The Cancer Survivors Network (CSN) is a peer support community for cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, families, and friends! CSN is a safe place to connect with others who share your interests and experiences.
Oncologist no longer with my Medicare HMO
I haven't posted in quite a while, but still read all your posts. All was well with me, except for the chronic nerve pain from lymph node surgery until I got a letter from my oncologist in June stating what a privilege and honor it was....blah,blah,blah, however...upshoot he joined Texas Oncology in Houston and they do not take TexanPlus my Medicare HMO. My finances are such that a Medicare HMO was a blessing to me being so much cheaper and by the grace of God the oncologist I selected, (there were only 3 to choose from) turned out to be excellent and saved my life. I found another oncologist who sounded just as good, got an appointment lined up and my files transferred, but my internist refuses to give me the necessary referral. I thought I had a good relationship with my internist, have known him for years, and this just floored me. They have 2 "visiting" oncologists who "visit" to see patients but do not actually have an office there. I would not be alive today if that was the situation when I underwent chemo, the doctor admitted he was glad he managed to get me through it. I don't need a doc to squeeze my boobs to check whether there is a lump or not, I do that myself, I need someone who can familiarize him/herself with my history, have an office where records are kept and oncology nurses. I refused to see the visiting doctor, what to do? Last thorough tests I had 1 year ago, negative mammogram and short oncology visit and I was supposed to see him again end of Sept. Now what? New sign-up time for Medicare will be from mid Oct. and will take effect Jan. 2015. Hopefully I'll be able to afford a plan with an oncology group close to home. Ladies, what is your opinion, can I coast along to January or cave in and see the "visiting" doc who won't know me or my lengthy history from Adam?
Thanks for your input, Margeaux
Comments
Discussion Boards
- All Discussion Boards
- 6 Cancer Survivors Network Information
- 6 Welcome to CSN
- 122.7K Cancer specific
- 2.8K Anal Cancer
- 457 Bladder Cancer
- 313 Bone Cancers
- 1.7K Brain Cancer
- 28.6K Breast Cancer
- 407 Childhood Cancers
- 28K Colorectal Cancer
- 4.6K Esophageal Cancer
- 1.2K Gynecological Cancers (other than ovarian and uterine)
- 13.1K Head and Neck Cancer
- 6.4K Kidney Cancer
- 685 Leukemia
- 805 Liver Cancer
- 4.2K Lung Cancer
- 5.1K Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin)
- 243 Multiple Myeloma
- 7.2K Ovarian Cancer
- 71 Pancreatic Cancer
- 493 Peritoneal Cancer
- 5.7K Prostate Cancer
- 1.2K Rare and Other Cancers
- 544 Sarcoma
- 744 Skin Cancer
- 662 Stomach Cancer
- 194 Testicular Cancer
- 1.5K Thyroid Cancer
- 5.9K Uterine/Endometrial Cancer
- 6.4K Lifestyle Discussion Boards
