refusal of treatment
 

As we see article after article about exceptional medical available to us in The Villages, I would like to share with everyone a huge medical nightmare. I will start off by saying I love The Villages and never want to live anywhere else, however I was involved in a golf cart/car accident on Feb 13, 2014 as a passenger in the golf cart. The car turned immediately in front of us and I took the entire impact with numberous injuries resulting with an ambulance ride for a day trip to the ER. The car 's insurance company has assumed 100% responsibility for the accident.
I have a serious knee/leg injury (both) resulting in excruciating pain. I was referred to an Ortho doc by the ER. After numerous calls to numerous Ortho docs from Ocala, The Villages and Leesburg I have been denied even being seen (even with using my health insurance cards) because I was involved in "an accident". I still have been unable to find a way to get the help I need and was just told by my primary care doc that they, also, will not address the injuries from the wreck. What am I to do? My pain in getting worse as I fight this ridiculous attitude of docs who took oaths! Anyone out there have anything to share? There is not an Ortho doc out there who cares. So much for having available to us exceptional medical care. I am ashamed of our medical field especially the Ortho docs.
I was even told by an office person at a Leesburg Ortho office that she hated these calls because it hurts her to turn down people who need help but she has no choice. She said she has talked with people who need immediate care and can't get it. The hospital only wants to bandage you up and send you on your way to travel this nightmare.

I pray no one else has to experience this. On top of everything else I feel like having a nervous breakdown. Please PM me if you have any ideas or help. It doesn't matter if you have great health insurance or guaranteed payment. Believe me. We have tried.

Hi cromlich, I sent you a PM...

I,'m not clear on why they are refusing treatment what is their reasoning?

Call Bogan, Munns and Munns. For the People!

Why are they refusing treatment? Have you called the insurance company that is accepting responsibility? Maybe they can refer you to a doctor?

If I had to guess, they probably dont want to be involved in the paperwork and time associated with any potential lawsuit or supeana. Weak excuse!

They will treat you if you guarantee payment. Many docs will refuse to treat accident victims because they sometimes do not get paid for it. What happens is that your insurance company may refuse to pay the doctor because they think that the insurance company of the other people in the accident are responsible for payment. As a previous poster stated, you may want to contact a personal injury lawyer. They can recommend a doctor that will treat you. Keep in mind that if you do sue someone because of the accident and win a cash award, that due to a clause in your insurance called subrogation, you will probably have to pay back the insurance company for money they spent on your medical claims.

Are you not being seen because you need to be seen immediately or because the injuries were from an accident? Have the ortho doctors been willing to give you an appointment for the future (a few weeks away)? If so, possibly your family doctor or an urgent care will prescribe some pain meds so you can wait for your appointment. I was a little confused reading your post. If no one will see you period that is horrible and I've never heard of such a thing.

hi...it is SO SAD & DISTRESSING to try & deal with orthopedics in this area!!!WHEW!!!We moved here from Maryland in August & have had HORRIBLE experiences with orthopedics...There are THREE in The Villages & One Orthopedic DR in Ocala (who accept my Insurance Plan) that REFUSED...absolutely REFUSED to see me...I FINALLY found two in OCALA who were very helpful...Let me know if you need more info...*GOOD LUCK!!!*

Seriously you need a lawyer. Call TIm Babiarz at 2057599. His office is in Oakland Hills on 441. I worked for Tim for 6 yrs, he can refer you to an ortho who will take your PIP insurance. Call him right away and get the help you need. Tell him Judy sent you. God bless.

I personally would not be comfortable using an ortho doc simply because he was willing to treat accident victims. I would make an appointment with my doctor and go through with my regular insurance so I could get the treatment I was looking for than have an attorney take care of collecting for damages.

It would seem that Florida's PIP would kick in??????????????

It may be because after an accident, Morgans and the Danny's of the state will then require them to come to court to testfy in the civil actions.

That's part of the reason, also PIP only pays a portion of the bill. Its inline with what medicare pays and then the providers usualyy have a long wait for their reduced fee. But it sounds like the Op may have a claim for pain & suffering which isn't covered by PIP. IMHO?

Thank the attorneys
 

You can thank the legal profession for this unfortunate situation.
Doctors want to treat injuries and illnesses. They do not want to be involved in needless and time consuming paperwork and court appearances which are required by greedy liability lawyers who are mainly interested in making large amounts of money by inflating damages (since they will take 25 to 33 percent of any settlement amounts)

I had the same problem when I was in a motorcycle wreck. They didn't want to go to court if it had to go through my auto insurance. Since you don't have to have insurance on a MC they took me. I did call the hospital that treated me and they told me if I couldn't get help to go back to them.
I feel for you.

Yes everyone hates the lawyers until they need help. If not for personal injury lawyers there would be no such thing as collecting for your pain and suffering, for your loss of earnings for your disfigurement. We could just pay the doctor for the direct cost of the medical care and after that you are out of luck. Those "greedy liability lawyers" are going to be on your side when you need them, and they get nothing if they lose which is a great system for keeping the doors of the courthouse open to everyone, not just the rich. Yes the legal system in America is terrible, but the system almost everywhere else is worse.

Think about it. How many times are there threads and posts here conveying the problems patients have getting in to see a doctor of any kind, waiting weeks and even months to get in.

Or how many times people post saying they had to wait 15-20 hours in the E.R. to be seen by a doctor, and in the end they give up and go elsewhere only to find the same kind of wait. Or, they finally give up and just go home and take their chances of not getting screwed up worse by ignoring something that could unknowingly be getting worse by the hour.

Does anybody think the practice, hospital or clinic's other patients can afford to wait days/weeks longer because the clinicians have to go to court and wait to be deposed, and wait at a courthouse for hours and days to testify to the injuries or evidence they saw/collected.....or wait at the courthouse while the attorneys are supposedly going to settle, but then again....they don't....and the clinicians are told "come back next month", to start waiting in lawyers' office and courthouses all over again. Meanwhile, their patients are getting fed up and are posting on TOTV about their disgust with being unable to get a doctor or be seen in an E.R.

It is in part due to unscrupulous lawyers, but they're not all like that, and the good ones are needed.

They refuse me because of the accident. Not insurance. The responsible party even got on a couple of 3 way calls and guaranteed 100% payment and they still refuse. It is so very very sad. I have a dislocated wrist and knee injury and have to get an attorney to be seen. I have a primary care doctor who is at least willing to have the testing done now. Just an awful predictament to be in. A real mess. I feel so sorry for those who don't have the stamina to fight.

They just won't be bothered. One of the gals in Leesburg who answered the phone was clearly distressed with the situation and wanted to help but the Ortho docs obviously have a pact to stand together on this one. I've gotten 3 different reasons as to why they refuse but I think it comes down to the fact that it is not quick and fast and they might have to do something unusual that takes time. I had even had a thought about suing until now and that would only to be to get the proper treatment. This is crazy. I guess I'm suppose to sit here in pain for the rest of my life because the attornies and docs don't want to be bothered.

Most of the docs I have called state PIP is the problem.

Unless the golf cart you were in was street legal, and has the required insurance policy, it doesn't have PIP. The PIP on a car you own only applies when you are occupying a vehicle required to be licensed for use on Florida highways. So it's questionable if there is any applicable PIP for a person injured while a passenger of a non street legal cart.

yes and the adjuster even got on a 3 way call guaranteeing payment as his client is 100% responsible and they still refuse. I challenge anyone to call any Ortho doc in The Villages, Ocala or Leesburg and see what their response is to an accident. It's crazy

Thank you, Judy

Would you mind pm'ng me and give me the names of the docs in Ocala? Thank you so much.

Conact the State of Florida Insurance Commisioner with your complaint...Contact the local newpaper, probably the Ocala paper and have someone do a story about your plight.. Also, contact WESh, Channel 2 or 6 for another personal interest story...

I was so excited to think I had found a wonderful Primary Care doc. I just had a very frustrating day at his office after numerous tests being done and thought maybe I was on the way to getting some help. I thought we were going to be addressing my Blood Pressure that had gone off the charts since my accident and my ongoing excruciating pain in my knee, leg and back but instead I was lectured about how docs are so mistreated now and how they are "cherry picking" their patients. I walked out of there more stressed then ever. I did not have an attoreny at that point but I do now. Folks, this is real. He told me that if a patient has too many issues or takes too much of a doctor's time they will be choosing to eliminate you as a patient. I was astounded at this comment. He wanted to know how I had gotten to the doc I had and I explained I saw a doc other than an Ortho doc so that I could be treated. He said that docs don't want to be bothered with accidents. Excuse me! I did not ask to get hurt in an accident. I have real issues that I only wanted treated. I had no intentions of suing anyone. Not til now. I got more help from an attorney in one phone call then I did with all my office visits to the medical docs. This is sad. I am not an automobile that was damaged but a real live human being. I needed help and they don't want to help. I'm sincerely scared for the future of where this is headed. The docs and attornies need to work this out between themselves. I know all the arguments about how they are taking less and less money and how they "think" they will end up in court. We all are taking hits in this economy and crazy world out here. What if every business picked and chose who they do business with. I know in my world when I was working we took the good with the bad. it's business and we are dealing with humans, not equipment or objects. I felt less of a human being yesterday then I had in all my years of living. I am sure after yesterday that I will be looking for a new Primary Care doc. At least now I am going to get some help so that I can get back to a life. I would never treat anyone the way I felt yesterday. So sorry to rant but all of us need to know what will happen should we be unfortunate enough to be seriously hurt in an accident.

Is something broken? Is something open? Have you tried seeing your regular physician first?


I am so sorry you are going through this.


Whoops, we posted at the same time. I see that you now have a PCP.


I am confused. Did he give you medication for your blood pressure, Did he examine your injured areas and give you advice or help?

thanks for the advice. I am doing all I can to let everyone know what they will be up against should they be unfortunate enough to be seriously hurt in an accident. God bless

Yes, Gracie, see my last post. This is a nightmare and we all need to be aware of what we are up against. You are always so kind and uplifting. I'm really scared for the future of all this. HUGS

Cromlich, was your primary care doc truly unfeeling, or was he just telling you the facts of the way things are in the medical field these days? Is this a case of shooting the messenger? Perhaps he was sympathizing with you and trying to help with explanations of the real world today.

I don't know, the whole world confuses me these days.

Cromlich, what happened to the orthopedic doctor that you were referred to by the ER? That referral is usually in writing in your discharge papers.

It's MORGAN AND MORGAN------For the people.

I am only trying to understand. Do some orthopedic surgeons ONLY do replacements?

?????

They were the first to refuse treatment. It was a Dr Williams in Leesburg. I called the ER and they said "they knew it to be a problem" So why not tell me that before sending me on a wild goose chase. It doesn't matter if you have a referral or not.

not to my knowledge. They should treat all Orthodonics

believe me, if you had been there you would know, it is his feelings

very interesting. I am sure to bring this up. Thank you.

I have never heard of that sort of thing before.


I just did a quick look. Apparently PIP is fairly new in FL.

It looks like an unintended consequence of the changes to the recent insurance legislation in FL.

The state legislature needs to pass legislation to require physicians to accept PIP... especially if the state requires PIP type coverage.