The Trick to Seeing Your Medical Provider

Perhaps many of you have noticed that when you leave your provider's office for your routine visit, you are asked to make your next appointment, perhaps six months, eight months, or one year from that day. But who knows what our lives will be like six, eight, or twelve months out? We make the appointment and try to plan for that date.

My husband did just that: he made an appointment with his cardiologist for a six-month follow-up last December 2022 for an appointment in July 2023 (they didn’t have one in six months, and determined an eight month follow up was acceptable.) As life happens for all of us, he couldn't make it and called to reschedule. He got the "first available" appointment in February! This is 14 months later! He told me (after he hung up), and I got on the phone, not to yell or complain but to question how this could be possible, and “good medicine.”  We didn't ask for an appointment immediately, but didn't want to wait until February! After nicely venting (and telling the woman on the phone that I understood it was not her fault), she offered to have the nurse call me, stating that "there are openings all the time that she can fill, but I can't." I thanked her and hung up. My husband received a return call within 30 minutes and was given an appointment for the following day!

So, what is the lesson here? Ask, and understand. The scheduler is just that, a scheduler. She or he does not have the authority to override the system. There are ALWAYS appointments available, but someone else has to make them. Be friendly, patient, and while it won't always be this easy, it doesn't have to be impossible. Do not give up.