How To Notify a Patient that they have been terminated from the practice?

There can be many reasons as to why a healthcare provider may want to terminate a physician-patient relationship, typically they are:

  1. failure to show for appointment or being continually tardy, thereby costing you time and money;
  2. aggressive behavior with anger, thereby threating office staff and property, call the police;
  3. sexual advances and commentary, thereby making the office staff and professionals feeling vulnerable or just simply grossed-out;
  4. failure to follow instructions, for example a patient repeatedly disregarding 
  5. failure to follow referral, when physicians often refer a complex situation to a specialist, you should always document that.  If the person does not go to the referral and they suffer with some sort of a catastrophic situation resulting in significant harm, they are exposing you to added liability you don't need. 

The termination could be for various reasons. You do not need to provide a reason, but if you are expecting retaliation suit or a licensure complaint you may consider documenting it in the patient file and/or in the patient termination letter.   The State of Florida requires that you provide the patient 30 days notice before you terminate them. In the meantime if the patient needs urgent care, they should still be able to reach your office, but if they need emergency care they should go to the local hospital or call 911.  If you have any questions please feel free to call us.

If you wish to get some relevant legal input but are not ready to retain an attorney, you may consider making a 1-hour appointment to discuss the specifics of your situation, for a prepaid legal fee of $475, click here

Here is a termination letter template that you can copy and paste on to your letter head:

TEMPLATE FOR PATIENT TERMINATION OR DISCHARGE LETTER

XXMONTHXX  XX, 20XX
Ms. XXXPATIENTXXX
12345 NW 10th Street
ANYCITY, FL 33324
And delivered via email to: [email protected]

RE: Notice of Discharge of Patient from Medical Practice

Dear Mr. PATIENTXXX:

This letter is to notify you that you are being discharged from our medical practice.  The reason for the termination is [PICK THE ONES THAT APPLY]:

  • Inappropriate behaviors or actions
  • Failure to keep appointments
  • Failure to pay bills
  • Failure to follow practice rules or procedures
  • Failure to comply with your treatment plan

You have 30 days from the date of this Notice to find an replacement physician or medical practice.

In the event you need urgent care, our office is still open and available to work with you during those 30 days.  Should you need Emergency Care, please dial 911 or go to your local hospital for assistance. 

Should you need a copy of your medical records, please contact XXXJOERECORDKEEPERXXX at XYZ Phone##### or email at XXXJOERECORDKEEPERXXX.yahoo.com

Please Govern Yourself Accordingly.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me directly at (561) 111-2222 or [email protected].

Sincerely,

____/s/IAMPHYICIAN_________

IAMPHYSICIAN

MANAGER/PHYSICIAN

cc: Patient File