Find a good primary care doc instead…
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I have asked my primary if they would just write the rxs for me… she said no 
. They are on the floor below the endo’s office…
I personally would find that unacceptable… maybe I’m in for a rude awakening when I live in a city area…
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Yep. I don’t know what else to do. I am tired of switching offices so will probably just put up with the stupid fee.
There are so many hospitals/clinics but they are all being taken over by these major ones, like the Believeland Cynic…
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Especially if your primary doc is in fen same building / practice/ medical group… as your endocrinologist that’s just total bs… their whole job is to write your scripts.
I’d find a new primary. I plan on only finding a competent primary doc who’ll take care of all my script needs when I relocate
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Have you maybe just called around to different primary care doc and ask them the question? Every office is different. Maybe you find one that says "Yes, we will write your D-prescriptions.’ Couldn’t hurt to try. Worst that could happen is you get 20 or 30 offices that say no. Best that could happen is you get a new primary caregiver that is willing to write scripts. Legally, is there anything WRONG with them doing it? I don’t think so. So it’s a preference thing then?
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There’s certainly nothing wrong with them writing d scripts… I suspect big corporate health groups might encourage them to refer to endocrinology dept so they can collect more fees… primary care docs have written my d prescriptions for years
Might have better luck with private practice clinics
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I absolutely don’t think it’s illegal for any physician to do so - what about small rural areas without endos? They would have to!
I have not tried looking for a new primary care. I had an AWESOME guy who for years would spend an hour with me every few months, until he had to shut down because he couldn’t afford to stay in business, probably 10-15 years later. He would do anything for us. After he left, they shuffled us all off to the clinic across the street. The first physician I had was awful, so I switched to another one in the same practice and really liked her. But she will not sign for me.
I haven’t really thought about looking for a new PCP, but I guess it could be worth it. It’s just a pain when I have SO many doctors and have to keep them all straight, and keep the insurance company straight, etc. I don’t want anything to fall through the cracks, you know?
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It’s a different culture in different parts of the country too… like where I live currently, family practice docs are the ones who treat diabetes, it’s just that simple… going to an endocrinologist is just unheard of
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I guess you just need to work up a cost benefit analysis. If it’s worth it to shop around, just do it. If it’s not, keep who you have. If it were me, though, I wouldn’t put up with it. I’d call every primary care doctor in the state just out of principle, and I would switch even if I were only going to save $1. Not going to feed the beast that is our broken healthcare system anymore than I have too.
But I’m also the guy that my wife makes fun of for challenging EVERY grade I EVER received in college…IF I felt I was incorrectly graded. My life, my grades, I fight for principles.
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Sounds like you endo group just got purchased by the hospital. That is one of the ways they recoup the costs for purchasing the group. The ability to have them be “part” of the hospital allows them to legally jack up the bills since it costs so much to run the hospitals. uugh.
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So we saw a CDE instead of an endocrinologist for years. Many years. And the CDE’s we saw knew a lot more about the day-to-day stuff that EH was dealing with than the endo’s we’ve seen. Still nothing compared to the knowledge base here at FUD, but they wrote prescriptions and answered emails/messages and went to bat for us when it came to insurance approval for the Omnipod and test strips and insulin our insurer doesn’t prefer and also they also ordered labs and reviewed them and so on. Essentially all the things the endocrinologist does at half the price. EH saw a CDE or endo every 3 months at times but other times we’d go to every six or nine months depending on what was happening. We really just needed the RX for years. Now he’s working to dial it in a bit tighter. So we’ve seen the CDE every three months lately.
That being said if you are dealing with complex health issues (endocrine related or not, in addition to well controlled diabetes) it’s worth checking out various endocrinologists. For instance, there’s a new endo in our area and we saw him this month. He happens to be a runner and also is interested in helping figure out what is going on with EH’s other (possibly related) health conditions (Peyronie’s disease, Calcinosis, melanoma).
But if the endo isn’t a great fit, and you’re managing and just need RX and refills from time to time, I’d call and ask about a CDE.
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Great info; thank you. I’m healthy other than the type 1 and a family history of ovarian/breast cancers, so I am followed by 2 specialists for those. I’m just worried other complications may sneak up on me if I’m not monitored… but it doesn’t seem like they ask anything that would even be concerning. If I notice a change in my body, I’ll let them know, I guess.
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Here’s the thing though… it’s been awhile since they’ve been part of the Cynic! I don’t know why NOW they are being considered outpatient, since it was before, too. Just ridiculous. Good thought though. Wish it was easier to avoid them. My ophthalmologist also got bought out by the Cynic, so his wait times and fees have gone up drastically. Found a new one closer to home.
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@allison. I have found in my area that any physicians group that has offices in or on hospital property gets billed as hospital and not the usual $copay. I went to Stanford physicians group in Rwc, no where near the hospital, and was charged like I was in the ER. I chose another group one that isn’t in any way affiliated with Stanford.
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This is pretty funny, the discussion of primary care and endos for prescriptions.
I have not had a primary care doc in ten years. From my POV, they are useless. I’ve had four endos ( one died, two left practice), and the first question I ask is if they will take care of all of my prescriptions (HBP, anti cholenergics, asthma, not just D). I have never gotten a refusal.
And none of them, even the one attached to a big hospital, overcharged me.
I guess if you tell them what you want upfront, all they can say is no. And there’s lots of endos in the yellow pages.
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That’s really all I want from a doc though is primary care, and rx’s For my diabetes… endocrinologists don’t add a lot of value. There’s not much left for their expertise to figure out. I know I have diabetes and I am managing it effectively. I just need the scripts and to be monitored, my blood pressure, cholesterol and routine labs done… that doesn’t require a tremendous endocrinologist… what my life does require though is no screwing around, quick responses to my requests for refills and other communication, flexibility with appointments, willingness to do my work physicals, etc… I’ve had better luck with primary care docs than specialists in those regards
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You are thankfully moving to an area that isn’t experiencing explosive growth. In our area we have no flexibility with appointments, the wait time to get an appointment is usually a month sometimes two and for us currently that is to see a nurse practitioner not a GP.
Oh I definitely don’t agree that where I’m moving isn’t experiencing explosive growth… … come visit and you’ll see what I mean
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I think that in your case that works. And I’m glad you chimed in here to support the PCP option as a provider of diabetes care. 
But I think sometimes the endo could theoretically be more helpful than a PCP. Probably in our case because we can’t find a good PCP I am again pinning my hopes on an endocrinologist who also happens to be T1. Somehow I think that might be illuminating. 
But it could go either way. Having someone who’s willing to write all the prescriptions like Doc has is really clutch - because then they’re tracking it all. Unlike my recent allergist vs. PCP issue where the PCP PA prescribed beta blockers and the allergist said “nope, the beta blockers will make the epipen not function correctly, so you can’t take those.” Neither figured this out and caught it until I brought it up (thanks, Google!)
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