A Waitsfield man reached out to The Valley Reporter recently to share that he was unable to schedule an in-person appointment with his primary care provider at CVMC’s new Waterbury offices, which will take over Mad River Valley Family Practice patients when our local health center closes next month.
He was told that Medicare patients could only have telehealth visits with a provider or nurse, not necessarily their regular provider. We shared that information with CVMC, seeking clarity and spokesperson Jay Ericson said that was not the case. He suggested that this Waitsfield man try again, and he had. He had already scheduled an in-person appointment in Waitsfield with his provider, seeking to schedule his annual wellness visit with her, in person in Waterbury next month. He was again told that Medicare patients had to have telehealth visits.
We reached out to Jay Ericson again and his response was this:
“There is still some confusion around the purpose of the Medicare annual check. It is intended to be a ‘wellness’ check-in as opposed to an appointment where specific issues are discussed. We are moving as many of these check-ins to telehealth as patients and providers find it more convenient. That being said, the office was incorrect in saying it had to be a telehealth appointment. If the patient wants to do it in-person, they can. Our director of primary care is contacting the office this morning.”
Fair enough. A miscommunication or misunderstanding. Yet, something is truly lost when people do not see their regular doctor, the person with whom they have a relationship, the person who they may tell they’re going on vacation and worried about their stamina, or balance; the person they may recount that while mowing the grass they felt dizzy. Health care is about health but it’s also about relationships.
Sure, it’s more convenient to Zoom with someone for your wellness check so you don’t have to drive to Waterbury, but is it better for you? Is it more productive. Convenient for whom? Did we learn nothing from the pandemic? Something is lost when we do not connect with other humans, especially those to whom we entrust our health.
