Posted on Mar 7, 2023
SPC Motor Vechile Oporator
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Soldier requested how to go about changing PCM due to conflicts in diagnosis' from hospital and PCM. PCM stated that is not possible due to unit soldier is in. Tried looking up if it is allowed for them to deny this and cannot find any info.
Posted in these groups: Ems Medical
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Responses: 5
CSM Darieus ZaGara
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Receiving a second opinion is all that is. You cannot change PCMs in the Military unless something happens to prove negligence or misconduct in part of the PCM.

Can’t hurt to ask, but you are making waves where they do not exist.
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COL Randall C.
COL Randall C.
2 y
"Cannot change PCMs in the military..." is not 100% accurate (although it is the normal answer). Active Duty being able to change your PCM is driven by the MTFs policy.

At Ft. Belvoir, the hospital's policy was that you could request a new one based on a few criteria (change in duty status, unable to see them X times out of Y appointments, etc). I was able to change a PCM twice (both at my request), but when I was at Ft. Bliss it was impossible to do (except as CSM Darieus ZaGara said above).
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SFC Kelly Fuerhoff
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You requested to whom? Unless your PCM has been abusive or violated your rights in some way that you can prove, you're not getting a change. The only time you change PCM is when you change units or a PCM moves out. Like I've seen my PCM update twice since I've been in this unit and I have no clue who any of them are. I've never met any of them. I tried to change when I PCSed because I PCSed on the same base, and it didn't update for a month but I couldn't change. I had to ask my old PCM if she could get it changed for me and she did but some civilian assigned a PCM to me in the new unit. I had no choice.

You know a follow up is going to likely change from an original diagnosis right?
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SPC Motor Vechile Oporator
SPC (Join to see)
2 y
Hospital same day diagnosis. Within 2 hours. Soldier went to ER got paperwork, PCM did no tests other than hearing lungs and said that the hospital on post misdiagnosed the individual and asked why they gave the soldier meds.
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SPC Motor Vechile Oporator
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Even though the hospital ran multiple indepth tests (i.e. mri, xray, etc)
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SFC Kelly Fuerhoff
SFC Kelly Fuerhoff
2 y
SPC (Join to see) - You're not getting a different PCM unless there's some extreme reason. It's really just that simple. You could potentially request to see another provider - but you won't get your PCM changed in the system.

I mean I get it. Somehow my ex husband last year when he got on Medicaid, went to the doctor for the first time in probably his life for hand pain, they did an Xray, nerve test and said 'you have carpal tunnel" and did surgery the next day. I go in for the same thing, I get ibuprofen, referral to OT and then OT, even though it looks like I might have nerve damage in my left hand says "try these exercises for a few weeks and if nothing changes, then we'll do a nerve test." Or I went in when I jammed my finger, they did Xrays and no one called me with any results. They didn't even tell me how long to splint it, I Googled it.

It is possible the hospital could have misdiagnosed you. I don't know I wasn't there nor a medical professional. But you're not getting assigned a new PCM because you disagree with their diagnosis.
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SFC Retention Operations Nco
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Soldiers don't get to change their PCM. That's for dependents
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SGM G3 Sergeant Major
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2 y
And if this is in reference to your previous post, it is not uncommon for a follow up diagnosis from a PCM, with more time to evaluate the patient and previous notes, to differ from an ER visit diagnosis, based on no notes and trying to get through a full ER waiting room.
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MAJ Byron Oyler
MAJ Byron Oyler
2 y
SGM (Join to see) - Spot on and very true. ER docs are specialists in keeping you from dying right now and little more.
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