Doctor wait times in your area ?

[CRJR45]

Trying to get in to see a GI Dr and the soonest available appointment is middle of March ?
Not sure if it’s my insurance, ( Healthcare United ) or just the state of the medical community in general?
What are you seeing ?

 

[Laelkhunter]

About three weeks, and they won't do the "call me if someone cancels" routine. I have Medicare and United Healthcare supplement plan F.

 

[Nick87]

About the same. My wife has had appointments with like 5 different specialists over the last year. Quickest one was about 9 weeks out some were 6 months. We have bcbs.

 

[Nick87]

Hope your able to get in somewhere sooner tham later and it's not serious. The real kicker is when you finally get in and they can't help and send you to the next specialist. Gets frustrating quick.

 

[TOGIE]

i think this is just basic supply and demand.

especially for certain specialists.

lotsa patients and not lotsa doctors.

 

[Wild Bill]

An assistant from my primary care Dr called this morning to schedule my annual wellness exam. They asked if I could get in on Tuesday the 21st (5 days).
I had a meniscus tear about a year and a half ago. Took Maybe 2 weeks to see the ortho. Got in for the MRI about 4 days later.
Fairly quick turnaround here. I do have a very flexible schedule though, so I can make about anything work on my end.

 

[CRJR45]

Hope your able to get in somewhere sooner tham later and it's not serious. The real kicker is when you finally get in and they can't help and send you to the next specialist. Gets frustrating quick.

Yup ! It’s a game of Well we eliminated that , what’s next .
I’m pretty sure it’s Colitis , I had it years ago from being prescribed Viox , hospitalized for weeks .
Up side ? I’ve lost 30 lbs without trying , so that’s cool

 

[mevertsen]

Trying to get in to see a GI Dr and the soonest available appointment is middle of March ?
Not sure if it’s my insurance, ( Healthcare United ) or just the state of the medical community in general?
What are you seeing ?

Depends on the specialist.

I was 3 months out for an Endocrinology appointment

 

[Gynaroo]

Specialists (cardiology, endocrinology, GI, and Neuro) aren’t as common as your PCP or family doc. Especially in smaller communities. Many times there is a small group servicing a large population and it gets very booked out.

 

[LuketheDog]

lotsa patients and not lotsa doctors.

This^

My wife is an in-demand PCP, she's usually about 2 months out. They're trying to hire more PCPs but there are very few looking for work.

 

[gouch]

I had my annual physical in October. Talking to my doctor he told me that there are a lot of oncologists in the area, but all other specialties are severely lacking and good luck if you need one of them.

 

[rmyoung1]

i think this is just basic supply and demand.

especially for certain specialists.

lotsa patients and not lotsa doctors.

This

My wife is an eye surgeon. She can’t see patients or hire qualified people fast enough. Population ages faster than candidates can be trained. If you call her for an appointment, it’s a six-month wait.

 

[Nameless Range]

I think G.I. doctors are particularly susceptible to demand exceeding supply. Damn near everyone gets a colonoscopy when they turn 45, and every five years afterward. Increasingly, issues are discovered. With an aging population, it could exacerbate the demand side of the equation.

I’m married to a G.I. nurse (when people ask her what that means she says butts and guts ) and don’t think your wait is out of the ordinary, though it sucks.

 

[TOGIE]

This

My wife is an eye surgeon. She can’t see patients or hire qualified people fast enough. Population ages faster than candidates can be trained. If you call her for an appointment, it’s a six-month wait.

you know, hearing all this makes me glad to live in the Denver-Boulder bubble.

there are definitely some long waits around here, especially as a new patient and especially with some specialties.

but i'm headed to the eye surgeon in less than an hour and only had to look out maybe a month to book this; frankly, i think that was only because i needed to push it out that far. can see my eye doctor on a whim and my pcp next week if i want and then can still get a dermatologist appt booked less than a month out too.