Q: Can your doctor refuse to see you?
I had back surgery spinal stenosis in 2019. If I remember correctly I only saw him once after the surgery. He had moved to another practice. I had called several time to make an appointment at his new practice.. I was told he was not taking new patient. I told the receptionist that I was not a new patient. She said I was because I was never at that practice before. I explain to her how he did my back surgery and I needed to seem him cause I was in a lot of pain. She told me to hold she was going to ask if he can see me. When she came back on the phone she said the doctor is not going to take me as a patient. Can a doctor do that after he performed surgery?
A: Your surgeon certainly has a right not to see you again, especially if he's moved elsewhere. Whether that's good and accepted medical practice is another story. If you are in pain, you can certainly seek medical attention elsewhere. You can also contact his office to see if he can refer you to any colleagues who are accepting new patients.
Tim Akpinar agrees with this answer
1 user found this answer helpful
A: Yes, they can refuse, unless the refusal was based on discrimination, or it would violate a contract, or involve other exceptions to the general rule. Good luck
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
