BellaOnline Forums Health and Fitness Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome But - I "can't" fire my doctor --- huh ????????

Hello Everyone,
Today I was contacted by a gal that also lives in Indiana and wanting to know who I have as my FMS/CFS doctor. First we had to establish if we lived close enough for me to even recommend which was done right after replying to her. She complained that her doctor wasnt helping, wouldnt rx anything in the way of a narcotic,wouldnt give her anything for sleep and had at one point came right out and said "there is no such thing as Fibro ( LORD HELP ME !! ).

Amazingly she lived only 20-25 miles from me and "immediately" I wrote back who I recommended which was my primary and my pain doc ( Anesthesiologist ).

However I get a letter back saying - but, I cant fire my doctor because Im on Medicaid. When I told her "yes you can", just call Medicaid and ask for a list to be sent of doctor's she can transfer over to BUT AGAIN she replies - "I cant fire my doctor" --(picture jaw dropping to the floor)

WHAT ?? is wrong with this train of thought ?, why does anyone and even those with HMO's, PPO's, feel they are "stuck" with what they have??

PLEASE , Im sooooooo confused since Im not in her shoes or those with restricted plans that I dont know how to convince her she DOES NOT have to continue with ( 1 ) an idiot, ( 2 ) that if she is not being treated properly that surely there are people/organizations/etc. to call and make a complaint.

Help me to understand - is the poor, hopeless, prefered plan victims "stuck" with a mindset that they cannot do anything about non-treatment BECAUSE I "do not", "will not" believe nor accept this.

IF Im wrong then I have no other option but to write back and tell her "sorry, you're lost and you dont have a chance in hell to get well"

GET WELL/STAY WELL
Judie
fibrotees@yahoo.com

Judie, Hi, Not sure if she can transfer or not in her area, but thought you might be interested in a short story.
Without a lot of details. I've had FMS/MPS/CFS for about 12 years, am disabled(hate that word) and moved from a large city in another state to this small town in TN. The PC's don't do pain here, so it's always on to the pain clinics. Ended up at the hospital's anesthesiologis group, where they were brand new and ready to go. All I can say is it seemed like a good idea at the time. They used the same meds on almost all the patients. Oxycotin, zanaflex, and neurotin. I had horrible reactions, but was told I had signed a contract and had to abide by what they wanted. After a year and a half I quit. Now I can't get into another group. And because I took oxycotin I get some odd looks, ask if I'm a addict, told if I took all that I must
have a drug problem. When I try to explain what happen, they don't believe I quite because I didn't want to take it.
It's now been 6 mo since I've had anything for pain except Bextra and aleve. And now don't have that. I'm on medicare and medicaid and have very few choices in who I see. I said all of this to say, because I chose to stop going to this clinic I'm now considered suspious. Can't find a doc who doesn't ask why and when I tell them I can tell they don't think I'm being honest. All of this because I was told I had to do what the A. group said I had to.
So, this woman might know what she's talking about. You've done a really nice thing trying to help her, and I sure she's grateful. Take care Pattikat4

I'll check with my mom as she is in her 70s and will know about this stuff but I find it highly unlikely that she cannot "fire" her doc. My Grandmother is 98 and just started with a new geriatric specialist so I am thinking this lady could fire him if she knew how...I am afraid the MDiety syndrome contols a lot of people and we have the insurance premiums to show what happens when that line of thought prevails...I do know that if the doctor's staff wants to cooperate lots of good stuff can be made to happen but the doctor has to have a say in these events as well...my Grammy pays for almost no drugs she gets her neurontin(for shingles pain) her acyolovir(for shingles) and her blood pressure meds all in sample form from the doctor as do almost all his patients. He devotes more space to sample storage than to patient exam rooms. They are out there and you have to fire the bad ones to find the good ones. I have fired plenty of doctors; I interview them before I see them and tell them what I expect and what they will get in return and if they do not perform to my expectations I am outta there. We all deserve the best but we have to make sure we get it and educating ourselves is our best defense against incompetence in doctors as well as plumbers or auto mechanics.

Sometimes, it's very hard to go through all of the red tape to 'fire' your doctor. I am a big believer that as a patient, I am also a consumer. Not many have that opinion. I hope that, over time and with more education on their conditions and how the whole "MACHINE" works, more people will FIRE their doctors.

It's also a generational thing in my opinion. My mom would never 'fire' her doctor. She believes too much in what doctors say! I, however, had the same doctors before and CHANGED THEM without so much as a thought.

We need compassion and understanding and motivation through that understanding. It's not that there aren't resources out there - it's that they're often fragmented and some of us have a harder time asking and/or looking for help than others.

I think interviewing a doc ahead of time is a great idea.

I don't think telling her she's SOL is a great idea. Maybe suggest to her if she could call her plan and see if the doctor is on the list. If not, she could then call the doctor's office to see if he/she could be added. It's not that hard. However, she may feel overwhelmed. When a person is overwhelmed and/or depressed, it may be harder to take action.

There is all that and the issue of the disease in question. Its symptoms and what that entails combine to make fighting with a so-called "caregiver" even more problematical. Maybe it is time to have active healthcare omsbudsman to help people like this...not that healthcare or insurance providers either one would be in favor of any of that!

hi, i think that she should be able to fire her doctor. i am also unable to work due to a car accident,(not the same as FM, but still horrific pain on a daily basis) i not only fired my doctor, i fired several of my doctors, because 1. they were not treating me correctly, i also got the all in your head, chronic pain bla bla bla drug addick thing, you name it i went through it. thank god i finally found a doctor who not only understood, but also was able to properly diagonise the problem(my spine had collapsed) and was able to fuse it, but unfortunetly for me,because of all of these idiots who called themselves doctors, my nerves in my back are permanetly damaged. please rethink is all i can tell this person. my mom is also on ssi and she has been able to fire her doctor too, although the point made about the morons not believeing a person is all to real. so i hope it all works out for her. hang in there. merwyn