Consult your cardiologist and eliminate having to go to another office to start, you'll at least avoid the aggravation for the introduction meeting.

As to the meet n greet, think that is pretty much SOP. My 84 year old father just moved and changed physicians, he's ready with all his information, documents, notes on issues, and up for an immediate discussion on how to deal with everything before the first visit.

It just doesn't happen like that, told him to expect it to be a meet and greet, both parties need to know they can work together, you as the customer/patient, the doctor as someone you'll trust.

Think about it, why would that doctor read all your file before your first appointment, they don't know if the new patient will show up, or be someone they want to treat.

Wife's lady doc she's seen for 25 years company just sold practice, she was talking about how the new owners are pushing reduced time with patients, increase per day visits/appointments revenue revenue revenue.

She said she's going to retire early and not stay on, has enough money, doesn't need the aggravation and isn't going to rush someone out of the room she's in with a woman that's just had a miscarriage to meet some quota..

Good doctors are being squeezed from the corporate side as well...

Good luck get it taken care of, don't man it out.

I see I'm very late to this discussion and am also niched into emergency medicine. I don't get too involved in the insurance/admin, even as one of chief cooks & bottlewashers of the ER.
I'm happy to help if I can add anything. My direct email is also in my profile.
Whatever the case, i hope all turns out to be ok.

I think I've said this before here, but it is relevant. Medicine today is very different then of yore. It's now a practice of ruling out what something isn't rather than what is. Hence all the tests. It works most of the time, the scans & tests remove a lot of guess work - most of the time
However, you and your wife are your best advocates. No one knows your body better than you (or your wife - no pun). If you think you are not being understood or your perspective is being minimized, push back.

Doctors see too many patients, and are taught to rule out, not focus on anything until testing is done. They follow the hospital or a practices' protocol to protect the same & b/c most of the time it does work. They don't deviate. It's not necessarily a scam, but it is not always the quickest route to the problem. That may be what you are sensing.
Advocate for yourself. Don't take a doctor's word as gospel, especially if you have doubts.

Para, my primary care doc told me when he needed a x-ray or an MRI, he tells the local radiology center he doesn’t want to run it through insurance, he just wants to pay cash. The cash price wasn’t all that high. Might be something to consider if your doc wants a look inside.

If you do go through insurance for a test or treatment, do verify ahead of time that everyone and every facility involved are in network, as was mentioned above. You do not want to go someplace that’s not in your insurance network!

Best wishes for a good prognosis.

I'm on the easy-money-pickup" explanation. I wanted to go straight to a physical when I moved states and get a new doctor but, no, initial check-in first.

THey know it's going to be covered by the insurance so why leave money on the table?

The reason I say this is the three times my wife went to the hospital for surgery, our regular doctor would pop his head in the door to say hi. We thought he was being nice and caring. Then we saw the hospitals bills and there's a line item for him and he didn't do a damn thing but said hi.

We figured out the hospital sends lists of patients who are in the hospital to its list of doctors. For them, it's like walking the hallways of the hospital and picking up easy money.

Only thing I might suggest that I have not seen yet is possibly calling you insurance company. There are often “RN Lines” to speak with a nurse and/or patient advocates. They can answer lots of questions in my experience to verify benefits, best options, etc. Good luck, sir.

I hope you can find the issue quickly and it’s nothing too serious. I’m a general surgeon and am happy to answer any questions you may have.

Para, I've been ill for a couple years, and-- undiagnosed-- for a year or two before that. My inclination was just to push through, not acknowledge pain and sickness. I am older than you, and I think men of a certain age absorbed a "manly ethic" of toughing it out.

My son finally insisted that I get medical help. The doc who examined me at a walk in clinic said to my son "Get him to an Emergency Room right away."

My son now has a short-hand message for what I went through and put everyone through, and I offer it to you:

Tough will kill you.

Don't put anything off. Don't downplay or dismiss anything out of hand. Taking care of yourself does not in any way reflect badly on you or indicate weakness.

I know you are soliciting more specific information, but I thought it might be helpful for you to hear this.

I wish you all the best.