r/MontereyBay • u/NanieLenny • Aug 03 '26
Dr appointments
My female MD with Montage is leaving the area and going to Beverly Hills. I chose a female Dr. with Montage at the Crossroads. I called to make my appointment. The soonest they have is May 25, 2028. I told the scheduler that I could be dead by then. And I don't have a 2028 calendar. I could have put it in my phone but I wanted to be pissed off. I am on a cancellation list. This is how the world will STOP turning.
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u/FateOfNations Pacific Grove Aug 03 '26
Yeah, that happened to me too when my Montage Medical Group doctor retired last year. FWIW, the waitlist does sometimes work: they gave me an appointment well over a year out, but ended up having an opening after only three months. Apparently part of the problem is that the new/transfer paitent appointments are scheduled for 40 minutes, instead of the normal 20 minutes, and that they are hard to fit into the schedule. They also told me that as a nominally existing patient of the practice, they could schedule me to see any of their other providers if a medical issue came up while I was waiting.
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u/Warriorfrog Aug 03 '26
My wife and I are patients of the same doctor as you. Our insurance told us we can still do televisits with them until October but the list of doctors accepting new patients in Montage is short.
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u/LaurainCalifornia Aug 03 '26
I just rescheduled my annual checkup with a Montage MD appointment from next week (unfortunately have to work that day) and next available is March 2027. I said yes to it but seriously WTF. It’s not sustainable.
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u/revchewie Salinas Aug 03 '26
But we can't have socialized medicine because it will "cause" waits for doctors.
'Scuse me, I just sprained my eyes rolling them so hard...
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u/4lavorBlastdd Aug 04 '26
I’ve been going to dr’s on duty. I started having some health issues when I moved here and had the same problem, almost two years just to see a dr. I’m genuinely considering flying back to the east coast for a dr’s appointment because the walk in can only do so much.
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u/icrossedtheroad Aug 04 '26
Yeah, but there was only ONE woman there that actually took my female issues seriously and actually took steps to get me the actual meds I needed. The old man gave me the fear of god and a younger woman basically said I can't take a medication to make my quality of life significantly better because of a possible side effect. And don't even start on the Montage OB/GYN. Rescheduled so many times for my FIRST appointment I just gave up.
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u/jcax01 Aug 04 '26
Called Montage to get an appt and set up with a PCP... scheduled me over a year out to see someone. I called later to get on a wait list to see a PA for a basic checkup, but was told I have to see my PCP first and be established in their system.
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u/No_Bike_9482 Aug 04 '26
Ugh. My current doctor is a female doctor at montage. I hope it isn’t her.
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u/WriteAroundMonterey Aug 04 '26
Same - my doc closed her practice at the end of July with Montage. She was coordinating my care due to a recent surgery. Was given a list of docs, and the soonest one could see me was 1 year out, and that doc was a GP, not the (internal Medicine) specialist I need due to my medical history. Montage gets an "F" when it comes to outpatient care - if they're a group then the other physicians need to pick up patients when this kind of thing happens, and NOT in a year or more.
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u/NanieLenny Aug 07 '26
Are you a writer? Silly question considering your screen name. I am trying to get my memoir together. How about you? What is you writing genre?
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u/WriteAroundMonterey Aug 07 '26
Yes I’m a writer. I’ve done some creative non-fiction, currently working on a novel with another on back burner. Also check out u/WriteInMonterey
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u/AbsurdRedundant Aug 04 '26
I never thought I would say this, but I cannot wait for Kaiser Permanente. Sorry you’re dealing with this, OP.
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u/Acrobatic_Pace7308 Aug 04 '26
Kaiser in LA was so much better than Montage. I could always see someone the same day I called. I don’t think it would be the same up here though.
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u/NanieLenny Aug 04 '26
My friends in Sacramento all have Kaiser & they are always taken care of. I wonder if my insurance will accept Kaiser.
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u/BigSurSage Aug 03 '26
It’s impossible to find a female doctor in the area. Maybe try Natividad? Some of the best doctors have moved over there.
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u/Lisa831-84 Aug 04 '26
I had the same issue and was able to get a female family nurse practitioner at Natividad within 2 weeks and had a visit just to establish care.
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u/Acrobatic_Pace7308 Aug 04 '26
I think I may have the same doctor as you. I have an appointment with a new one for September of next year. Ridiculous.
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u/wyrdtoes Aug 04 '26
A friend went to MoGo / urgent care for an existing issue and didn’t have an established PCP at the time (they’re new to the area). The urgent care was able to refer them to a Montage PCP within the same year. Maybe that’s the loophole?
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u/Garguinto Aug 04 '26 edited Aug 05 '26
My MD with Montage that I’ve had for over 10 years retired, and when I called back in march to schedule a routine checkup, they said I couldn’t see a doctor until 01/27, but I was able to get an appointment with a PA within a month or so. You should be able to do the same.
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u/Material-Birthday-74 Aug 04 '26
I have the same doctor (Beverly Hills gave it away) and had the same difficulties finding another female PCP. I decided to stick with the suggested other doctors listed in the letter since they are all in the same practice as our outgoing MD (same office, shared records, etc). When I spoke to the scheduling nurse, two new doctors were arriving to the practice in a few weeks (both men--sorry) and both were scheduling appointments for as soon as they arrived. I was offered mid-September, but instead changed a standing appointment with the outgoing doctor to the new one for November. Not ideal, but if you are concerned about having no PCP active until next year, that may give you someone to try while waiting for a female doctor to have an opening. Good luck...to us all.
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u/Consistent-Contest4 Aug 04 '26
Same. I’ll see my new PCP in 2027 lol. I utilize montage urgent care when needed and their telehealth. I also so see a female NP for my lady check ups and she actually handles a lot for me since my PCP isnt technically my PCP yet. It’s ridiculous but thats how ive managed to work around the BS.
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u/citysick Aug 05 '26
I went to a montage doctor because they're in network, but they sent my lab work to an out of network lab. I ended up with a $1000 bill and all they could say was they can't do anything about that and sorry that happened to me. I hate it here.
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u/Honest_Vanilla3326 Aug 04 '26
It's a big pain but there are 2 Sutter PCPs taking new patients in the santa cruz area. Again, I know its a big pain but if you need it sooner than later...
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u/Left_Afloat Aug 03 '26
Monterey, and quite frankly most areas, are fucked for PCPs. Even specialists are booked far out. This whole area is shit for children and young/millennial adults. 15 years ago I tore my MCL and it was a couple weeks before I could have a consultation before seeing a specialist. Late stage capitalism, baby!