So... I knew a while ago that my pdoc was leaving the practice. He told me today that no one is able to take over his caseload and that I've been sitting in the queue for a new pdoc since the beginning of December. Then he said, "I'll give you 2 months worth of meds because I'm leaving in early March. Hopefully we find someone."

WTF. "Hopefully"???

I know nothing about laws, but... is he or the office required to find me a suitable pdoc? Or should I just start looking at other practices?

[SorryShaped]

I assume you mean "Boston, MA" as your location by using "Beantown." In the US, no, the doctor can tell you day of, or even just make a call if they're nice about it. I've had others say "I'm not keeping most of my patients after xxx date." I've also shown up to an appointment to be told "he doesn't have a practice here for two months now."
There's no laws in the USA about that at all.
Sorry you're having to deal with this. I think you can work it out.

Originally Posted by SorryShaped

I've also shown up to an appointment to be told "he doesn't have a practice here for two months now."

damn, that's pretty bad. I'd be so pissed.

Guess I should start looking elsewhere, then. It's just a crappy situation because we were working on getting my insurance to accept my Rexulti... Guess that'll never happen.

And yeah, Boston is right.

[SorryShaped]

You were given time to find another. That's good news. I felt heartbroken when my pdoc said he was phasing out. I knew it was happening but he'd earned the rest and retirement. I was fortunate enough to be moved to another provider in the same offices. I want to steal his old stapler every time I'm there, because it has his name on it.
I do have a business card of his that on the back he wrote "hardly, if ever, late and only rarely missed an appointment" several years ago. It's laminated.
I think I will steal that stapler next time.

[hopeless2015]

I'm sorry Blue...complete BS!!

[Wild Coyote]

there are lots of psychiatrists in Boston. He needn't find one to take his whole caseload in order to find one able to take you.

There are some ethical considerations around "patient dumping." I do not know if this qualifies and/or any elated details.

I hope you can find someone helpful.


WC

[*Laurie*]

Yep, you're on your own. Isn't that nice?

[~Christina]

Yes time for you to put the work in every day to find a new provider, total suckage !

I went through the same thing last year. I called to confirm an appointment and the receptionist said "he's not going to be here by then. Start looking for a new pdoc." There were no other pdocs in the office that could take me either.
It's messed up how they can just dump us with little to no notice.
Time to look at other practices. I don't know if you have this, but my insurance company has a website where I can look up doctors in the area that accept that insurance. It's really helpful.
I hope you find a new, competent pdoc easily.

Thanks for the responses and suggestions

I looked at my insurance company's website and they had an exhaustive list of providers who accept my insurance... BUT I called 5 different places so far with no luck. Either you have to be a "member" of their system, or the doctors only work in the hospital (i.e., not outpatient). The problem with being a "member" is that you have to have a primary care practitioner with them before you can even be seen by a psychiatrist.

wtf

[SorryShaped]

So sign up for a PCP? Gotta jump the insurance hoops. They love it when you don't, because they don't have to pay for anything. We had a batch job of denial letters at the one I worked at called DBOH, "denial based on hoops."

I'm sorry you're in this position. My therapist gave me two months notice two weeks ago and it has worsened my mood. I was once dumped by a psychiatrist, but eventually found a very wonderful one. Hope you do, too.

[bioChE]

Keep calling. Finding a psychiatrist is tough. In my area most of them are not taking new patients, or they’re in private, cash-only practices. You’ll find someone.

If you run out of your scripts before finding a new doc, take your prescription bottles with you to an urgent care or the ER at Mass General. Usually they’ll help tide you over until you find a new doc.

I had a similar issue. Mine left his practice and went out on his own, only he wasn’t going to open his office for several months. This happened RIGHT when I hit full-on mania from insomnia from the propanolol he prescribed me.

I couldn’t find any place else to take me because you had to have your primary there. So I tried to get an appointment with another psychiatrist at my center, but couldn’t because most of the psychiatry department walked out at the same time!!

The tried to make me go see my primary for meds, so I did, and he was p*ssed because he didn’t know what to do, I’m full-on manic and going to get fired if I don’t get help!

So my primary signs me out for work stress for two weeks, and I war-dial psychiatry until finally they phone in some Olanzapine to my pharmacy. They didn’t even see me!!

It was unbelievable how little they care.

They kept trying to make me just see my primary. Really? Right exactly when I go from bipolar II to bipolar I? He’s no expert on psychiatric medications.

You can see if your primary will help you.

You can also call insurance and see if they will let you see someone out of network and what the extra cost would be.

[amicus_curiae]

In re checking your insurers website:

If you can sort by zip code, you may find clusters of docs at the same address, meaning that they are (usually) associates within a group practice. (Continuing with ‘usually’...) Within a group you might find that 10 docs accept your insurance whilst 10 do not. The appointment folks might be able to suggest a good combination.

My therapist and pdoc are both under one association of psychiatric providers but the associates are spread out over five locations and not all associates accept my insurance.

My third shrink was my best. When he told me that he was leaving his practice for a research position I cried for hours. This was way back, long ago, when shrinks were therapists instead of script writers. I guess that it all changed during my eleven-year holiday. I was a lot shocked when I got out and found that PhD therapists = 50-minute appointments and MD shrinks = 15-minute script-writing appointments.

My therapist doesn’t pretend to know anything about psychmeds. Then I see my pdoc, in a different location, who knows nothing about my therapy sessions. No communications between the five different locations. The therapists have a kind of fear of contacting the pdocs. I have to ask my therapist what my up-to-date diagnoses might be and then pass the info to my pdoc.

Finding a new t/pdoc sucks. I have to find someone closer. Good luck on your search... I hope that you can find someone who gives a damn.

Thanks for your support everyone

I found someone!!!!!

It's a nurse practitioner, but who cares. She's not there in the office often, but I spent 4-5 hours looking for someone. thank god

There was a psychiatrist available at their office, but he required weekly therapy with him. I think that'd be a little weird for me even though it might work out for other people.

[SorryShaped]

Woot! This is great for you. Excellent

[Wild Coyote]

Originally Posted by bluebicycle

Thanks for your support everyone

I found someone!!!!!

It's a nurse practitioner, but who cares. She's not there in the office often, but I spent 4-5 hours looking for someone. thank god

There was a psychiatrist available at their office, but he required weekly therapy with him. I think that'd be a little weird for me even though it might work out for other people.

Congrats!!!


WC

Thanks. All I need to do now is get my medical records and bring them over to this new place.

They're actually down the street from my current place, so I'm going to have them printed and then walk them down to the new office.

Who'd've guessed that this place would be right down the street.

Literally, it was probably the 16th place I called.

[SorryShaped]

Originally Posted by bluebicycle

Thanks. All I need to do now is get my medical records and bring them over to this new place.

They're actually down the street from my current place, so I'm going to have them printed and then walk them down to the new office.

Who'd've guessed that this place would be right down the street.

Literally, it was probably the 16th place I called.

When you fail at one one, try another one. We'll never run out of psych professionals and meds. They go into it to help themselves firstly.

I'm so happy you found someone! Hopefully she's good and you guys work together well.