Fun with health insurance companies, part whatever
June 2nd, 2008 by COD
Michelle went to a new endocrinologist today. There are a couple of new endos in town, so she thought this was an opportune time to stop driving 90 minutes each way to the doctor. The doctor appointment was fine, except that they do no blood work in the office. Even the standard A1C requires a trip to the lab. It has something to do with the relationship between the doctor and the hospital. An in office A1C takes about 90 seconds and is basically the same thing as testing your blood sugar. Put a drop of blood on the test strip and wait for the results. I don’t even want to know how much more it costs to go to a lab for that test. It’s ridiculous, but that wasn’t even the most ridiculous part of her day.
The lab at the hospital had a 2 hour wait, so she went down the street to another location. Once there, she learned that our insurance is not accepted by the lab that is owned by the same company that the doctor works for.
But wait, that still isn’t the most ridiculous part of the story. Michelle called the insurance company and they confirmed that she needed to go to Quest Diagnostics. She asked where the nearest one was to the hospital and they told her to look it up on the web site. She explained that she was in her car and they said they don’t provide that information over the phone. They require us to use Quest, but won’t tell us where the office is.
But wait, that still isn’t the most ridiculous part of the story. She called me, and I looked it up online. The nearest office was about 10 minutes from her, and closing in 1 minute. Another office was about a mile from us, and she had time to get there. So I gave her the phone number and she called. When she got home she relayed the story of the girl at Quest asking why she was calling to come to the Spotsylvania office when there was one at the hospital where she just was. It wasn’t listed on the web site.
But wait…nah. That’s about as ridiculous as it gets. She wasted over an hour driving around trying to find a lab that our insurance would allow to do a simple blood test that every other doc she has seen for the last 15 years did in the office in 60 seconds. It’s more than just a cost issue. If you are diabetic and your control sucks the A1C will show it. The doctors usually want that result immediately so they can deal with your poor blood sugar control right then. If they have to call you the next day it is much easier for the slack diabetic to avoid the doctor. So the insurance policy both cost more and is bad for diabetic health. Nice going there guys.
Tags: Health
| 4 Comments4 Responses to “Fun with health insurance companies, part whatever”
But at least she has choices right? I think that’s what I always hear from defenders of the American ‘system’.
I mean if I need blood work I have no choice at all but to go to the public clinic ten minutes up the road. No choice but to wait five minutes for my appointment and then no choice but to be efficiently served and then sent out the door.
This post made me crazy, because I can so relate. The runaround is NUTS.
Here in San Diego, my pediatrician sends us up to the children’s hospital for any and all lab work, testing, etc etc etc. You lose the better part of a day.
Last week we were awaiting very important lab results regarding my 4yo son. The kind that keep parents up at night as they wait for potentially devastating news. The day the results were in, all I needed to know was a number written on a piece of paper which was sitting on the lab tech’s desk. Lab personnel wouldn’t give it directly to me. Had to come through the pediatrician. Who wasn’t available until very late in the day…a very long day. The news was good, thank goodness. Would’ve been great to know that as soon as the lab techs did. And the receptionist. And the ped’s office manager. And nurse. And the ped herself, who (it turned out) found out the good news hours before she “had a chance” to call me. Crazy-making.
I hear ya. My daughter is diabetic (just diagnosed a month ago) and already I can relate. Right now I am trying to figure out why if the insurance company says they approved extra test strips the pharmacy can’t get an approval to go through their computer. I need to make yet another phone call today and am hoping we can get it cleared up. Our supply is running low and I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how expensive those strips are!
Oh yeah and the classes they keep wanting me to go to. Five hours plus an hour driving each way. And please don’t bring your child they say. You know, the diabetic one that needs shots 4 times a day and who still really isn’t comfortable with anyone else giving them to her except me, let alone being away from me for 7 hours at a stretch (she’s 8).
Frustrating.
I can SO relate! You did fail to mention, however, that we pay dearly for this honor! Our high-deductible insurance rate has increased 137 percent (yep, that’s right, more than doubled) since we opened this policy in Jan. 2005, and the deductible has increased, too. Yet we have had no major medical issues (3 colds, two warts and well-checks between four people). So, what was a $330/month payment for a $4,800 deductible is now $790/month with a … get this… $10,000 deductible! WHAT THE?! @#&$(@#*$)(*Q@#)&%