Is Ann Arbor experiencing a shortage of physicians?

[netmouse]

So, I am slowly getting around to picking a primary care physician for my HMO. I'm looking for a new place partly because it seems to be getting harder and harder to get in to see my regular doctor at the old place... I tend to get shunted, on the phone or in person, to a nurse practitioner. Now, maybe nurse practitioners are just as experienced and trained as doctors and I'm thinking about this wrong, but I miss when I got to see my doctor more easily when I was sick, a few years ago.

So I called a new office yesterday which my chiropractor directed me to, and the doctors they had there who were accepting new patients were scheduling into either April or July for appointments for new patients. July! But I could get in earlier if my health insurance would let me see a nurse practitioner instead...

Is the health care industry restructuring, or what?

Comments

[aiela.livejournal.com]

One of the reasons I go to a small, one doctor practice is because she specifically doesn't over schedule herself, and I am always seen within 5-10 minutes of my appointment time. She never rushes in or out, talks to me about all sorts of things - not just my health, but how my life in general is going, remembers to ask about Dave and/or Brittany, etc.

But I don't know if anyone like this is available in your area.

[childe.livejournal.com]

I completely agree.

I had a terrible experience in Ypsi, where I'd make appointments to see the doctor, and I'd get the P.A. Now, the doctor was a D.O., and I was looking for someone that wasn't a pill-pusher. He wasn't one. But his P.A.'s were. Every single one I saw.

I'm much happier now at my single doctor practice. She's way out here in Lansing, though. :)