Sheepdip

My son is not happy with his existing doctor and wants to change (mainly because he'd rather see a male GP now). Is this a fairly simple (but probably expensive!) procedure? Does he just find a new doctor and they ask his old one for his records (at a cost no doubt)?

I'm also assuming the new doctor will want to do heaps of tests on him when he joins ($$$$)................

avanutria

You may be able to change to a different doctor within the same practice, depending on how the practice is set up. If you can't do this, then if you have health insurance be sure the new doctor's practice is accepted by your plan.

I'd imagine this happens a lot - maybe have a chat with your doctor's front desk and see what they recommend.

Sheepdip

He asked to see a male doctor at his current practice, but was told he wasn't accepting new patients, and they then went on to suggest he try the doctor he's already registered with (female)!

Mummy in the foothills

You could call about and see who is accepting new patients, ask for referalls to good male docs at work.
The new doc will charge for an initial new patient visit, he can request the notes from the old doc with the patient signature.
We've done it a few times when we didn't like the care we were getting.

Michael

By law, the doctors office has to release records to anyone you desire at a very small copying fee. I've requested the records twice, once for an insurance company and the other time for the VA hospital, and the doctor never charged me a fee.

If your son doesn't have any major problems, there will not likely be a big cost to change doctors. I used to change doctors all the time but I wasn't one who had annual checkups so there wasn't any additional charge to change doctors. Also I didn't have any serious medical background history so there was no need to transfer records. I would just find a new doctor whenever I had a medical issue and had changed my home address. I always found that I could find a doctor that would take me to look at my medical issue quickly but that may have changed since I was doing that.

Now I am using the VA and have a primary physician but can always get a next day appointment with one of the staff doctors.

Ozzidoc

Sounds like the person providing the information was unaware that your son is a current patient of "the practice".

Sheepdip

Yeah, that's what I've told him after checking the list of doctors in his 'network'.

Thanks all.

TexasPenguin

I've done it here in Texas and it was completely without drama (much more so than the UK system ever was!). You have to remember the system is different here - you are the "customer" here. I basically "interviewed" two doctors before settling on one. In my case the change was due to my existing one being little more than a snake-oil salesman, I wanted (and now have) a doctor who would work with me to get off all the blood pressure and cholesterol medication that the other guy had insisted I needed with no other alternatives even discussed. Transferring the records cost me nothing and the initial visit with the new doctor was simply the co-pay amount.

keira-2007

We just moved from Illinois to Kentucky and I haven't yet registered with a new doctor, but when I was leaving the old ones and asked for our records, they were really unhelpful and said it would cost something like $35 a record and that they wouldn't give them to me but would send them to my new doctor when we gave them the new address... cheeky beggars!

Duncan Roberts

Is the practice a private one not attached to a hospital system? If not then just find another doctor within the same system and have your son authorize them to have access to his records.

Sheepdip

That's exactly what we were thinking!

Thanks y'all

Brit3964

Ha! Last year I had to get copies of medical records for my FAA medical appeal. The hospital (or rather the 3rd party company they used) billed me for $168. After negotiation, I got it down to $110. All fair and well if you are earning $$ but at the time I wasn't so beware, especially if you have a lot of records. Mine were over 100 pages for 3 hospital visits in 2009.

Sheepdip

65c per page (1-30) and then 50c per page after that here in SC. He's probably only got a couple of pages since we've been here so not too expensive if he needs it.

Poppy girl

I have changed Dr's a few times never any problems, the new one requests your file and never paid any fee at all

Michael

Maybe that is California law since I have never been charged either. When my VA primary care physician asked me to get a copy of my medical records, I went to my old doctors office to request the records and waited until the receptionist copied my file and then handed me several hundred pages to bring to the VA and they were very pleasant about it.