Does your pediatrician do this?

They weren't able to fully screen DD at preschool the other day for vision. They said she had played the game and understood it before so they aren't sure if she couldn't see or just didn't understand so they recommended I take her to a ped opthamologist.

I called my ped's office and ask them for a recommendation. They told me they won't give me one - and that I have to bring my DD in and the PED will check her out THEN determine IF she needs to see someone. Right now we have a huge deductible (4K) before insurance pays a dime. I don't need referrals and I don't want to pay him for a sick visit to just be told to take her to an eye doctor.

Does anyone else's doctor do this? I have never encountered this with any other doctor before my girls' ped. Trying to see if this is a ped thing or my ped's thing.

Re: Does your pediatrician do this?

I've never tried to get a recommendation from them on my own, so I don't know, but this does sound odd.

I happen to have my list of pediatric opthamologists in front of me. I don't know where you live, but if you'd be okay with someone in Plainview, Great Neck, or Mineola, let me know and I'll give you the info.

Re: Does your pediatrician do this?

if he won't give you a rec over the phone and u don't NEED a rec/script to go see a specialist i would just find one near u that takes your insurance and go.

Message edited 2/4/2011 9:21:38 AM.

Re: Does your pediatrician do this?

Sorry but that sounds ridiculous to me. It seems like they are trying to get you to come in to them to check her eyes so they get paid as well.

I'd skip that and just find a ped opthamologist if you don't need a referral.

What makes the ped think they know better than an opthamologist?

Re: Does your pediatrician do this?

My DS is too young to experience anything like this yet but I clearly remember when I was younger my ped was pushing to give us an eye exam. Meanwhile, we had glasses and my mom took us to the opthamologist yearly.

Sounds like they just want a co-pay, and I think that is ridiculous

Re: Does your pediatrician do this?

Okay that is exactly what I thought. No copay anymore with our current plan I pay out of pocket what the insurance has agreed is his rate for the visit - so obviously he just wants to bill. If it was just a copay I would probably suck it up and just go - but I have to pay OOP b.c I have a huge deductible so I would be paying 2 times - once for the ped and once for the eye doctor. I research the doctors I use so I don't like to just pick a name out of a hat - so I like when they tell me who they recommend which is the ONLY reason I called him.

Time to find a new ped - but our insurance maybe changing soon so I don't want to switch until I know what our new insurance will be.

Sorry just really annoyed right now.

yes I would love that list - do you have a name of MD's someone affiliated with NSUH manhasset/LIJ?

What annoyed me is that he DIDN"T do an eye exam on her at her 3 year visit when he HAD the chance, I'm annoyed at him anyway - if he wasn't referred to me by some experts I would have switched a while back - but DH hasn't found a group he likes at this point which is the only reason we stayed this long with him.

Re: Does your pediatrician do this?

Dr. Maury Marmor - Plainview
942-4400 - this is the practice I used and was very happy, but DS didn't have anything complicated going on, just to make sure his stigmatism wasn't bad enough to need glasses at this time

Dr. Larry Berstein - Plainview
935-9200

Dr. Sylviak Kodsi - Great Neck
470-2020

Dr. Steven Rubin - Great Neck
465-8444

Dr. Steven Kronwith - Mineola
747-1850

Dr. Barry Pinchoff and Dr. Robert Strome - Great Neck
487-0410

Re: Does your pediatrician do this?

Re: Does your pediatrician do this?

My child was sent home from school with a note from the school nurse to see an eye doctor for further testing. I called the pediatrician and asked them to refer to me one. They did with no questions asked.

Here is who we saw:

Long Island Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, P.C.
146 Manetto Hill Road
Plainview, NY 11803
Phone: (516) 942-4400
Fax: (516) 942-4403

website

We too have a deductible, but the visit didn't cost us anything. They asked what our insurance was and we saw Dr. Michelle Levi because she was the eye doc that took our particular insurance. We did not need referral.

Re: Does your pediatrician do this?

Re: Does your pediatrician do this?

Sounds like your ped wants to make some extra money. When DD#1 appeared to me to be cross eyed, I called the ped and they gave me the ped optho # immediately. I would just find an optho that takes your ins and go.

Re: Does your pediatrician do this?

Re: Does your pediatrician do this?

we use marmor in plainview. And you know we've been using them for over 2 years now. happy with that office.

do not go to kodsi. the office is horrible. i do not recommend her.

Re: Does your pediatrician do this?

IF you don't need referrals then just find a ped. ophthalmologist and take your DC. Then have the results sent to your PED (or don't).
That's what I did last week. DD's vision WAS checked at her ped's office in September and she did fine, but I had some doubts and decided to take her to a specialist just in case (didn't even ask or tell our ped) She is fine , 20/20 vision and the visit made me feel better... Our PED will be getting results next week.
There is a very good ped. Opthamologist in Queens and I think he also has an office in LI, but I could be wrong. He is "one of the best"




INFO

Re: Does your pediatrician do this?

My ped never made me come in for a referral. I feel like they did everything to help me avoid a co-pay - including calling in meds for pink eye.

Re: Does your pediatrician do this?

Ds saw and had surgery with Dr. Pinchoff. I believe he is affiliated with north shore but we did the surgery at. St Francis which is also where he is affiliated with

Re: Does your pediatrician do this?

My Ped checked in the office - as part of her wellness visit. If you don't need referrals, I would just look into which will cost you more? Does it cost more to see the Eye Dr than the sick visit? Sometimes plans cover wellness visits 1x a year at 100% - can you wait for that? If you don't think that there is a problem, I'd wait for the next wellness... Just my thoughts - I'm NO doctor - just have 2 kids.