Mom says it is weird, as are a lot of her policies I've seen my mom deal with, but she gets your history and gets to know you first. It also means she gets two copays and I get to spend twice the amount of my time trying to address my issue!

hmmm

I had a consult the first time to answer general health questions, and then the main exam was scheduled for a future visit.

^^

Because when they first see you, they have no clue about your medical history.

Ok. It still seems weird and like a waste of my time and money, but maybe it's standard practice nowadays. Nothing's urgent, thankfully, but it's still going to be a hassle that seems unnecessary.

my primary is my endocrinologist. I don't go to a GP

I have anxiety over going to the doctor, so being able to meet my new doc before they did anything invasive was a great relief to me.

my DH just dealt with this and I guess it's a good thing but double the money and so time consuming.

under our insurance they were both considered preventative so I paid only the co-pay and any lab fees.

It wasn't bad.

but that was when I had insurance. :X