I work in the intake department for a mental health clinic that has therapists and psychiatric nurse practitioners on staff. In my state, ARNPs can prescribe medications without the supervision of a MD, which most people are fine with, but we get some picky people who only want the providers with the highest title, regardless of experience.
Some people have other reasons of needed a doctorate level prescriber. Regardless, we don’t have MDs on staff, and we are careful to tell people that when they schedule with one of our ARNPs.
Me: Hello, this is thricetold at company name, how can I help you?
DS (Doctor Seeker): Hi, I switched insurances and they say I need to see a psychiatrist instead of a ARNP for my medication or they won’t cover it. My ARNP told me to call here to get scheduled.
Me: Oh, I’m sorry, we don’t have psychiatrists on staff. We have psychiatric nurse practitioners who can prescribe medications, but it sounds like that’s not what you’re looking for.
DS: Oh, ok. Which one has the soonest appointment?
Me: We have a couple scheduling about 3 weeks out, but I want to make sure you’re aware these are ARNPs, not MDs, and it sounds like your insurance doesn’t cover that.
DS: But my insurance said you had them!
Me: Unfortunately they were mistaken. Did you want me to send you some external resources, I’d be happy to email–
DS: No, no, that’s alright, just schedule me with the doctor with the soonest appointment.
Me: increasingly confused We don’t have a doctor with any appointments.
DS: Your website says you’re taking new clients.
Me: We are, but for our ARNPs and our therapists. We’re not scheduling with MDs because we don’t have MDs.
DS: Ok, can I see what appointments you do have available?
Me: Sure, we have [provider] on [date].
DS: Is she a MD?
Me: …no, we don’t have any MDs.
DS: When’s the soonest an MD can get me in?
Me: Ma’am, we don’t have MDs that can get you in at all. I recommend you call your insurance or your current provider to see if they have any other ideas.
DS: Alright, I will then. click
I spent the next few minutes scouring our website to make sure we didn’t have any information even implying that we had doctors on staff but couldn’t find any. Not sure if I was being the idiot or DS was, but I have my suspicions.
submitted by /u/thricetold
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