Stopgap options for getting an antidepressant without waiting a month?
July 31, 2018 10:02 AM Subscribe
My partner was previously on antidepressants and went off of them (unintentionally) when her insurance changed and her old doctor won't accept the new one. The permanent solution is to find a new PCP and get a new prescription, but she can't get an appointment for at least a month with any of the doctors we've called. Does anyone know of any alternative options to deal with this more quickly?
We're located in the St Charles County, Missouri area and she has Ambetter through the Exchange. Theoretically there are quite a few doctors that accept this insurance, but we've called about ten so far and the earliest appointment available is a month out. We've made the appointment, but due to some other circumstances, she's already been off her meds for a month and is miserable. The previous doctor refuses to see her as self-pay or out-of-network (I don't understand why, but I don't think it's worth fighting at this point).
She's currently unemployed so if there is some low-income options available that would probably work, but I don't even know where to start looking for that. I'm happy to pay for her to see somebody if there's a faster paying option. She was pretty well established on the specific med she was taking (I don't know what it is) and doesn't want to switch to something else.
We're located in the St Charles County, Missouri area and she has Ambetter through the Exchange. Theoretically there are quite a few doctors that accept this insurance, but we've called about ten so far and the earliest appointment available is a month out. We've made the appointment, but due to some other circumstances, she's already been off her meds for a month and is miserable. The previous doctor refuses to see her as self-pay or out-of-network (I don't understand why, but I don't think it's worth fighting at this point).
She's currently unemployed so if there is some low-income options available that would probably work, but I don't even know where to start looking for that. I'm happy to pay for her to see somebody if there's a faster paying option. She was pretty well established on the specific med she was taking (I don't know what it is) and doesn't want to switch to something else.
Best answer: I've done this at an urgent care, when I moved and hadn't yet found a new primary care doctor. They would not prescribe more than a month of the medicine for me (because they would be unable to monitor) but it was enough to get me to my doctor appointment.
I think I just took the old bottle with me to show the urgent care doctor.
Online medicine also seems to be a thing now; could that be an option? I was surprised to find that my insurer offers this but have not used it myself.
posted by ZeroDivides at 10:13 AM on July 31, 2018 [3 favorites]
I think I just took the old bottle with me to show the urgent care doctor.
Online medicine also seems to be a thing now; could that be an option? I was surprised to find that my insurer offers this but have not used it myself.
posted by ZeroDivides at 10:13 AM on July 31, 2018 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Seconding online medicine--I've used about three of those doctor online apps, and have been surprised at how helpful they've been. Download a bunch and look at them--some of them take insurance, but even without it, the visit should be under $100. She should be able to just show up, say that she's been stable on meds for [time], but her insurance changed and she had to change doctors, etc.
If that isn't an option for some reason, I've also had good luck going to a Minute Clinic (or whatever the doctors-in-drugstores chain is dominant in your area) with my empty pill bottle, explaining the situation, and asking if they'll help.
That said, note that if her meds are benzos, painkillers, ADHD meds, or anything like that--anything that might have a street value, basically--she's going to be out of luck. An urgent care or emergency room is probably the only place that even can fill them, and even then, it's a real long shot. (To be clear, I'm not advocating going to the emergency room over this, especially since she's already been off for a month--if this were a psychiatric emergency, though, they probably could.) Doc in a box places tend to have hard-line policies about controlled substances.
posted by mishafletch at 10:30 AM on July 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
If that isn't an option for some reason, I've also had good luck going to a Minute Clinic (or whatever the doctors-in-drugstores chain is dominant in your area) with my empty pill bottle, explaining the situation, and asking if they'll help.
That said, note that if her meds are benzos, painkillers, ADHD meds, or anything like that--anything that might have a street value, basically--she's going to be out of luck. An urgent care or emergency room is probably the only place that even can fill them, and even then, it's a real long shot. (To be clear, I'm not advocating going to the emergency room over this, especially since she's already been off for a month--if this were a psychiatric emergency, though, they probably could.) Doc in a box places tend to have hard-line policies about controlled substances.
posted by mishafletch at 10:30 AM on July 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Call the Dr she has the appointment with, explain the situation and ask for a script to hold her over until the appointment.
posted by tman99 at 10:32 AM on July 31, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by tman99 at 10:32 AM on July 31, 2018 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Having your old doctor call in an Rx is easiest, but if not -- My insurance covers Doctor On Demand (.com) at a super-excellent rate because it saves them a lot of money if I don't go to a physical doctor's office. Your insurance probably provides a similar service; if not, you can go go Doctor on Demand and just pay retail. I've linked to the "mental health" page.
My experience is that you get an appointment within 30 minutes (often right when you sign on, but sometimes you have to wait a little bit if you sign on at a peak time). I use my laptop and basically video chat with a doctor in the US for about 15 minutes, and they are able to diagnose and send in prescriptions and the whole nine yards. They can't/won't prescribe opiates or other schedule whatever medicines, but most everything else, no problem. I've used them several times now when I'm sick and don't want to attempt to drag all three kids with me to the doctor, and it's great, sometimes I have to say "ahhhhhh" at my laptop camera which is silly but they call in antibiotics for my sinus infection or whatever and it's so much cheaper and less hassle than going to urgent care!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 10:38 AM on July 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
My experience is that you get an appointment within 30 minutes (often right when you sign on, but sometimes you have to wait a little bit if you sign on at a peak time). I use my laptop and basically video chat with a doctor in the US for about 15 minutes, and they are able to diagnose and send in prescriptions and the whole nine yards. They can't/won't prescribe opiates or other schedule whatever medicines, but most everything else, no problem. I've used them several times now when I'm sick and don't want to attempt to drag all three kids with me to the doctor, and it's great, sometimes I have to say "ahhhhhh" at my laptop camera which is silly but they call in antibiotics for my sinus infection or whatever and it's so much cheaper and less hassle than going to urgent care!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 10:38 AM on July 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Talk to the pharmacist at the place that filled the previous prescriptions. They are sometimes allowed to prescribe emergency refills.
posted by yeahlikethat at 10:38 AM on July 31, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by yeahlikethat at 10:38 AM on July 31, 2018 [4 favorites]
Best answer: I just went through this. My doctor retired and for some reason his replacement cant get "credentialed" on my health insurance even though he had no problem with the other insurance companies. It really sucked because I also had my first manic episode during this time. It was unknown to me but I was able to see a registered nurse at the office and she was able to prescribe meds but she was very conservative about it and finally gave up and said my problem was over her head.
I couldn't get any appointments with new doctors for a month or so as in your story.
Out of desperation I called the insurance company?EAP and got a little more assertive and also unbeknownst to me counselers at my EAP have a list of in-network doctors and can call around and see who's fastest to get into. Only one was less than an hour away but I got in to see him a few days later.
Call the insurance company again if yu haven't already done so. They may be able to find a doctor faster.
posted by Che boludo! at 11:15 AM on July 31, 2018
I couldn't get any appointments with new doctors for a month or so as in your story.
Out of desperation I called the insurance company?EAP and got a little more assertive and also unbeknownst to me counselers at my EAP have a list of in-network doctors and can call around and see who's fastest to get into. Only one was less than an hour away but I got in to see him a few days later.
Call the insurance company again if yu haven't already done so. They may be able to find a doctor faster.
posted by Che boludo! at 11:15 AM on July 31, 2018
Best answer: Hey, I have also had med gaps and they're awful! MinuteClinic at CVS does one-time refills for maintenance meds. I have used them twice with no problem. Highly recommend.
posted by Snarl Furillo at 11:46 AM on July 31, 2018
posted by Snarl Furillo at 11:46 AM on July 31, 2018
Best answer: Has the doctor provided her with a letter listing her current prescriptions? I imagine urgent care/ CVS will need that, unless the psychiatric records are transferred digitally.
If you can get to St Louis, this appears to be a walk-in psych clinic.
posted by ahundredjarsofsky at 12:24 PM on July 31, 2018
If you can get to St Louis, this appears to be a walk-in psych clinic.
posted by ahundredjarsofsky at 12:24 PM on July 31, 2018
Response by poster: Thank you to everyone for your suggestions. We went over these options and she decided to tough it out until she could get into a regular doctor as she has some other health concerns, but I'm happy to report that we made it in to the doc last week and she is back on her meds and getting those other problems resolved as well. It is great to know what other options we might be able to use if this ever happens again, though!
posted by possibilityleft at 7:24 AM on September 2, 2018
posted by possibilityleft at 7:24 AM on September 2, 2018
« Older Consignment/resale shops in the Chicago area? | How do I get over crushing post-fun blues? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by so fucking future at 10:04 AM on July 31, 2018 [6 favorites]