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  1. #1
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    Jun 2014
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    Default Re: High Dose Pain Meds. No Taper Down, Forced Cold Turkey, Won't Send New Doctor Med

    A lot of doctors are dismissing pain patients. Those that are being prescribed high doses of opiates are the first to go. A lot of doctors are just tired of dealing with patients that don't want to pay for the doctors services and don't want to go by the rules. It is the patients responsibility to be sure the doctor has a good current way to contact them directly.

    Your doctor can't refuse you a copy of your medical records for the cost of copying them because you have an outstanding balance. I would recommend paying the doctor. If you don't he might write something in your medical records that could make other doctors not want you as a patient. You can make a complaint, but that is going to take time. You can hire an attorney, but chances are paying what you owe the doctor will be cheaper.

    When a patient takes opiates, they are aware they may have problems if the medications are suddenly withdrawn. Chances are your pain contract stated that. Taking high doses makes it worse. Just because a doctor prescribes something does not mean you have to take the prescription or get it filled. A new doctor may not keep you on the same medications you have been on or at the same doses. Most doctors start patients out on the least amount of medications.

    Based on what you have said, your doctor may be planning on closing his practice Nov 1, which is tomorrow. If you can't get in touch with him directly about the medical records, look up your state laws regarding how medical records are to be handled when a doctor closes their practice. A doctor can dismiss a patient and not taper them, not write them a prescription or give them a referral to another doctor.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
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    Somewhere near Canada
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    Default Re: High Dose Pain Meds. No Taper Down, Forced Cold Turkey, Won't Send New Doctor Med

    Quote Quoting Mercy&Grace
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    Your doctor can't refuse you a copy of your medical records for the cost of copying them because you have an outstanding balance.
    M, could you clarify something for me please?

    Is a provider not allowed to charge a patient for providing a copy of their medical records?

  3. #3
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    Jun 2014
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    Default Re: High Dose Pain Meds. No Taper Down, Forced Cold Turkey, Won't Send New Doctor Med

    Quote Quoting Dogmatique
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    M, could you clarify something for me please?

    Is a provider not allowed to charge a patient for providing a copy of their medical records?
    Dogmatique , a doctor can charge for the cost of copying the medical records and postage if they have to be mailed. Federal law states a doctor can't charge a fee for searching for them or similiar things. Unfortunately, some states haven't incorporated federal law into their state laws, yet. So some doctors do charge an extra fee. A federal complaint can be made, but that won't get the patient a copy of their medical records any time soon. The feds do suggest making a copy of the law and showing it to the person in charge of making the copies or the doctor. Although doctors rarely, if ever, deal with copies of medical records.

    "Charges
    A provider cannot deny you a copy of your records because you have not paid for the services you have received.

    However, a provider may charge for the reasonable costs for copying and mailing the records. The provider cannot charge you a fee for searching for or retrieving your records"

    http://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-individ...rds/index.html

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
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    Somewhere near Canada
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    35,894

    Default Re: High Dose Pain Meds. No Taper Down, Forced Cold Turkey, Won't Send New Doctor Med

    Quote Quoting Mercy&Grace
    View Post
    Dogmatique , a doctor can charge for the cost of copying the medical records and postage if they have to be mailed. Federal law states a doctor can't charge a fee for searching for them or similiar things. Unfortunately, some states haven't incorporated federal law into their state laws, yet. So some doctors do charge an extra fee. A federal complaint can be made, but that won't get the patient a copy of their medical records any time soon. The feds do suggest making a copy of the law and showing it to the person in charge of making the copies or the doctor. Although doctors rarely, if ever, deal with copies of medical records.

    "Charges
    A provider cannot deny you a copy of your records because you have not paid for the services you have received.

    However, a provider may charge for the reasonable costs for copying and mailing the records. The provider cannot charge you a fee for searching for or retrieving your records"

    http://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-individ...rds/index.html
    I think the key there was obtaining a copy versus retrieving and viewing. They're definitely two different wee animals, aren't they? Funny things, doctors offices. Funny things indeed.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
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    3,212

    Default Re: High Dose Pain Meds. No Taper Down, Forced Cold Turkey, Won't Send New Doctor Med

    Quote Quoting Dogmatique
    View Post
    I think the key there was obtaining a copy versus retrieving and viewing. They're definitely two different wee animals, aren't they? Funny things, doctors offices. Funny things indeed.

    Dogmatique, some doctors are rather unusual. . LOL. I made a Federal Complaint regarding being charged the search fee for a copy of medical records. I spoke to someone before I made the complaint. I was told the seach fee didn't apply to copies of medical records or retrieving and viewing. Search fees are much more than the cost of copies. Search fees can also be in addition to the cost of copies.

    I don't know about the OP's state of New Jersey. Where I am, doctors don't usually charge other doctors for copies of patients medical records when they are sent from one doctor to the other.

    I agree with Mr. Knowitall. There is more to the story. The OP not showing up for a pill count, can be the same as failing it. A lot of doctors will work with patients when things happen and some won't. Chances are this may not have been the first time the OP didn't do what they agreed to do when they signed the pain contract.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
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    Default Re: High Dose Pain Meds. No Taper Down, Forced Cold Turkey, Won't Send New Doctor Med

    Quote Quoting mrlookitup
    View Post
    ...then he pulls out a discharge letter and tells me im discharged because he tried to reach me and couldnt. My phone is off for non payment and so is my internet. (even still right this sec) he left a voicemail on my gmail number, but . i didnt get it until after he discharged me.
    What does your contract say about your duty to update your contact information, and to respond to messages? Was the letter not mailed to you?

    Even if you have no access through friends or family, why don't you check your messages from a public location with free Internet access, such as the public library?
    Quote Quoting mrlookitup
    ...and all the message said was,...
    You either got the message or you didn't. If you got the message and didn't understand that you needed to respond, you can argue that the doctor did not make it sufficiently clear that you needed to respond in a prompt manner. But you say that you didn't get the message, so it doesn't make a difference whether or not you would have understood the urgency of your need to respond before you were terminated as a patient.
    Quote Quoting mrlookitup
    The dr couldve called other numbers. why ask for multiple ways to contact me if your only gonna try one.
    As you note, he successfully left a message for you at a number that you provided, and you did not check your messages. He did not get a notice that your Internet was down or that you hadn't paid your cell phone bill.
    Quote Quoting mrlookitup
    ...not to mention, he couldve even said pill count on the voice mail....
    Again, you either received the message before you were terminated, or you didn't. You say that you didn't, so it makes no difference what he could have said.
    Quote Quoting mrlookitup
    I immediately started searching for another dr. one of the new dr's called me and said my old dr acknowledged the records request but wont send them and said I need to call.
    You found a new doctor, and... the new doctor would not prescribe additional medication or a taper?
    Quote Quoting mrlookitup
    Im suffering in full blown withdrawl right now. I dont have much fight in me. it took me 2 days to type this in my note pad then copy and paste it to the forum.i feel like death. and I spent a couple days in hospital because of withdrawl. im in hell......
    Acute withdrawal symptoms should have passed within three or four days.

    You are stating that you have an acute pain condition. You spent two days in the hospital. Why didn't the hospital place you on a taper or provide pain management? Why can't you find a pain management doctor who can work from the hospital records?

    To me, your story is missing some important details, and it seems that the root of your problem finding a new pain management doctor is not associated with any difficulty in obtaining your medical records from your former doctor.

    One way or another, your original doctor should have been willing to provide enough records to your new doctor to ensure continuity of care. If the new doctor did not accept you as a patient, as would appear to be the case from your suggestion that you were not able to get a continuation of your pain medications or a taper from that doctor, then that would not apply.

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