Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
Long waits for doctor visits leave readers frustrated, without health care
A majority of respondents to a Boston.com poll told us they're waiting months to see primary care physicians.
Four years after the COVID-19 pandemic first hit our hospitals, patients are still feeling the aftershocks of an overburdened health care system.
It’s harder than ever to get access to care in Massachusetts as health care workers leave the field and patient needs rise. Patients want to resume regular appointments and address the non-emergency health care concerns that were put on the backburner during the height of the pandemic, but public health experts and Boston.com readers say those appointments are few and far between.
A study by physician recruiters Merritt Hawkins & Associates found that average wait times for primary care appointments in Boston range from 40 to 136 days. Primary care is an important part of preventative medicine and combating chronic disease.
Advertisement:
We recently asked our readers to share their experiences getting access to care in Massachusetts. Of the 149 respondents, most said they have a primary care physician, but 77% said they have trouble scheduling doctors’ appointments.
Last year, two of the region’s largest hospital systems, Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, told the public they were struggling with capacity. That means when readers like P from Waltham try to find a new doctor, they might be getting closed doors.
“I have been trying for over seven months to get a PCP near my work downtown instead of one that’s over a 30 minute drive from my home,” he said. “Both MGH and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have not had any PCPs accepting new patients. Brigham and Women’s has told me to call back in three months and that their waitlist is full.”
Advertisement:
Multiple readers told us that despite their best efforts, the most recent doctors’ appointment they could book wasn’t until 2025.
“Had an appointment for a yearly physical scheduled this May and had to reschedule due to a scheduling conflict. The next available date was also in May, which is great — until you realize it is May of 2025. Nothing available for 15 months. That doesn’t seem right. Unfortunately, this may be the new norm,” said Dan from Everett.
Have you had a hard time scheduling a doctor's appointment?
Yes
77%
No
23%
Do you have a primary care physician?
Yes
75%
No
25%
One reader emphasized that the situation is tough on doctors, too. Nearly half of physicians say they’re feeling burned out, according to Medscape’s most recent physician burnout and depression report. The doctor shortage means those who are still in the field are seeing large numbers of patients while juggling administrative tasks.
“You should ask PCPs about their experiences caring for more patients, meeting increased demands from all directions and still trying to care for people as best they can,” the reader said. “Oftentimes, the patients blame the PCPs and we’re working as hard as we can!”
Seeing how difficult it’s become to get easy access to doctors, some readers told us they’ve opted for concierge primary care, which typically requires a monthly membership fee.
Advertisement:
“I have no problem at all, and can see or speak with my PCP anytime I need to. Why? Because I felt long ago that I was tired of NOT having access to my doctor. Initially there was concern for the financial strain of the extra money spent for membership, but soon it was clear that there are actually savings to be had … Practices involved in a third party payer structure (ie. they take insurance) are buckling under the financial strain of relying on insurance to get paid,” Dominica C. from Amesbury said, adding she’s found direct care to be a “brilliant answer.”
“Many people initially think it is too expensive, but just taking a moment to understand the actual cost of care through insurance shows that actually direct care is not only a LOT cheaper but is top quality actual health care,” she said.
The vast majority of patients are still seeing doctors through traditional channels. For those who are, frustrations getting appointments abound. Below, you’ll find a sampling of readers sharing what it’s been like to navigate primary care in recent months.
Some quotes have been edited for length and clarity.
Have you had a hard time scheduling a doctor’s appointment?
‘Still not one doctor who is accepting new patients’
“Many of the PCPs listed as accepting patients are not. It’s very frustrating. I’ve been in a multi-physician practice for some years, and three doctors have quit or moved on. Now they have no one who will accept a new patient. They said they would send a list of other area physicians who would accept patients, but I’m still waiting.” — Grace A., Arlington
Advertisement:
“My wife has been trying to get a PCP for nearly six months now. It got so bad that she had to ask her psychiatrist to put in an order for her to get labs done just for basic blood work so she could at least have that. And our health care provider is little help, saying that a doctor is taking new patients, then when we call, they are not. She has a lead to call a new practice that is opening 40 minutes from us, in March.” — Sam B., Cohasset
“I have new insurance and it is insanity trying to get a primary care doctor. I basically dial away using the online provider directory, which is not kept up to date. I’ve been doing this all month and still no luck. It’s ridiculous. I live on the Cape but willing to go into Boston, still not one doctor who is accepting new patients.” — Jennifer K., Eastham
“Two years ago, I received a letter informing me that my primary care doctor would no longer be offering primary care; they were moving to urgent care and providing virtual visits only. I had been a patient of that practice for nearly 15 years. There are no other PCPs accepting new patients. I contacted five to six primary care offices from the list provided by my insurance company. All but one were not taking new patients. When I went to the one who was, I discovered why they had availability when no one else did. I would not go to that doctor again even if I were desperate. I resumed the search. Even the doctors whose websites said they were accepting new patients weren’t. Finally there was one whose name I hadn’t seen dozens of times before in my previous searches, so I called. ‘Yes, we’re accepting new patients, but I should warn you that we’re booking about a year out.’ I took the appointment.” — Emily, Sudbury
‘Appointments are booked out years in advance’
“I had a PCP at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and they left. I called to make an appointment for a new one and was told there were too many people on the waiting list and to try calling back in a few months to see if I could get on the waiting list then.” — Sarah H., Quincy
Advertisement:
“Doctors’ appointments are booked out years in advance. I’ve tried to get a new PCP and it’s so hard to find one accepting new patients and appointments for this year. My friend who has a mystery illness was able to book a specialist, but it was 21 months out.” — Candace, Brookline
“All of the well-rated health care providers (MGH, Brigham and Women’s, Beth Israel, etc.) have incredibly painful systems for booking a PCP. MGH doesn’t have a waitlist and suggests you call back once a week to see if there’s a cancellation. Brigham and Beth Israel have month-long waiting lists to see a doctor in a clinic outside of Boston. I made an appointment with one of them six months out in Watertown, and received a call three months later informing me they canceled the appointment and could reschedule for another six months out. I ended up getting a PCP with a subpar clinic (I won’t mention the name). The people are nice and they could at least see me within a month, but the quality of care is notably worse from past experiences in other areas.” — Nick, Charlestown
“I, unfortunately, needed to reschedule a long awaited physical; the next available appointment was two and a half months out. Yes, I took it and am waiting for my slot in mid-April.” — Christine, Holbrook
‘Urgent care or ER cannot replace a primary care doctor’
“I’m 49 years old with a history of type 2 diabetes with complications. My father died at 47 from congestive heart failure and had previously had a major heart attack at 36. My 73-year-old mother has coronary artery disease and has five stents implanted in her arteries. After experiencing chest pressure, fatigue, and palpitations, my primary care physician scheduled me for a chemical stress test at MGH/Salem. A blockage was found in my left ventricle. There is also suspicion of an arrhythmia and I am due to be fitted with a monitor I will have to wear for 30 days. There is a possibility of more blockages, but they won’t be sure until I have more imaging done. It’s possible I could have a cardiac event (heart attack or stroke) at any time until the blockage or blockages are treated.
Advertisement:
“My primary care physician ordered an urgent referral to MGH/Salem cardiology for me to be seen by a specialist. I was not able to get an appointment with any cardiologist at MGH for three months. How does that qualify as urgent? Meanwhile, I have received two fundraising emails from their cardiology department requesting donations featuring the cardiologist I was referred to who I HAVE NOT EVEN SEEN OR BEEN TREATED BY YET! Overbooking and profits over patients are killing America’s healthcare system.” — Adam B., Salem
“I have repeatedly been denied care for being too medically complex as if I was doing something wrong or am a burden by having rare diseases and needing to follow up frequently after medical emergencies. I also have been denied care for being transgender — having admin staff refusing to pass on messages when I am having a medical emergency or schedule an appointment and then hanging up on me, or even a letter from a hospital explaining because I expressed concerns about discrimination, I could no longer receive care.
“Being left without adequate care led to dangerous medical consequences that required hospital stays and got so bad I moved to a different region and considered moving to a different state. For some patients like myself who have illnesses that are so rare most doctors have never had another patient with the same diagnosis, going to an urgent care or ER cannot replace a primary care doctor. They become familiar with your condition and help ensure specialists talk to each other. I still do not have respectful primary care services available.” — A, Boston
Advertisement:
Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinion.
Be civil. Be kind.
Read our full community guidelines.To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address