Finding a new Primary Care Doctor

📎  Judith @JudithC550012 , like you I want a doctor & NOT a Nurse Practitioner. But in my area as the Medicare Drama escalates, we are losing more doctors so I go ahead and see a NP "if" I have NO "choice". Take care, Nicole!

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➡️[*** JUDITH @JudithC550012 wrote:

I set up an appointment with my usual Primary Care, she's great, evaluates everything, monitors my Thyroid, Hypertension, blood sugar, etc.  But after setting up the appointment, the office called me and said she had an emergency, and will not be returning to the office until April 2026, ugh.  So the office told me about other doctors at the clinic, one MD and one NP, I told them my insurance is paying for me to see an MD.  So the best they could do is schedule me for a DO, which is fine.  Now while waiting for this, I have been concerned because my Apple watch warned me one night that I had Afib (very scary, so this is one of my reasons to get an appointment).  After having this appointment and waiting to get in (been over a week), the office calls me and tells me I can't see this doctor, he doesn't take new patients, and he is semi-retired.  What??? They didn't know this when they scheduled me?  They told me my own option is to get in to see the Nurse Practioner.   By now I am so mad a everyone at this clinic, I told them no thanks, I'll find my own new Primary Care doctor.  

I have been searching online, and the area I live in has health networks, the one I've been using, doesn't offer too many MD anymore, mainly NP's, or OD's.  Their is another network, but depending on the network, determines the hospital you go to if you have to be hospitalized.  

The first network (Franciscan Health) has more clinics, covers more hospitals.  The second network (Powers Health) seems to have better doctors and less hospitals.   I was told that Powers Health was taking less Medicare, and I have the Medicare with Medigap.  

Right now I'm really confused on where I should be looking for a new Primary Care, and if any specifice specialty, or do I just need to suck it up and settle for a NP

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@JudithC550012 

You go to the Medicare. gov website and find yourself a provider that accept Traditional Medicare - all the better if they take Medicare assignment and it should say on their profile.

Medicare.gov - Find & compare providers near you. 

Getting a fast appointment for a new patient may be a trick but at least you have a start - or if the Afib is of paramount concern you could self-refer to a cardiologist.  But if you just want to be checked out for a bunch of stuff, like what you described - you can see an Internist, General Practitioner, Primary Care, Gerontologist.  You do need to see a MD or DO at least in the beginning - then they can refer you to a NP or PA for incidentals or care monitoring.   

My wife and I have been seeing NP for years. They are in just about every doctor's office around. They know what they are doing and some people say they keep up with newer methods more so than the doctor. I don't know about that. They don't do any of the test that require you to be put to sleep.

The though of getting a new doctor for any of my health issues is something I would think long and hard about. Even if you have your record's most of the time you are going to have a ton of test that you have already had over the years, that's just the nature of the beast.

Agree with you about the clinic. We get mad at the people in our dr's office a lot. Seems like the clerks and aides are always changing. I go to my doctor's at least twice a year, very seldom if ever is the aide at my GP office the same as last visit. 

Nurse Practitioners are fantastic and can write prescriptions.  Some were better than docs!