New patient General Practitioners in your state or only Urgent Care?

[LuvOrlando]

I have noticed that all the General Practitioner type Dr's seem to have vanished from day to day practice and are instead in Urgent Care Centers because it is impossible to get a new patient appointment. Trying to get a family member into a practice in Boston has as a new patient been impossible with some TEACHING hospitals simply saying the entire hospital for GP is completely full.... whaaat??

Do you see this wherever you are? Are you in a city, suburb or rural?

 

[barkley]

we are rural but close to the largest medical hub for a few states. that said-dating back to when we moved here in 2007 it has been VERY hard to find a general practitioner that is taking new patients. we only got our original b/c dh ended up in an e/r a few months after moving here and they scheduled him with one to do a follow up who agreed to take both of us on. when he retired the practice was unable to replace him so all his patients were left searching. we were able to find one months down the line but I know if our current is looked up (even on our insurance's website where he's a preferred provider) it shows as him not taking any new patients on. I want to say when there was a wait list it was projected to be over a year long.

my oldest has gone through at least 2 or 3 over the past few years b/c the older ones retire, the younger ones are just doing it till they can get into whatever specialty they aspire to.

 

[greeneyedchick]

Near Orlando and we have the same issue here. It's especially annoying because urgent care refuses to do things like prescribe yearly maintenance items like epi pens and inhalers. They also can't sign paperwork for a followup ultrasound if your free mammogram looks suspicious. I had a friend who had to wait 6 months to see a GP to follow up on her mammogram.

 

[greeneyedchick]

I'll also add that it's frustrating if you want to have a back up practioner since our general family doc is very difficult to see if you're sick. They only take day-of appointments and if you're not on the phone as soon as they open, you won't get a spot. I'd like to already be "in" with another doctor but if you've already had a check up for the year, there isn't a way to become a patient until you're sick (in which case, there's no openings). My one daughter lucked out and saw a great doctor when she was sick. She's been invalvulable when she has been sick other times. But since my son's haven't seen her, she won't see my sons if I call when they are sick. I say "she" but it's really Orlando Health central scheduling that won't allow it.

 

[Living42Day]

We're very lucky, I can get in next day to see my PCP. There are several doctors still open for new patients at the practice I go to. I try not to visit urgent care if I can avoid it.

For GYN, dermatology, or neurology there is a long waiting period for new patients. At least 4 months, but all the way up until November when trying to book in January. Craziness!

 

[tvguy]

Medical group my Doctor is with has 48, 26 are accepting new patients.

 

[georgina]

There are several small practices around me, affiliated with major hospitals, that are accepting new patients. When we moved here a few years ago the first couple of primary care doctors I called weren’t, but eventually I found someone I like. Unfortunately he is associated with a different hospital system than my endocrinologist, but I found her first and she is in a speciality for my condition.

 

[barkley]

I'll also add that it's frustrating if you want to have a back up practioner since our general family doc is very difficult to see if you're sick. They only take day-of appointments and if you're not on the phone as soon as they open, you won't get a spot. I'd like to already be "in" with another doctor but if you've already had a check up for the year, there isn't a way to become a patient until you're sick (in which case, there's no openings). My one daughter lucked out and saw a great doctor when she was sick. She's been invalvulable when she has been sick other times. But since my son's haven't seen her, she won't see my sons if I call when they are sick. I say "she" but it's really Orlando Health central scheduling that won't allow it.

we can get in if we are I'll without much of an issue-it may be next day at most. my oldest lucks out on this with their medical group though-the university located in the same small town as the medical group contracted with them to be the health provider for students so they have to have more extended hours/saturdays and walk-in services which they have extended to non university patients as well.

 

[barkley]

Unfortunately he is associated with a different hospital system than my endocrinologist, but I found her first and she is in a speciality for my condition.

endocrinologists are unicorns in our region. rare and difficult to come by-if you are fortunate enough to find one you book your appointments very far out (I think for non emergent 'check-up' appointments my oldest has them scheduled a year in advance).

 

[loves to dive]

I live in Athens, GA home of UGA and GPs are everywhere. We have a large population of less than young people and between that and the university it's not a problem. Specialists are also plentiful, although you need to book them pretty far in advance. We have two hospitals here and most doctor's have privileges at both. It helps that we are also in a spot where a number of rural counties also come here. I have only tried once to get a day of appointment with my GP and it was a no go, I just went to Urgent Care. It wasn't an emergency but I did need to see a doctor that day.

 

[clh2]

We have a few APNPs in our area, my dad had some urgent medical needs when he moved to our area last fall. She was simply fabulous. Even my dad was impressed. At 87, my dad was used to the “barely an exam from Medicare”, and this nurse practitioner spent about an hour with him. She may not be a physician, but she she is way more accessible than physicians.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

I am right outside Louisville, Kentucky. My son is "aging out" from the pediatrician and my PCP that I have seen for for over 30 years is retiring next year. I won't have trouble finding a new primary for either of us.

Now, talk to me about a GI doctor. It literally takes months to get in to see one even you have a referral from your PCP.

 

[mjkacmom]

Our practice isn’t accepting new patients, sick on the day, go to urgent care (which they are affiliated with). Big companies are buying practices up, the new medical centers are very nice, organized, enough parking which is huge, everything you need is on site. Specialists take months to get into as a new patient, but that’s not new.

 

[EACarlson]

I live in a semi rural area and we have three different health systems, one is taking new patients with no issues, one is somewhat difficult to get in with and the last is very difficult to get in with as a new patient. I have to schedule my PCP visits a year in advance and when something comes up, I usually end up seeing someone else in the office or going to urgent care. The last time, I had see my kids' doctor, but I also got the problem dealt with that day rather than waiting weeks or months or paying for an ER visit.
When I needed a specialist, I was able to get an Ortho appointment the same day and didn't have an issue scheduling my procedure for the next week.

 

[cabanafrau]

It's slim pickings in our area. My primary hasn't been taking on new patients for several years now and is so booked out that I schedule my physicals as I am leaving the office after I complete the current one. There are a few sick patient visits available one morning a week, but odds are high even then you'll still wind up seeing one of the PAs or NPs as you do the rest of the week for a sick visit. It's currently a bit of a headache to deal with their office overall because their hospital system is merging with yet another hospital system when we're still feeling the aftereffects of the previous merger. I hope to stay with my doc until he eventually retires, which I hope will be about two decades away at least.

It was nervewracking beginning of 2024 when my mom's doc left the hospital-owned practice to set up his own office. In the end I elected to put up with the hassles of making the move with him because he is such a great doc and manages to patiently and diligently keep on top of my mom's situation. It's still bumpy dealing with the bureaucratic red tape the hospital system attempts to strangle the situation with, but I feel confident I can handle many of her actual medical issues easily and properly because he is thorough about his patients. He left the hospital-run practice to get more quality of life for himself AND handle his patients on his terms, not based on the metrics for profit the hospital system demanded and kept ratcheting up.

 

[ClaraOswald]

My GP is nearly impossible to see for any type of illness that pops up. For yearly appointments, I make them several months in advance. When I get sick, I usually get in to see the NP at the same location. Their location does have Urgent Care with an MD as well, if needed. So yeah....I pretty much see the NP more throughout the year than my GP.

She does take new patients though, I think.

I live in the Omaha, NE metro so there are several different healthcare system options for people. Not sure how the others are though since I've been with this one for 2 decades now.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

We have both but I tend to go with urgent care and nurse staffed clinics.

I know there are benefits to having a regular doctor, but every time I think I've found a PCP that might work for me, they either...
a. Try to take the place of one of my specialists.
b. Immediately hand me off to a specialist.

Of course, sometimes when I go to urgent care for help, they sometimes recommend you follow up with a PCP. This starts the cycle over again and has me going in circles. I can't win.

 

[georgina]

Reading these, I am reminded that the situation with finding doctors is only going to get worse. Medical school is expensive, and many doctors don't want to go into lower paying general practice when they can make more as a surgeon or even a dermatologist. Plus dealing with the insurance companies is driving doctor burnout. Many don't like the limited amount of time they are supposed to spend with patients.

endocrinologists are unicorns in our region. rare and difficult to come by-if you are fortunate enough to find one you book your appointments very far out (I think for non emergent 'check-up' appointments my oldest has them scheduled a year in advance).

I do make my annual endo appts a year out, but have been able to change them within a month

 

[sam_gordon]

My PCP is easy to get into and close to the house. I'm not crazy about the way the office is managed, but it hasn't gotten bad enough to look elsewhere.

For this thread, I went to my insurors web page, Find Care > PCP > Accepts new patients. I count at least two dozen listed in my town. Now, whether they're actually accepting new patients, or how easy they'd be to get in to see, I don't know. Not willing to make the calls to find out.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Medical group my Doctor is with has 48, 26 are accepting new patients.

But is it real appointments or Public Relations nonsense?

We kept calling all the numbers on the website only to be told they have a total of zero available for new patient visits with GP. Meanwhile this hospital I called has a website that says 12 are accepting new patients with profiles of happy faces but when I called each literally one by one yesterday zero were seeing new patients. Today I spoke with the hospital network referral person who acknowledged the website of a VERY high profile hospital is just not reflecting the truth.

Situation is just plain odd