46 Comments
If you were to request the next available appointment with your T1D healthcare provider, when do you estimate the next available appointment would be?
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Funny you should ask. I am currently going through trying to get my next Endocrinology visit. My quarterly visit should have been in March. But, I have yet to be scheduled for an appointment. I’ve called a half dozen times to get an appointment. Now, they are waiting for the April calendar to come out for appointments. This is the most frustrating part of dealing with my Endo, which is part of a large hospital network. It makes me want to go somewhere else.
I’ve been told this by some of my doctors’ offices too – that they can’t schedule out that far. Surprising to me that a clinic that typically requires 3mo or annual follow-ups doesn’t have a system that allows scheduling out that far.
Insurance company required a prior authorization for my son’s CGM despite his using one for two years. The process took 5 days before it was resolved.
I just had to reschedule an appointment with my endocrinologist. Her next opening wasn’t until September.
I try to make my appointment for my next appointment when I check out. The scheduler always asks maki g it easier to remember. If I was to forget there would be a wait to get back int the rotation.
My Endo is chronically under staffed. Have been going for over ten years. They had to reschedule my next appointment because second NP left. Not sure if pay or working conditions. I don’t change because have no issues that need to be addressed. Just need scripts. Need more for my Graves’ disease than diabetes.
My current endocrinology specialist is a Nurse Practitioner. She is wonderful but she is also the only one in a 100 mile radius. She is booked out for at least 3 months, if not longer. I try to have two appointments scheduled in the future at any given time.
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On hold or actually talking about the issue and calling back to ensure someone follow’s up as everyone seems to be over their head.
Honestly, it varies. It can take considerable time just to raise the visibility of an issue, then the follow up can take weeks/months and patience to resolve. Another problem is patients without the cognitive skills for follow-up. These days i doubt anyone pays attention to them.
I said 1-2 months, but if there were some type of urgent need, and knowing me, I think I could get something w/in a week.
It all depends on the urgency of my needs. I’ve gotten in the next day before, but those days may be gone! It also depends on who I see. But these days, even the PA is often booked. Of course, cancellations happen, so that can be a factor as well.
It’s good to see that you’re keeping the imbeciles off the streets.
How, on Earth, am I supposed to know? I’m not responsible for the booking of appointments at ANY healthcare establishment.
2-3 months, but I am blessed with a provider that is happy to squeeze me in last minute to a tele-med appt for emergencies or for problems with insurance needing new documents from her for Rx or DME.
When I saw my endo a year ago, I wasn’t able to make an appointment 6 months later because all available appointments were fully booked. I have to see her CDE who has more availability in order to meet Medicare requirements for quarterly visits. Many, many healthcare providers in my area burned out and quit during Covid. I injured my knee badly last June and can’t get a consult with an orthopedic surgeon until May due to the backlog of people needing help. I’m on crutches until then. My sports medicine doctor stopped practicing medicine last month. Our healthcare system is in crisis with no solution in sight.
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Normally within a week or two, but the same day if I had a serious problem.
When I check out after an appointment, I tell the receptionist that my endo wants to see me again in six months but the next available appointment is generally eight months out. It caused trouble once when I was out of a Dexcom transmitters and Dexcom claimed they needed “clinicals” from my endo that were within six months old and it was seven months since I had seen him and my appointment wasn’t until the following month. Frustrating!
On the other hand, my endo lives down the street from me and I frequently see him when we’re both out walking or riding bikes in the neighborhood but that doesn’t count as “clinicals” to Dexcom – haha.
I just had to reschedule my January appointment and the next available was in June. That said, if I had an urgent need, they would get me in within a week. (it’s fortunately only happened once, but urgent care takes priority at my endo’s office)
I put 3-4 months, but since I usually schedule when I am leaving the office, I really am not sure. This last time I was leaving, I scheduled the appointment my doctor wanted for the summer, but she said her assistant would call me to make a visual appointment for the spring. I haven’t gotten a call so I will have to call them.
If I asked for a video appointment for an emergency, it would be in about two days. If I requested the next in person visit for the same emergency, it would be about two weeks.
My Endo is booked all the time, first available appt is always 6 months out.
Probably could get in a few days but it would be due to cancellation or overbooking just to accommodate request
I have no idea. I see T1d provider every 3 months; next appt is made at the end of each visit. I don’t remember ever having to add an extra visit.
For providers for other health conditions, it depends, from 1 or 2 days up to a couple weeks. Six months for a new provider.
I am not sure because I recently moved and am seeing a new doctor near my new home. I have only seen her 2 times so far and haven’t had to call for another appointment besides my 3 months check-ups required by my Medicare insurance. My previous doctor, I could see within a couple of weeks (if it wasn’t a normal scheduled check-up). Thank God, I haven’t had to do that here so far.
Before the onslaught of Type 2 Diabetes, I, as a T1D, could get an appointment almost anytime I needed one. Now, I cannot get an appointment within 3 months, which is the time within I must see rhe doctor for Medicare benefits. My doctor cancelled 2 (half ) of my sppointments last year. Caused ma a lot of problems. I live in Florida, a place where modern medicine does not seem to have reached yet.
I routinely see my Endo every three months. At the end of my appointment I schedule the next quarterly meeting date. But if I ever have to reschedule it, then it takes anywhere from two to four weeks to find a time that works for us.
For a regular appointment it would be 5-6 months. To see the nurse practitioner it would be sooner.
3-4 months for an in person appointment, but the office and doc are good about responding to requests, questions and RX renewals online within 24 hours.
Just not sure. I make another appointment before leaving the last appointment. I am almost certain I could get a appointment soon if I had a major problem.
I have never had to request a special appointment. If urgent, I’d probably get in quickly, within a week. If routine, 3 – 6 months from my last appointment. (Medicare has been requiring 3 months but my endocrinologists have been saying 6 months for many years).
I recently changed from appointments every four months to twice a year, but if I needed to be seen, I could have an appointment depending on the urgency within a few days to 2 weeks or speak with them or someone in the clinic on email or phone the same working day.
We’ve always been able to make appointments well in advance (except for the first one and we had to wait a bit over two weeks for that.) But we are blessed with an endo that gave me her email address and answers messages that I send there quickly. In the early days when I had a panic over something, she’d answer me within an hour.
Without asking for it, I get a card with my 3 mo and 6 mo visit dates when I pay for my visit (doctor’s office then files for me, and Medicare and BC send me checks to cover it, eventually). When he still would also act as my primary care, I did at least once get in the same day for an emergency (a burn), but I don’t think I’ve probably asked for any interim actual visits in years. I have emailed the nurse occasionally, who typically responds that day, usually already having asked the doctor if it is something that requires that. If he considers it serious, he has called me. The doctor has occasionally cancelled an appt., but when I hear about it, it has always already been rescheduled. I always consider my visit schedule when making plans, haven’t had to cancel in many years, so don’t know how long that would take.
“Other” because I have not been in that position with my diabetes care, so have nothing to judge with. However, I think things will improve because Kaiser just went from a central location appointment service to appointments being made by the department you are asking for.
I have contacted NP by email and received prompt answers, though.
I indi ated 1-2 weeks, but really don’t know for sure since I have never requested an appointment outside my quarterly appointments.
I listed “within a month,” but believe the context of the request needs clarification. If an emergency, it would an ER trip. If it was a significant need, but short of an emergency, I think it would happen with a week or so. If a lesser need, then this month would be likely and reasonable. Example: I have a kidney stone; if it’s causing significant pain, and ER trip; if its a lower level ache, a month’s wait is reasonable; if its been there a long period, isn’t a constant ache, then longer may be reasonable.
I said 3-4 which is solely based on when I schedule 3 months out and it is usually 3-4 months for an available appointment.
If I were not on Medicare, it would be difficult to get an appointment within 3 months, even in an emergency. In an emergency, they would assign me a nurse practitioner to see. It is possible to contact them through their “portal.” Whether I get a timely response depends on whether there is a reliable nurse to respond.
Being on Medicare and required to see my Endo. every three months, my next appointment is made prior to departure from my Endo’s office.
I have a appointment every three months like clock work made 6 months in advance specialist are hard to get in here took almost 5 month s the first visit
In order to visit my endo every 3 months, I have to make appointments 6 months ahead.
I just do not see a Doctor for my T1D !!!
It would depend on the reason for the appointment. If it is an amergency they will take me immediately. For a checkup, probably 3 months. I always schedule checkups avery 4 months
Who knows??? I see a dynamite endocrine FNP, CDCES who is in much demand because she is so good. I have been with her for diabetes care for 20 years. I book a full year of appointments to see her q 3 months every June. It is extremely difficult to to get a next available appointment with her unless there happens to be a cancellation and you are on her cancellation call list. One time she was out for a family medical emergency and they assigned me to see a newly minted NP in her place who was a poor substitute filling in for her.
My endo is very busy, but has always worked me into his schedule within a few days.