I have been to many a doctor appointments...be it a dentist, an ophthalmologist or an chiropractor. While I may be young, compared to most, I have had my share of appointments. Little did I know, however, that the ones with my OB/GYN would be the ones I dreaded the most!
So, about two months ago (mid-September) I went in for my "yearly" appointment. I try to tell myself that these things are a necessary evil and that going is for the greater good. I am sitting on the table being poked and my OB/GYN starts trying to have a conversation with me. While it didn't seem awkward to me at the time, I feel as though bringing up my husband and kid while in my "no-fly zone" just doesn't seem right. In any case, I answered her questions and nodded - though I don't know WHY because she couldn't see my head moving - through the appointment. Just as quickly as it began, everything was done and I was on my way.
A few weeks later I get a call from my doctor's office. The calm voice on the voice mail told me not to panic, but to call the office immediately to set-up a follow-up appointment in regards to my "yearly" exam. Okay, now I KNOW she said NOT to panic...but HELLO?!?! Against the receptionist's advice, I started to panic...thoughts of every single thing that could be going wrong with me began running through my head. Finally, I called the office back to see what the fuss was all about. A nice lady picked up the phone and started rattling off days I could come in to get my results. "Can't someone just tell me over the phone," I asked. Wouldn't that be the easy solution?? Instead of telling me not to panic, just give me the darn results over the phone. Then, if I need to make another appointment we can deal with things at the point - not a minute before. "I'm sorry, but you have to come into the office for your test results." My first question was why...didn't you bleed me (read - my insurance company) enough during my pregnancy? Is the extra $350 really going to make THAT big of a difference on your earnings statement for this fiscal year?? Instead of ignoring the good doctor - and against my better judgment - I made an appointment.
Note: Sometimes I feel as though doctors force their patients to make appointments just so they can break up their days and chat with someone - and get paid big bucks for it! The. End.
Fast forward a week later (for those of you playing at home, we are in October at this point) and you will find me in the waiting room at my OB/GYN's office...again...shelling out $20 for an appointment...again. The only reason I am having to pay the $20 co-pay is because the OB/GYN is considered a "specialty" doctor - give me a break! Okay, so the nurse finally calls my name and, like a child who just found out her parent lied and said the doctor's office is code for pet store, I walk back to the pre-appointment room. The pre-appointment room is like a holding cell where they take you and force you to get on a scale, pee in a cup, put up with the blood pressure cuff and ask you the most intimate details of your sex life. I don't even sit down before I look at the unnervingly perky/peppy nurse and say, "I'm only here for results and that is what I want. Now." She tried to get me to give her the dirty details, but I was having none of it. Obviously frustrated by my lack of compliance, she opted to take me to the exam room instead of fighting about my weight and whether or not my husband and I use condoms (she should already know the answer to that...idiot).
I waited another few minutes before the doctor finally decided to come into the exam room. She shook my hand, sat in her little rolly chair and looked at me. She explained that the test results from my yearly exam were "abnormal" and other tests had to be conducted. There wasn't much said on why the results were abnormal, though I started to think the worst. I asked if it was some sort of genetic disease or even worse - cancer!! I was assured that there was no reason to be alarmed, but I couldn't help but contemplate the "what-if" scenarios that I am SO good at coming up with in my head!! I was told to make an appointment to come back in 2 weeks for the follow-up tests. While it wasn't a dire emergency, it shouldn't be ignored either. By the time I left the office I was convinced I was going to die and only had a few months to live.
I just got back from my follow-up-to-the-results-from-the-first-test-exam (we are in November - 2 months after the original appointment - for those still keeping up at home). I paid ANOTHER $20 and was stretched, poked, prodded, scraped, cut to only be sent on my way in the end. No questions were answered and no results were revealed. I was forced to make yet another appointment to get my test results. While I am giddy with excitement to return and pay ANOTHER $20 just to hear them tell me I'm dying, I am going to wait until December to get the news. I figure the doctor can wait an extra 2 weeks to get her damn $20 from me!!
Showing posts with label ob/gyn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ob/gyn. Show all posts
Sunday, November 15
Thursday, October 8
Lesson #3 - Pregnancy Does Not Require Immediate Attention AND It Is A "Pre-Existing Condition"
Oh baby...LITERALLY! Now, before you get distressed by the title...don't!! As with everything, there are pros AND cons. Pregnancy should really be considered another full-time job. After I found out that I was pregnant, 10 home tests later, I called my ob/gyn for an appointment (apparently I felt that a nurse doing a pregnancy test would be far more accurate than the 10 I took at work). So, I got on the phone with the receptionist at the ob/gyn office - whom I had just seen for my yearly appointment a few weeks prior. She sounded a little shocked on the phone - and who can blame her?! My doc's wonderful receptionist was able to fit me in for an appointment - in 5 weeks!!! I'm sorry, but 5 weeks?!?! Apparently my pregnancy isn't considered something that needs immediate attention.
Well, five weeks came and went and finally it was the morning of my appointment. Them man and I walked into the office - part excited, part concerned - and I proceeded to sign-in. The receptionist opened the window, looked at me and said, "Didn't we just see you a few weeks ago?" I wanted so badly to bark back, "No, it was almost 2 months ago because apparently my being pregnant isn't a matter that needs to be confirmed right away." Alas, I held back and just laughed quietly to myself.
When my name was called, I walked back to meet my fate. The bubbly nurse was almost too bubbly...and honestly, I wanted to punch her in the face. Again, I felt it necessary to keep that to myself so - against my better judgment - I did just that. I was directed to pee in a cup and even though I told the nurse, a number of times, that I had already taken 10 home tests - she forced the cup on me anyways.
After getting my weight, blood pressure, I was whisked back to an exam room and told to put on the gown. On the way to the exam room, the nurse asked if the man wanted to come back as well. "Can he take my spot," I asked...unfortunately, her answer was no. The doctor finally came into the room and - surprise, surprise - the test was positive. A quick, and VERY intrusive, exam later and off we went. The man and I were equipped with a prescription for pre-natal vitamins, numerous supplements and the ever popular - first ultrasound!
Fast-forward a few weeks when I get the statement from my insurance company. The statement hadn't even fully loaded on my computer (I get them via email - how green of me!) before I was on the phone with my ob/gyn's office. As I was reviewing the document I noticed that the "patient responsibility" for my most recent ob/gyn appointment was an un-godly amount! I requested (read: demanded) to speak with a billing specialist to get this issue solved. "It looks like your claim was denied by insurance," the billing demon said to me. I asked how that could be since my insurance covers 100% of pregnancy costs (which is awesome compared to most plans). The demon said she wasn't sure what the mix-up was, but they did submit the paperwork correctly. After politely telling the demon that I would not be paying the bill at this time, I quickly got the insurance company on the phone to give them a piece of my mind. I spoke with a very pleasant insurance goddess whom I gave permission "to view my records" so that this misunderstanding could be cleared up. She opened my account and began to rattle off billing terms and words that were far beyond my wealth of knowledge on the matter. She confirmed that my insurance covers 100% and then decided she would transfer me to an insurance guru who would be better equipped to solve this misunderstanding. The guru took seconds to get on the line before saying that the reason my claim was denied is because my pregnancy was considered a "pre-existing condition**"...I'm sorry, did you say "pre-existing"?!?!
** The definition is as follows: a health condition (other than a pregnancy) or medical problem that was diagnosed or treated before enrollment in a new health plan or insurance policy.
Never mind the fact that my newest insurance policy began on June 1st, but I didn't get pregnant until November!! That is SOME pregnancy...and lord knows something should have been done about it by now!! The guru then informed me that the ob/gyn paper-pusher had filled out the form incorrectly. Wait a minute...I just spoke with the billing demon, who ensured me that the forms had been properly filled out on their end. Turns out - the demon misspoke. The paper-pusher had listed my pregnancy as a "secondary condition"...not sure how a pregnancy constitutes a "secondary" as opposed to a "primary" condition, but in her mind - it did.
So, back on the phone I was with the billing demon at the ob/gyn to sort out the paper-pusher's mistake. The billing demon finally (after 35 minutes on the phone) conceded to the paper-pusher's mistake and said the form would be filled out - correctly - and re-submitted to the insurance company. Finally, 2 weeks later, I got an updated insurance statement which reflected the company paying for my ob/gyn fees. Thank goodness!!
Well, five weeks came and went and finally it was the morning of my appointment. Them man and I walked into the office - part excited, part concerned - and I proceeded to sign-in. The receptionist opened the window, looked at me and said, "Didn't we just see you a few weeks ago?" I wanted so badly to bark back, "No, it was almost 2 months ago because apparently my being pregnant isn't a matter that needs to be confirmed right away." Alas, I held back and just laughed quietly to myself.
When my name was called, I walked back to meet my fate. The bubbly nurse was almost too bubbly...and honestly, I wanted to punch her in the face. Again, I felt it necessary to keep that to myself so - against my better judgment - I did just that. I was directed to pee in a cup and even though I told the nurse, a number of times, that I had already taken 10 home tests - she forced the cup on me anyways.
After getting my weight, blood pressure, I was whisked back to an exam room and told to put on the gown. On the way to the exam room, the nurse asked if the man wanted to come back as well. "Can he take my spot," I asked...unfortunately, her answer was no. The doctor finally came into the room and - surprise, surprise - the test was positive. A quick, and VERY intrusive, exam later and off we went. The man and I were equipped with a prescription for pre-natal vitamins, numerous supplements and the ever popular - first ultrasound!
Fast-forward a few weeks when I get the statement from my insurance company. The statement hadn't even fully loaded on my computer (I get them via email - how green of me!) before I was on the phone with my ob/gyn's office. As I was reviewing the document I noticed that the "patient responsibility" for my most recent ob/gyn appointment was an un-godly amount! I requested (read: demanded) to speak with a billing specialist to get this issue solved. "It looks like your claim was denied by insurance," the billing demon said to me. I asked how that could be since my insurance covers 100% of pregnancy costs (which is awesome compared to most plans). The demon said she wasn't sure what the mix-up was, but they did submit the paperwork correctly. After politely telling the demon that I would not be paying the bill at this time, I quickly got the insurance company on the phone to give them a piece of my mind. I spoke with a very pleasant insurance goddess whom I gave permission "to view my records" so that this misunderstanding could be cleared up. She opened my account and began to rattle off billing terms and words that were far beyond my wealth of knowledge on the matter. She confirmed that my insurance covers 100% and then decided she would transfer me to an insurance guru who would be better equipped to solve this misunderstanding. The guru took seconds to get on the line before saying that the reason my claim was denied is because my pregnancy was considered a "pre-existing condition**"...I'm sorry, did you say "pre-existing"?!?!
** The definition is as follows: a health condition (other than a pregnancy) or medical problem that was diagnosed or treated before enrollment in a new health plan or insurance policy.
Never mind the fact that my newest insurance policy began on June 1st, but I didn't get pregnant until November!! That is SOME pregnancy...and lord knows something should have been done about it by now!! The guru then informed me that the ob/gyn paper-pusher had filled out the form incorrectly. Wait a minute...I just spoke with the billing demon, who ensured me that the forms had been properly filled out on their end. Turns out - the demon misspoke. The paper-pusher had listed my pregnancy as a "secondary condition"...not sure how a pregnancy constitutes a "secondary" as opposed to a "primary" condition, but in her mind - it did.
So, back on the phone I was with the billing demon at the ob/gyn to sort out the paper-pusher's mistake. The billing demon finally (after 35 minutes on the phone) conceded to the paper-pusher's mistake and said the form would be filled out - correctly - and re-submitted to the insurance company. Finally, 2 weeks later, I got an updated insurance statement which reflected the company paying for my ob/gyn fees. Thank goodness!!
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