How to Fire Your Doctor

Most of us are lucky enough to have doctors we really like. After all, if we didn’t like them, we'd never go back. Unfortunately, once in a while someone finds that they just don't "click" with a physician. This can be an awkward situation, because no one wants to be the patient who tells the doctor they're not happy. Senior citizens in particular find this troubling, because many of them were raised not to question a medical professional. However, if you're in a position where your relationship with your doctor is just not a good one, or if you feel your needs are not being met, you can indeed "fire" your doctor. Here are some hints on how to do this in a calm and professional manner.

Things You'll Need

• Time to sit down and write a professional letter ending your relationship with your physician

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Instructions

How to Fire Your Doctor

• 1

  Make sure you've got another doctor lined up. If you've been seeing a specialist that you're unhappy with, get a second or even third opinion from a different one. If it's your general practitioner that you've decided to break up with, or a doctor you only see on rare occasions, it's probably not necessary to get a second opinion, but you should at least make sure you have a replacement physician in the event that you need to be seen. Make sure your new physician understands that they are being asked for a second opinion. You may even wish to explain to them why you're ending things with your original physician.

• 2

  Do everything in writing when you do end the relationship with your doctor. This makes it part of your office chart. When you send the letter, be calm and professional. It's not necessary to be unpleasant, but you should be honest about your reasons for leaving. It's perfectly ok to say, "I feel that my needs as a patient are not being met at this time, so I have chosen to transfer my care to another physician." If it's a specialist you're breaking up with, send a copy of your letter to your general practitioner or referring doctor. You may also want to provide your insurance company with a copy.

• 3

  Let your doctor know If there are specific incidents which have upset you in the doctor's office. You can tell him, "Your nurse has been consistently rude to me during office visits, I have been left waiting in an exam room for over an hour, and on several occasions I have been double-billed for your services." Be specific; don't use generic terms like "your office staff stinks."

• 4

  Be sure to get copies of your records transferred to your new physician's office. This includes pharmacy records, if you're taking any prescription medications. Typically, your new doctor's office will have a form for you to fill out, authorizing the release of your records.

• 5

  Settle up your accounts in a timely manner. Just because you've left your physician's practice doesn't mean you don't have to pay any bills you owe him. Ask the billing staff to send you an itemized breakdown of any money still owed, and make arrangements for prompt payment. That will show them that you're not just breaking up with the doctor to weasel out of your bill, and also helps maintain some degree of professionalism. Ultimately, make it a clean and respectful break; remember that while this might not have been the right doctor for you, he could be the right one for someone else. However, it's up to you to take charge of your health and find the physician that meets your own health care needs.