Hello all, so I have a fair amount of medical issues that are pretty well managed due to some pretty amazing doctors. However, it’s only just occurred to me that I’m not sure if I should be looking into changing them in the next few weeks as I make my move to college?
I live in southern Connecticut, and will be attending college seven hours away (in light traffic) in Niagara Falls. I don’t drive, so on the times my parents can’t pick me up, it’s a twenty-hour commute. Suffice to say that returning for doctors appointments won’t be very easy.
Some doctors, like my podiatrist, GI, and endocrinologist, I only need to see every few months, and they’ve told me that I’ll be fine to schedule my appointment’s during my time off. Others, like my PCP, I see very frequently, and more importantly, she provides me with referrals when I need outside help. I’ve lived all around the country growing up, and the care that I receive here (from Yale) is hands down the best I’ve ever gotten, and I don’t love the idea of leaving them, but I also know that ease of access is very important for someone in my situation.
So my real question is, should I be switching my doctors (specifically, my PCP and whoever they’ll refer me to) to someone more local to my college? What do I do during my time off from school when I need help? I’m not sure if seeing two doctors interchangeably is possible (one while at school, one at home), but it seems the most logical?
I’m also on state medicaid, and I’m not sure if I should switch it to whatever New York offers, or keep it on CT’s? I’m on a plan with my parents if that would affect it at all, and I’m not sure if it would affect whether or not I can continue to see the doctors I visit infrequently but regularly here in CT?
I’m very clueless about this, and haven’t been able to find any good resources for someone in the same situation I’m in, with a lot of doctors I see at different times.
Does your PCP know you are going away to college? I would ask her if she can do online appts for the times you can’t get to her. Since she knows your background, it may be doable for her to either Skype, or do online consultation.
Also, I would check to see if your campus has a doctor. They may be able to fill in for the times you can’t see your PCP. I wouldn’t change doctors until I made sure that I absolutely had to. It’s hard to replace the knowledge that they have about you and your condition.
You can only be on the Medicaid plan in the state you reside. Going to college does not change your state of residence so you will still be on the CT plan and not eligible for NY’s plan.
And you won’t be eligible for non-emergency care on your OOS medicaid in NY. You really need to get this straightened out with your current doctor and your insurance coverage.
An option might be to buy student insurance at your college. In fact, you might HAVE to buy it. NY schools seem to be very picky about approving OOS policies.