Accessibility to Healthcare Providers

Does anyone else have problems with accessibilty to their Dr?  I have had the same scenario play out multiple times over the past couple of years:  flare; call Dr; can't get in to see him; Rx called in; finally see Dr but improved by now, etc., etc.  I feel that he doesn't take my illness seriously enough because I am always so much improved by the time he gets around to seeing me.  The other problem is the ER:  I've been there a couple of times with a suspected bowel obstruction and the minute they hear you have a history of UC they are wheeling you toward the "out" door.  I am convinced that I had a full-blown obstruction which took days to resolve last November but I was sent home from the ER anyway.  I almost feel like concealing the UC history from them but they have it in my hospital chart anyway so that is pointless.  I am tired of feeling like a second-class citizen.  I have a "closed" HMO and cannot self-refer.  The other "wrinkle" is that the physicians at my large clinic own the HMO (weird monopoly).  I live in a rural area so I don't have alot of choices.  Any suggestions?  Thank God I have a small stockpile of Rowasa to self-treat. 

Hi kaykay, I know you say you live in a rural area. Are you possibly within a few hours of a larger city (or at least a larger town)? Even though it is farther away, it may be an option.

We don't have HMO so we don't have that issue but we have never had trouble getting our kids in to see their GIs (one adult GI and one pediatric GI). In fact, my son cancelled his appointment with his doctor (the adult GI) because he went on a trip. He told the receptionist that he would call again to reschedule. Well the office called the following week because the doctor wanted to make sure he made the appointment!

You may have to travel even farther to find another doctor.

I am pretty lucky. My GI knows I drive a truck over the road, and he just has me call if I need to come in and he has told his staff that if I call to make room for me. If I'm not having any real problems I just make an appt, but if I have to see him, he fits me in his day. I like my GI.

My GI is wonderful too; does yours have an email address? I find emailing him questions is easiest -- and he usually responds within the day.

I'm not really sure how your insurance works, but can you call them and have them give you a list of GI's you can go to? Do you have to have a referral? If so do you have a GP that can recommend one in your network. Many insurance companies will help you if you do a little work on the phone. I have to drive an hour to get to my GI. It's totally worth the drive. It also takes a couple of weeks to get into him. When I call I speak to the nurse and she relays messages to and from the doctor.

I may be slightly prejudiced since I'm a former nurse, but I think Nurse Practitioners give you more time and are more willing to hear about all of your symptoms, even if they don't seem to be related to the IBC. I think that's because nurses are trained to treat the person while doctors are trained to treat the disease.