What to do when you can’t find a treating doctor?

Following a move or because things were not going well with the practitioner, you may find yourself without a doctor. And very often, finding a doctor who agrees to take you on as a patient turns out to be a daunting task. One out of two practitioners today refuses to expand their patient base. And with medical desertification, the phenomenon is accentuated.

But what to do when you can’t find a treating doctor? Follow our advice to conduct your doctor research effectively. And find out what is the last resort to be treated and reimbursed under good conditions.

What you need to know about the attending physician: conditions, missions, selection criteria

The conditions for choosing your attending physician

From the age of 16, everyone has the right to freely choose their attending physician. The practitioner can either be a general practitioner or a specialist, and exercise his activity in a liberal manner, as an employee, etc. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s contracted or not.

When the minor is under 16, the task falls to the parents to choose the doctor who will follow the child.

The duties of the attending physician

Thus, the attending physician fulfills several missions with his patient:

  • firstly, to ensure a first level of recourse to care;
  • then, coordinate the medical follow-up;
  • then, manage the medical file;
  • and establish a care protocol in the event of a long-term condition;
  • finally, to ensure personalized prevention.
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The criteria for choosing the right doctor

To avoid having to change GPs, it is better to choose them carefully. Generally, it is advisable to privilege the doctor who knows you best from a medical point of view. But there may be other important criteria such as geographical proximity to your place of residence or work. Without forgetting the affinities. Preferably choose a doctor you trust and with whom you can talk freely.

In any case, note that this is a choice not to be taken lightly. Indeed, the attending physician is the one who ensures the regular follow-up of your care. And it also facilitates coordination with the specialists you may need to consult.

To know : the procedure for changing your attending physician is very simple. At any time, you can make a change of practitioner, and this, without having to justify your decision.

What to do when the doctor refuses to be your attending physician? The appeal

It is possible that a general practitioner or specialist refuses to be a patient’s treating physician. Moreover, this is a rather common practice. Generally, the refusal is motivated by too large a patient base. And the phenomenon tends to increase given the medical diversification (doctors who retire and are not replaced, medical practices which lower the curtain…). Thus, there is an increasing shortage of generalists, especially in rural areas.

However, if the doctor refuses to become your practitioner, you have the right to contact the conciliator of your primary health insurance fund. Contact your health organization, which will send you the contact details of the mediator to be contacted by mail.

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What to do when you can’t find a treating doctor? The procedure to follow

Go around doctor’s offices to find a treating doctor

This process is tedious, but it is necessary. Especially since it can be a paying strategy. Start by contacting all the medical practices located near you by telephone. Be tenacious, remembering that some doctors are still willing to take on new patients.

If you are in a locality where all doctors refuse to take you on as a new patient, broaden your search area. Contact doctors in nearby towns.

Contact the CPAM conciliator to find a solution

You have approached several doctors but none have accepted to be your general practitioner? There is recourse to find a general practitioner or a specialist who wants to take you on as a patient. The solution is to contact the conciliator of your health insurance fund.

To request a mediator and quickly find a treating doctor, you must first complete the CPAM questionnaire intended for this purpose. This document is called “Difficulties accessing a treating physician reported by a beneficiary”. You must fill in a certain amount of information, including your identity (surname, first name, postal address, etc.). The CPAM also asks you to state the facts and list the names of the doctors already contacted. For each of the practitioners, you must indicate the reason for the refusal if this has been communicated to you.

You will find the form on the ameli.fr website as well as a sample letter, to be written on plain paper. After receiving your letter, the mediator sends you an acknowledgment of receipt. And it supports your file until its resolution.

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Be aware, however, that the mediator of the fund has no particular authority over the doctor. He intervenes rather to try to negotiate amicably with a doctor. The conciliator can also suggest solutions to enable you to obtain a consultation if necessary, but not necessarily an attending physician. But in any case, the mediator cannot require a practitioner to be your attending physician.

Also note that the proposed solution may require you to travel quite a distance to go to a doctor who is accepting new patients. This alternative is a way to have a regular doctor if all the practitioners close to your home are not taking on new patients.

Am I reimbursed if I cannot find a treating doctor?

Is it mandatory to have found a treating doctor to be reimbursed for his consultations?

Since the 2000s, declaring an attending physician has been mandatory in order to be properly reimbursed by health organizations. Thus, to avoid losing money in a course of care, it is essential to have made a declaration of attending physician. And if you want to get an appointment with a specialist, you will need the prescription from your doctor who is following you.

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