Do you think doctors should schedule appointments for the time the patient will be taken back, or the time the doctor will see the patient?

My health care provider schedules the appointments and also ask to be there 15 minutes before the appointment to make sure forms are filled out and insurance checked.

The appointment is when the nurse or assistant take me back for weighing and blood pressure and vitals check. The doctor comes in after all the prelim stuff.

@zenvelo With my dad’s appointment, the appointment time was basically the time he meets with the doctor. They wanted him there early not only for any paperwork, but also including the time with the nurse, so they are essentially taking him to the back before the appointment time.

I’ve never run into anything like that but I’m generally 10–15 minutes early because sometimes they have a space to fit someone in or move you up.

I saw a commercial where the doctors wait in the waiting room. “The patient will see you now”.

There is no way to know exactly what time the doc will actually be able to see you.

@Dutchess_III Agreed. Patients need patience.

The best doctor I ever had took extra time to educate his patients. This meant he was always late. But he was worth it.

I completely agree that the patient should be told to “come in at 9:00 and the doctor will see you at 9:15. That eliminates confusion for everyone. In my opinion the doctor should make it easier on the patients, not harder.

But these are the same doctors who will blithely order the most expensive medication without realizing the fact that their patient will not be able to pay for it. Such cluelessness is unacceptable, but common nevertheless.

The med costs are something you need to take up with your pharmacist.

I have known doctors who DO know the costs of the medications they prescribe to their patients. If some are able to track it, then others can too.

Doctors know that some of the drugs they prescribe might not be covered by insurance or are very expensive. Especially new drugs are likely to be more expensive, because our patent laws in the US let drug manufacturers gouge the consumer.

A lot of doctors see a patient has a big name insurance like BCBS or Cigna, and assume insurance will pay for procedures and medicine. Doctors and their staff almost never take into account that some of us have very high deductibles and pay for everything. It’s frustrating.

Some doctors are savvy enough to know that some pills might be billed by qty, so will prescribe the bigger pills and have the patient cut them in half => 50% savings!

@RocketGuy a lot of doctors I deal with now won’t do it! They are obsessed with writing the script “accurately.” My old doctor used to write me a script for the two thyroid drugs I take, I alternate doses and I’d get 90 pills each, and now I can only get 28 pills total of the two combined each month. You would think it was a narcotic the way they do it.

If they write split the pill I would only get 14 pills because of how it’s written and my insurance would only allow a month.

The docs may know but the pharmacists are the experts.

True, @Dutchess_III But if a doctor really cares about the mandate of his job of to “do no harm”, surely he might be willing to at least warn his patients of the potential cost, and not just assume that they can afford the copay. Omission of information can actually lead to harm you know, and of course, forcing a disabled person to do extra work to get the medication prescribed can actually be difficult to impossible for some.

To me, that’s unacceptable. But I’ve been told to “lower my standards” regarding medical care before here, so this practice certainly goes along with that narritive.

You need to take some responsibility for your self. You don’t HAVE to fill a script.

@Dutchess_III That’s true, and many don’t, preferring to heat their homes or eat. Which is why it certainly would be commendable if doctors made a practice of being sensitive to the cost of the medications they expect their patients to take. But I can dream, can’t it?

My docs have always prescribed the generic if one is available.

@Dutchess_III ”...You need to take some responsibility for your self. You don’t HAVE to fill a script.

True, I could just die from heart failure or stroke out.

My point is, it’s not the doctor’s fault that some meds are so expensive and it’s pointless to complain as though it is.

As long as we are talking options, I’m tossing this out there.

I am 69 years old. Four years ago I was on the verge of 5 different auto-immune disorders. Had I been going to a traditional doctor in the US, I’d be miserably ill, and on a handful of prescription meds to deal with all my symptoms.

Instead, I’ve been going to a naturopath, I am on no prescriptions, and I’m feeling better than I have in a decade. At this age, most folks I know at least have arthritis or are pre diabetic, or something. Of course none of this is covered by the required (scammy) Medicare and its supplement, so I’m paying out of pocket. Nevertheless, my quality of life is worth the cost.

Some of my natural doctors’ methods have been more successful than others, but I’m still very glad I’ve chosen this path. Regardless of how enmeshed you are in the medical system, it’s important to remember that you are still the consumer, and you are paying THEM. If they aren’t treating you right, you still have options.

@Dutchess_III It’s never pointless for the patient to let the doctor know that if they have a high copay, or don’t have drug coverage on their insurance, or have some other issue with having to pay for high med costs, so the doctor can look into whether there’s something else equivalent or similar to prescribe instead. Speaking up to advocate for oneself is never a bad thing, and doctors should work with the patient and not be blind and think that everyone can afford everything. Saying that “you don’t have to fill a script” may be asking for a death sentence.

You articulated my exact point @jca2. The patient needs to let the doctor know. To simply complain about it instead is pointless.
Again the pharmacist is the drug expert.