Dr. Office Cancelled on Me...Twice!

[MIGrandma]

Has your doctor's office ever cancelled on you? More than once?

I had an appointment for last Thursday, for my regular diabetic check-up. A couple weeks before that the office called me to re-schedule as the PA that I see wasn't going to be there. No problem. They re-scheduled it for this Friday, the 29th. At the time I had forgotten about the royal wedding so I was kind of bummed about it and jokingly thought about re-scheduling it again so I wouldn't miss any of the televised festivities.

But. They called this morning, to re-schedule it again as the PA still won't be there! So now they want me to come Monday at 1:00, and I told her I was supposed to be fasting for the blood work so she wants me to come Thursday morning for that. Two trips now, instead of one.

Oh well, at least I don't have to worry about missing any of the wedding!

 

[charming23]

My mom's doctor has done that a few times, at least three in the past few months. The first time she understood because we had a huge snowstorm and she was going to call and reschedule anyways as the driving conditions were horrible. Then she was suppossed to go in March and they called and rescheduled her for April, well that appointment has been cancelled to. She decided not to reschedule, just a physical, and is looking into other doctors.

 

[Hannathy]

Hope the PA is alright. Sounds like they were out with something that they thought would be resolved by this week and it is turning out to be more involved. Like an injury turned into surgery or a pregnancy turned into bed rest.

 

[tlbwriter]

But. They called this morning, to re-schedule it again as the PA still won't be there! So now they want me to come Monday at 1:00, and I told her I was supposed to be fasting for the blood work so she wants me to come Thursday morning for that. Two trips now, instead of one.

Will two trips mean two co-pays? If so, I'd tell them to reschedule you at a time when it can all be done at once.

 

[MIGrandma]

Hope the PA is alright. Sounds like they were out with something that they thought would be resolved by this week and it is turning out to be more involved. Like an injury turned into surgery or a pregnancy turned into bed rest.

The first time they called to re-schedule they said Cathy (the PA I always see) "wouldn't be back yet" but they had another PA, Matt, filling in.

Will two trips mean two co-pays? If so, I'd tell them to reschedule you at a time when it can all be done at once.

I don't have a co-pay, our insurance doesn't cover office visits at all. I don't think they will charge me an office visit for the blood work, but maybe I should call tomorrow to ask for sure because I certainly don't want to pay for two visits when it's not my fault it has to be done this way.

If I wasn't diabetic I would just fast on Monday and let them draw blood when I go in at 1:00 for my appointment. But I don't think I should wait that long to have breakfast.

 

[Hannathy]

That's good about the PA. My office doesn't charge a co pay for blood and if they want to I'd say then find me an appointment earlier!

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Oh I can do better than that. I've shown up at my appointment only to be told that I was there on the wrong day and that it was more than likely the fault of one of the schedulers who was always scheduling people on one day and then telling them it was another day.

So I took off work and now they're saying I need to come back the next day (and take off more work) because their scheduler screwed up?

 

[IdesOmarch]

What you say when this happens is "I''m sorry, I require 24 hours notice before a cancellation, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to charge you for that time" and send them a bill!

 

[MIGrandma]

What you say when this happens is "I''m sorry, I require 24 hours notice before a cancellation, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to charge you for that time" and send them a bill!

Well, they did call me today, Tuesday, and my app. wasn't until Friday morning so they were well within the 24-hour rule.

It does kinda bother me they did it twice though.

But the more time I have to think about it, I do think I'm going to call in the morning and ask them to please find me another appointment to get both things done at once. I really don't want to make two trips into town, with gas prices the way they are. I think the app. can wait another week or two until they can fit me in properly.

 

[disfan07]

Yup. It used to bother me but I deal with them so often that it doesn't anymore. I put it on the list with having to wait at doctors offices....it is what it is.

The cancellations are usually realted to last minute conferences or classes that they are teaching.

The best was when my internist was sick and the had to cancel a pre-op appointment. I had this appointment on monday, we were leaving for Disney on wed. and I was having surgery the morning after we got back. So they called at 7:45 AM the day of my appointment and had to cancel. We couldn't reschedule because we were not going to be here. Luckily, I had another appointment with another one of my doctors that day who was more than willing to do my pre-op.

I've had everyone of my doctors cancel an appointment (and there are 8 of them) at least once.

The other reason I don't mind is that even though the office "policy" is 24 hours notice for cancellations, we have never gotten billed for cancelling same day. I do it all the time. I wake up sick, something comes up, etc and I have to cancel. I have never been charged.

 

[laurie31]

This happened to me with DD12, a year or two ago, depending on how you count.

I called in July '09 to make well-child appointments for August. Got an appointment in...OCTOBER. O-kay.

So the appointment gets close and they call to reschedule for December. Then I got rescheduled for March. Then early May. Then later in May, and finally, the first week of June.

Yes, June '10.

I had a few words to say to my ped when I *finally* saw her, about it taking *11 MONTHS* to get a well-child appointment, and the number of times I was rescheduled. I understand about things coming up, but it seemed after being cancelled 2-3 times, it should be someone else's turn. She was horrified, profusely apologized, had NO IDEA that was going on, and said the way the computer system was, the secretary had no way to know I had already been rescheduled previously. She said if that ever happened again, to call and speak to her directly. There was no reason I should have had to wait 11 months for an appointment.

OP, absolutely make them find a time when you only have to go once. The price of gas makes two trips very inconvenient, not to mention the your time driving there twice.


I also hope your PA is okay. Several of my cancellations were because my ped's own children were sick, (and I do respect her for putting her own kids first. I just think being rescheduled 6 times is excessive, no matter what. They should have fit me in on another day when she was there before 11 months had passed.

 

[Cat0727]

Yesterday I got a cancellation e-mail from the doctor's office for my appointment next Monday. I called them today to see what happened and the doctor has an emergency she has to attend to. The good this is I had booked it on ZocDoc, and their customer service rep called me offering their apologies and e-mailed me a $10 Amazon gift card.