Posts by darktiger56

swiftbear86 said:It’s still a little fuzzy from your post who actually gave you the referral...

If you were at the hospital having a mole removed, they usually just give you a recommendation for follow-up care—you know, like getting the wound dressed by a doctor (it’s not like a standard red Medicare referral). They might even schedule the dressing change right there in their surgical clinic.

And if you went through a private specialist, it’s the same deal; it’s not an official referral, just a suggestion for wound care.

For patients who need a professional to dress their wounds every single day, they usually head to the urgent care on duty at any local Health Center during the weekend.

In your situation, since you aren't near your primary doctor, just head to the nearest Health Center with your insurance card and whatever medical records you received today.
If they won't see you, I guess your only option left is the ER at any hospital, though honestly, I don't think that's really what they're there for.
Since you're going to be away from home, you probably should have coordinated with the doctor who did the removal about how to handle the dressings yourself, and then when to swing back by to get the stitches out.
Changing the bandage isn't actually that hard to do on your own; you just need some antiseptic (like Octenisept), sterile gauze, and some Micropore tape (that white medical tape on a roll).
Doctors often prescribe specific aftercare for minor procedures like this.
Take a look at those papers and let me know, if you want, what the details say in the medical history you got today.☕

Exactly, that's it—they gave me a recommendation to see my regular doctor for the dressing changes, not an actual formal referral (I'm clearly not an expert in all the medical jargon!).

Ugh, so... 😢 I won't even be home for the next ten days (unless, obviously, I have to cancel everything just to get these stitches pulled out...). I can definitely handle the bandaging myself, no problem there, but what about the stitches? Can I just show up at the ER for that? And can I go without any paperwork (since I don't have a formal Medicare referral) and just show them this recommendation?

I'm not quite sure what kind of "medical history" you mean 🙈 But here is what I have on the one piece of paper I was given:
Mole removal on the dorsum of the right hand, LA 2% lidocaine, excisio in toto, sutures, cleaning, PHD. Redress in 3 days, sutures in 10-12 days.

Anyway, thanks so much for the help!

So, I had a mole removed from my arm today, and I’ve got this referral for wound dressing changes that I’m supposed to take to my regular family doctor. The catch? I won't be around for the next three days because I'll be heading out to Washington, D.C., and I was wondering—since I'll be away from home—where in Washington, D.C. can I actually get this dressing changed using my referral?
And does anyone know if I can also get the stitches taken out there later on?

melloworca6 said:Maybe try asking over in the topic of shield? You might actually get a response a lot faster there. 🙂

I’ve been looking for an endocrinologist in Washington, D.C., too, and I already tried posting on Toš (the topic of shield), but honestly, I didn't get any answers at all. 😢 So, I guess I'll go again—who knows, maybe if we all chip in together, we'll finally get somewhere.

Hey, can anyone point me in the right direction for finding a good GP? I'm looking to register somewhere in Washington, D.C., ideally somewhere around the Downtown or Queens area if possible.

Also, I'm on the hunt for a gynecologist. Any leads? Help a person out!

That’s all fine, but now I’m really wondering—does switching from my current doctor to a new one at a different clinic have anything to do with where I actually live, or is it just a matter of whether it's legit? Does my registered address even matter in this whole process, or is it all pretty much the same regardless?

So, I’ve managed to misplace my health insurance card—though, thankfully, I still have that orange supplemental one tucked away somewhere. Getting a replacement through Medicare isn't really what's weighing on my mind, since reporting it lost and ordering a new one is pretty straightforward, but I am stuck on a bit of a dilemma: I'm actually planning to file a change of address in the meantime. Does that move trigger anything regarding my main insurance card, or will I need to jump through extra hoops to make sure everything stays synced up?

And while we're at it, if I do move, will that supplemental insurance card I still have remain just as valid, or is that going to be another headache?

Thanks so much! 🙂

I’m on the hunt for a good general practitioner here in Washington, D.C., ideally somewhere downtown or maybe closer to the Central Park area.

To be more specific, does anyone happen to know if the Medveščak Health Center is actually taking on new patients right now?

On top of that, I'm also looking for a dentist in the D.C. area who accepts Medicare, preferably near the city center or just on the outskirts.

Thanks! 🙂