one or the other can wait. No point in getting billed a super high rate for the doc to poke and prod at you when you’re just wondering about, say, some boils on your head.
I’m really surprised by the wait to get an appointment. Is that common with US doctors?
I rang my doctor’s practice yesterday morning to get an appointment and was seen this morning at 8:30. I’ve never known anyone to have to wait more than a day or two for a normal appointment (non-acute issue).
Yes, it’s very common to wait weeks or even months for both PCP and specialists. Let’s say you’re a woman who wants an annual Pap/gyno checkup; first priority is for pregnant patients on the OB side of the practice, so chances are the wait will be 3-6 weeks for non-pregnant you.
And while you’re finally AT your appointment, you better hope no one in your doctor’s practice is in labor or you might get rescheduled.
Yes, but the wait is usually greatest when you’re establishing a new relationship with a new doctor. If you’re making an appointment with your own established doctor, the wait is generally more like 1-3 weeks if there is nothing pressing. At least, in my area (which is also the OP’s area). It varies.
As a home health nurse, I can often call my patient’s doctor if there’s an urgent matter and get them in the same day. But almost by definition, if the doctor has signed for me to go to the home and make visits, it’s because she knows the patient is in somewhat fragile health. Those cases get priority. And if the patient calls the doctor directly, they’re usually looking at at least a 2-3 day wait. I’m the doctor’s eyes and ears, and they trust me not to call and request an immediate visit if it’s not necessary.
Well, I just finished the appointment. January 18th, 2017 at 9:45AM is the wellness checkup.
Sweet Jesus, that’s a long time. When my parents and I (back before the Obamacare law) were using our family doctor, the wait time was at least one week (and all in the Chicago Metro area). What a difference, huh?
More or less I just got the appointment and that was about it. I know the hospital well because I had my blood drawn there at one time and I had to go there for a specialty issue that was covered with my old healthcare years ago (when I was a kid).
As far as coverage goes- again- I read the fine print a hundred times, and I only found three things that the coverage doesn’t cover. The pimples on my hair (it’s scalp acne, according to websites), according to studies, are caused by stress, so I just have to keep calm and relax.