OK, so I decide to take my dd (7 months) to a naturopath for a checkup, since my family doc pressures me about vaxing. And I found a naturopath that's covered by my health insurance.
The catch: Naturopaths can't be PCPs so I have to get permission from my mainstream PCP to see the naturopath. AND there has to be a reason. So I have to make up something about being worried about her gaining weight blah blah blah so that I can get the referral.
This sucks, I don't know how many times she will give me the referral before she says, "Hey, why aren't you coming in to see me?"
Anyone else have this problem?
SheilaJoy
06-09-2006, 07:57 PM
I also wanted to talk about alternative health care in general, not just insurance problems. I guess I should have mentioned that before. :mrgreen: So anyone who gets alternative medical care, please share any experiences. I've never done anything besides regular old mainstream family practice.
wholesomemama
06-09-2006, 07:59 PM
We see an osteopathic Dr. (DO). Most insurance plans will have a few DO's listed as PCP's. :thumbsup:
SheilaJoy
06-09-2006, 08:03 PM
Actually, I do have that option!! How do they differ from regular docs?
thefragile7393
06-10-2006, 01:28 AM
OK, so I decide to take my dd (7 months) to a naturopath for a checkup, since my family doc pressures me about vaxing. And I found a naturopath that's covered by my health insurance.
The catch: Naturopaths can't be PCPs so I have to get permission from my mainstream PCP to see the naturopath. AND there has to be a reason. So I have to make up something about being worried about her gaining weight blah blah blah so that I can get the referral.
This sucks, I don't know how many times she will give me the referral before she says, "Hey, why aren't you coming in to see me?"
Anyone else have this problem?
Heck, give me an insurance that would let me see a naturopath at all! However, it's pathetic that they make you go through your mainstream doc first. Too many mainstream docs would rather fight you and try to do everything themselves...which I somewhat suspect is the insurance company trying to cash in on people going outside of standard doctors yet at the same time controlling who gets seen by them.
SheilaJoy
06-11-2006, 02:18 PM
Oops, I realized there's another thread going on like this already. But I do really want to know what's the difference when you see an osteopath. I tried googling it but didn't get a whole lot of results. I'm interested in real experiences people have had with seeing one. TIA!
bobandjess99
06-11-2006, 07:42 PM
it REALLY depends.
Some DO's practice exactly like MD's (the running not-so-nice joke is that they weren't quite good enough to get into REAL MD medical school), they have MD mindsets, practice MD type medicine, and are not at all into anything alternative. Honestly, some of the WORST doctors i have seen have been DO's that were even more rigid and MD-like than most actual MD's.
However, they do learn about spinal manipulation, and *some* of them are also into alternative things as well. A good alternative type DO will be more like a combo Chiro and md...can prescribe, etc like an MD, but approaches things on a more holistic level. But mostly, they are just like MD's...some are great, some aren't, some are "alternative", some are not....
SheilaJoy
06-12-2006, 10:35 AM
Dang :banghead: Well, thanks for the info. I try not to go to the dr at all anyway, but I do need one sometimes.
