Posted on 08/20/2019 8:01:39 AM PDT by MarvinStinson
When Joann Alfonzo, a pediatrician in Freehold, N.J., walked into her office recently she mentally rolled her eyes when she saw her next patient: a 26-year-old car salesman in a suit and tie.
"That's no longer a kid. That's a man," she recalls thinking.
Yet, Alfonzo wasn't that surprised. In the past five years, she has seen the age of her patients rise, as more young adults remain at home and, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, on their parents' health insurance until age 26.
"First it was 21, then 23 and now 26," Alfonzo says. "A lot of them can't afford to live on their own and get their own insurance, or even afford the co-pay. And if insurance is offered at work, there's generally a cost share involved, if insurance is provided at all."
"We have people who have had children, and they still see us, so we're seeing the parents and their children, concurrently," she says.
Aside from some potentially awkward moments in the waiting room, is there anything wrong with pediatricians continuing to treat their patients once they become adults?
A little, Alfonzo says.
"We're now treating people for adult diseases, things we weren't trained to treat," she says, such as adult hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, pregnancy, even depression and anxiety. If she encounters something she can't handle, Alfonzo says she will refer the patient to a specialist.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehour.com ...
Of course they don’t mention that he still lives in Mom’s basement.
Total lack of awareness in these “adults”
My question is why are they going to a kid DR instead of a GP?
My question is why are they going to a kid DR instead of a GP?
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thanks to the Affordable Care Act, on their parents’ health insurance until age 26.
I was on my parents’ insurance when I was 20. I did NOT see a pediatrician. Of course, in those faraway days, a Dr.’s visit cost about $25.00.
The pediatrician gives out swuckers to patients when they leave
Could be a couple of things:
They've NEVER gone to any other doctor but their original “kid doctor” and now are scared to go elsewhere. And, they don't know any better.
Their mother told them to go to the doctor, because SHE doesn't know any better!
My daughter got referred to a pediatric specialist for a certain problem she had at age 17.
I thought that was kind of strange for a 17-year old, but what did I know? That doctor did seem to help her.
My children’s pedes wanted to continue to see the kids through age 24.
Why?
There is a dearth of middle class children to add to the practice.
The boomers had their boom babies and the second boom is not reproducing.
Confirms to me exactly WHY we’re going to end up with socialized medicine at some point.
Cause too many people believe that it should be “FREE”.
Where they expect us to pay monthly, buy a supplement plan and still make co-pays?
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My plan has changed: Co-payment =
Down payment.
I don’t exactly see the problem.
If a 26-year-old wants to go to a pediatrician, and the pediatrician continues to take him as a patient, then that’s that.
If, on the other hand, a pediatrician has a policy that (let’s say) “We treat people age 18 and under, after that age, we will recommend a GP who can help you” then lines have been sketched out.
But from the article it seems like people are sort of complaining without actually complaining or doing anything. What’s the point?
Exactly. If I like a certain doctor and the doctor wants to help me as a patient, it’s a non story.
Maybe this is just one more new issue for libs to scream that someone is discriminating against them, and they are being victimized.
Soon there will be court cases of snowflake liberals suing their pediatricians for discontinuing to see them past age 20 or whatever...
AND...I could NEVER see either of my grandkids doing any of this crap. They'd never act like this.
Buying insurance through your employer should be illegal.
What if my employer made me buy the car insurance he likes?
Or the homeowner insurance?
Is she suggesting that not everyone with an MD after his/her name is qualified to do basic medicine?!
If so, I find that mind-boggling.
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