DD dismissed from doctor's practice!

[Book Please Mommy]

Hi everyone,

This is my first time posting here but I've been lurking for several weeks. My DD is 2 years and 3 months old now. She was fully vaccinated through 6 months, when I believe she had an adverse reaction to the vaccines She had a few stray vaccines after that but has not received any vaccines for 9 months now and will not in the forseeable future. Thus, she is 'behind' on the vaccination schedule.

At her well-baby visit this week, DD was dismissed from the practice for not being vaccinated on schedule!

I'm really disappointed because I like this doctor, and she is my doctor too. My husband sees the other physician in the practice (we go to a family practice). This doctor sees DD the same day when she is sick, and was very proactive in helping her through RSV and pneumonia. She is reasonable and has always treated me as though I have a brain... but now, she says their practice has decided to dismiss any patient who does not vaccinate on schedule!! We have been there since DD was a newborn, and all the doctor has ever said to me about vaccinations is "if you feel confident in the research you have done." What a surprise that now my delightful DD will be dismissed for not catching up to the schedule immediately!!! Why are they doing this? I was told that the risk to their staff is "just too great" if someone comes in with a "vaccine-preventable" disease.

I find this to be really coercive. The message is "get vaccinated NOW or you're kicked out;" it's threatening. Vaccines are not mandated in this country, yet DD is being kicked out of the practice for not being vaccinated on the CDC schedule! It is the right of this practice to refuse treatment to anyone -- although they don't kick out patients who refuse their asthma medicine or don't follow medical advice or have differing beliefs from them. It feels like discrimination in a way to me. DD will be denied medical care because we made the choice -- vaccination is legally a choice -- not to vaccinate right now.

I wonder about the legality of this dismissal. Has anyone had this happen to them? What are your thoughts? If they don't want to treat my daughter anymore, then I don't want to take her there, and they will lose myself and my husband as clients too. *sigh* I did not forsee this. We don't live in an area with tons of doctors nearby. What's your best advice for finding a non-vax friendly doctor in southern PA? We're right by the border with MD.

[Mrsboyko]

First, find your tribe here, they will be able to tell you more about your specific area.

Second, there is nothing TO do about being kicked out, other than the write a well worded letter to the manager of the clinic. Send it with delivery confermation so you have a record should anything come oup about not having a doc for her.

Then find a new doc for everyone. Pretty much everyone here agrees with you re: "-- vaccination is legally a choice -- ". But just as it is our choice to not vaccinate, it is the clinics choice (probably not your doc's choice) to deny care to people who are "non-compliant". It sucks, but there it is. Sorry you are dealing with this.

Oh, and welcome to MDC!

[Book Please Mommy]

Thanks, I posted in the tribal areas.

[Marnica]

I wonder how they deal with people that don't vaccinate for religious reasons....I guess they disciminate against people for their religion. How unconsitutional..

anyway this is way more commom than you think and many many people have posted their experiences about having to find another doc here.

They are covering their ass, nothing more. That line about it being too great a risk is a load of hockey. Even the AAP's says practices should not fire patients for not vaccinating.

I believe by law they have to continue to see your DD until you can find a new doc (not that you would ever want to go back there!!).
As for finging no vax friendly doc...try asking local chiropractors...they often do not vax their own kids.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by Book Please Mommy

I wonder about the legality of this dismissal. Has anyone had this happen to them? What are your thoughts? If they don't want to treat my daughter anymore, then I don't want to take her there, and they will lose myself and my husband as clients too. *sigh* I did not forsee this. We don't live in an area with tons of doctors nearby. What's your best advice for finding a non-vax friendly doctor in southern PA? We're right by the border with MD.

The notification to terminate needs to be in the form of a letter that states why the physician is ending the relationship, the date of termination, and the physician's willingness to continue treatment temporarily if the patient needs further care; otherwise, the physician can be sued for abandonment. Though if your child isn't being treated for something at present and you are only going in for well/sick visits, you probably wouldn't get far with a suit.

[serenbat]

I wonder how they deal with people that don't vaccinate for religious reasons....I guess they disciminate against people for their religion. How unconsitutional..

We made it very clear, upfront at the first visit and said the word RELIGION several times, I think it makes the Dr.s think twice about throwing someone out. They don't want a negative religious backlash and undue negative outcomes from the community. We also made it clear that we knew out PA rights and said them too.

[swissmom]

Hi mama, welcome to the club! I can completely understand your feelings. We were kicked out when DS was 2 weeks old because we stated that we want to delay vaccinating. It's an awkward feeling, because you experience for the first time that someone is treating your innocent child unfairly. It might take some time to find a new doctor, but it's worth it. Maybe this list of vaccine-friendly doctors can help. Just hang in there!

[boigrrrlwonder]

Man, that happened to me, too. And to be honest, good riddance. I ended up finding a doctor that actually supported my decisions around vaccination - and trust me, it feels so much better to have a doctor for your child that respects your decisions rather than constantly having an adversarial relationship.

[Noelle C.]

If vaxes are so fool-proof, then their staff can all go get vaxes and be 100% protected. I'd mention something along those lines in a letter to them.

In the long run, you're better off without a practice that is trying to coerce families into vaxing.

[sunflower.mama]

Originally Posted by Noelle C.

If vaxes are so fool-proof, then their staff can all go get vaxes and be 100% protected. I'd mention something along those lines in a letter to them.

In the long run, you're better off without a practice that is trying to coerce families into vaxing.

Of course vaccines aren't foolproof! That's why people who don't vaccinate their children pose a risk to the rest of the population - because they could contract a mutated form of the disease and pass it along to the rest of us. The system of erradicating illnesses through vaccines only works if we all do it. Frankly OP (and I say this to offer you an alternate perspective, not attack) I am not sure I'd want unvaccinated children around my doc's waiting room when I have an immunocompromised asthatic child with me. I can see where the office is coming from. But I am sorry that this has happened abruptly to you after going there for years. That sucks.

[Book Please Mommy]

Originally Posted by sunflower.mama

Of course vaccines aren't foolproof! That's why people who don't vaccinate their children pose a risk to the rest of the population - because they could contract a mutated form of the disease and pass it along to the rest of us. The system of erradicating illnesses through vaccines only works if we all do it. Frankly OP (and I say this to offer you an alternate perspective, not attack) I am not sure I'd want unvaccinated children around my doc's waiting room when I have an immunocompromised asthatic child with me. I can see where the office is coming from. But I am sorry that this has happened abruptly to you after going there for years. That sucks.

I would think that any person, vaccinated or not, could contract a mutated form of a bacteria or virus. My own DD may be exposed to measles or flu virus from vaccinated people shedding the live virus. DD has an IgM deficiency and I have chosen to stop vaccinating her, so one could argue that she may be immunocompromised as well. It bothers me that some people may not want their child around mine simply because she is unvaccinated, when she poses no risk to others.

Thanks for agreeing that it stinks the practice changed it's policy

[Romana]

I would share the AAP statement with them (regarding not firing patients on this basis), let them know you consider their behavior to be unethical, and find a new, more non-vax-friendly doctor. They're out there.

I'm sorry this happened. It isn't all that uncommon, unfortunately.

[Ruthla]

This happened to me as well. First, they told me at the visit that "maybe I should find another doctor's practice that's more in line with my attitudes towards medicine" (yeah, right, like I could find somebody like that who takes Medicaid)- I was just happy they were respectful to me, even if we disagreed.

About a week later, I received a letter in the mail telling me they were dropping us from the practice- with an effective date a month from the date of the letter. So, had there been some kind of medical emergency before I could find a new doctor, I could have still gone to them. I also assumed that, if I found a new doctor but the insurance company was going to make me wait until the first of the next month, the old practice would have given me a 2 week extension if needed- but it wasn't needed.

I'm now using a large clinic-like practice in a HUGE medical building connected to my insurance company ("the insurancompanyname Center" )where there are numerous specialties, including pediatrics (and internal medicine/my doctor, OB/GYN, optometry, etc.) A practice this large I figure is unlikely to kick me out- and if they do, I'd complain to the insurance company directly.

I've been going to them for over a year, and at the last checkup I got into quite an argument with the ped about not vaxing the girls. That was back in August and they haven't kicked me out yet.

[noobmom]

I'm sorry. But assuming this is a private practice it's within their rights to dismiss patients. It sounds as if this is a blanket policy made by the practice and not specifically by your doctor. I would write a letter stating that you're disappointed that the practice has made this decision and that you're withdrawing all members of your family as patients.

I'm curious though. There must be loopholes to this policy. There are certain immuno-compromised children where vaccines are never recommended. Surely the practice doesn't turn children like that away? Seems like a very poorly thought out policy to me.

[caro113]

Originally Posted by sunflower.mama

I am not sure I'd want unvaccinated children around my doc's waiting room when I have an immunocompromised asthatic child with me. I can see where the office is coming from.

But if you believe in vaccines so much, then why would it matter? Wouldn't your child's vaccine protect them? And what about you? Are you up to date with your vaccines? If not, then by your logic, you are just as capable of contracting a mutated virus and passing it along to your child. Besides, vaccines compromise immune systems.
I'm not trying to bash you in any way, but I am curious as to how you can believe in vaccines so strongly yet still be afraid of a non-vaccinated child being around your child.

Originally Posted by sunflower.mama

But I am sorry that this has happened abruptly to you after going there for years. That sucks.

Thank you for agreeing with that statement!! Most people who feel that way about vaccines simply don't care when a child is dropped due to not vaccinating on the CDCs schedule.

[caro113]

Originally Posted by Marnica

As for finging no vax friendly doc...try asking local chiropractors...they often do not vax their own kids.

That's what we did.

[ZoeyZoo]

This hasn't happened to me yet but I've heard it happen to a lot of people. I have also read some posts of insurance companies dropping unvaxes kids that are not on group plans.

I found some doctors lists through some natural parenting yahoo groups in my area and from the local midwives. Good luck in finding someone new.