There is a national shortage of rheumatologists.

Great news! I have an appointment with a local rheumatologist next week. I searched my health records, and there she was. Apparently I saw her last year, but I don't remember it.

It's time I got a walker, so I plan to buy one this afternoon. Thanks for all the support.

Hey @cliffg26 I was thinking that with winter colds and flu you might get a an appointment because of a cancellation ! How did your appointment go if you don't mind telling us ?

Also check this out : You can register your complaint here perhaps https://rheumatology.org/share-your-story

one of the check boxes is :
"Diagnosis or treatment delays due to long wait times to see a rheumatologist/rheumatology provider"
Hope you and all of us have a health(ier) 2024 !

Do you receive care at a military hospital, the VA or does TriCare allow you to go to any doctor or hospital?

I will be in Florida in January. The VA hospital where I live contacted the Orlando VA to make arrangements for my monthly Actemra infusion in January. It seemed somewhat bureaucratic but the Orlando VA said they can't administer my infusion unless I'm seen by a rheumatologist at the Orlando VA.

It has been arranged so I can have a virtual visit by the Director of Rheumatology at the Orlando, VA Hospital a couple of days before my January Actemra infusion. I'm impressed by the communication done on my behalf. At first they said the first appointment with a rheumatologist at the Orlando, VA was going to be 4 months out which would have been too late for an infusion this January.

I’ve see some specific changes on how I am managed that I’m quite sure are driven by insurance. For instance, I have gotten quarterly blood tests to check liver enzymes, sed rate, etc. now I get them twice a year unless he needs to confirm a flare or infection, etc. and now I have follow ups every four months instead of three. I noticed with my pulmonologist the time slot that a follow up visit is given is 15 minutes - and that means we make virtually no contact so he can type his write up while he talks. . I get a hasty stethoscope check of lungs and heart. As a matter of fact, I can’t recall the last time my PCP touched me at all. Anywhere. No checking ankles for swelling, throat for thyroid, poking around for swollen nodes, etc. I get labs annually and then he writes whatever script he can justify to prove he saw me. I think the couple of PAs I see are vastly more focused on me than the docs - rheumy excepted. Rheumy is engaged but I can tells is pressured by insurance company - or at least Medicare.

This is all very sad that people cannot get into see a rheum. I suppose that the insurance companies setting rates that doctors have to live with is a part. Malpractice insurance being another. My long time boss's son was a doctor for about 12 years and quit. He said the insurance companies dictated how many patients he had to see in a day to make a decent profit. He didnt want to do that to his patients.
Anyway, when I was first diagnosed with PMR and GCA I was sent to a local doctor. She was and is still making appointments 6 months out. I got lucky I guess because I was her youngest patient and she took me in at lunch or the end of the day after the office closed. She also gave me her personal cell phone number in case there was any emergency.

cliffg26 Not sure what you mean by serious case - but you need to consider trying classic treatment of prednisone. The first Rheumy I saw wanted me on 40mg per day to start, I went thumbs down, the next one was at 20mg for starters. I stuck with her but we treated me with steroid injections in major pain points for a while. I also was on 3,000mg Tylenol per day to keep the pain at a tolerable level. Then I had Covid and my inflammatory numbers shot way way up again. This time I started on 5mg, went to 10mg and am now down to 4mg. Just know that coming down is slow and steady wins the race. My PCP was even willing to start me at 1mg and go up till pain was gone. I was and still am very reluctant to take prednisone.