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Dr. G & peeps: Pdoc fires patient?-trigger
psychkt posted:
I just read on another site that a pdoc 'fired' his patient because he messed with/stopped one of his meds. anyone had that happen? Now I'm worried that's going to happen to me. Grrrrr

ddnos responded:
Yes, a doctor CAN "fire" his/her patient (and not just psychiatrists) - not knowing the example you describe, it could very well be non-compliance of the patience that the doctor "fires" him. Read below:
Among the reasons a doctor may dismiss his or her patient are:
  1. Patient non-compliance (non-adherence ). When the patient fails to follow the treatment recommendations established by the doctor. (Which is why it is so important that you and your doctor make treatment decisions together .)

  2. Patient's failure to keep appointments. Patients make appointments, then cancel them at the last minute, or don't show up at all. From the provider's perspective, that means a window of no income in addition to the fact that the patient isn't getting the help he or she needs.

  3. A patient's rude or obnoxious behavior. No patient should ever be rude or obnoxious. It's a form of abuse. Just as we patients should fire a doctor who behaves this way, it's fair that a doctor should fire a patient for such poor behavior, too.

  4. Non-payment of bills - money owed by the patient, but usually not the patient's insurance.

  5. If the doctor's practice is closing. Just like the rest of us, doctors close their practices. They may sell them, or retire from practice, they may die, or just close their doors.

  6. A relatively new reason for dismissal seems to be based on the type of insurance a patient has. In recent years, more and more patients report their doctors are firing them for no apparent reason (at least they are not told what the reason is).When a Doctor Cannot Legally Dismiss a PatientThere are reasons and times a doctor may not legally or ethically fire a patient, too - most of which are based on state or federal law.
    • Doctors may not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other nationally recognized as discrimination. The courts have ruled that a patient cannot be dismissed because he or she is HIV-positive. If you feel as if you have been discriminated against for one of these reasons, contact your state health department .

    • Doctors may not dismiss a patient in the midst of ongoing medical care, called "continuity of care." For example, a pregnant woman cannot be dismissed by her doctor within a few weeks of delivery. A cancer patient cannot be fired before his chemo or radiation treatments are completed. However, a patient who has been on a primary care doctor's roster, but hasn't visited that doctor in a year or two might be dismissed. That is not considered ongoing care.
lotus responded:
I was "fired" from my pdoc a few years ago because I was committed to a pysch unit. I was in total shock. I had never heard of such a reason. It ended very positively because I have a great pdoc now
jselleck replied to lotus's response:
I agree with Dnos. In the eight years I've been in treatment for bipolar I've had to fire two therapist, had one close her practice, and one more out of state. I've had one pdoc move out of state, and fired one myself because I wasn't getting the treatment I needed for my type of BP. So yes it does happen.

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