You know what pisses me off? / Rant Thread

[Twitchin Kitten]

0

My problems are mostly skeletal from a motorcycle accident. The endo thing is new. I'm like you guys, I haven't had so much as a cold in over 10 years. I rarely get sick. I had the flu once in 1979. My "health" problems are allergies, that accident and "old age" now. It'll catch up to you.

Gunnen, I'm surprised you don't catch all kinds of crud going to school. Schools are giant germ factories. Maybe colleges are less so than lower grades. I know weeks where Matt has to go to work in houses where young kids live he manages at least two colds per year.

Anyway from last night - since I couldn't be but brief because I was on my phone (too lazy to get off the couch and use the computer). The office manager was the last of a long line of phone calls trying to get approval for two MRI's and an EMG. 4 calls to the office got me nothing but rudeness by the dummies running the place. When I see Doc in two weeks, Donna (manager) insisted I tell him the bullshit I went through.


You see, I had to get special approval to use the guy who did the original surgeries on me because there isn't a doctor in the state who will look at me because it's not their work. Seems this is a nation wide issue because I've been told people fly up from Florida or drive in from other states long after they've moved away for the same reason. Stupid, I know. Anyway, I got the special permission to use him as a 'single payer' whateveryoucallit and it's all good. I get to the office Monday and the dumbass at the desk says, "We don't take your insurance." I look her straight in the face and say, "Yes you do. Talk to Donna if you have a problem."

So I check in. I hand her my card to copy and she repeats, "We dont' take your insurance." I'm about ready to reach through the partition and squeeze her neck until her eyeballs pop. Keep in mind I am the ONLY one in the office at the time. It's not crowded. I politely reminded her I'm the same person she just said this to and handed papers to less than 5 minutes ago. I think my heart stopped a tiny bit due to the stress of having to be so polite at that point.

So I have my visit, decide not to tell Doc what is going on because I figure I'm in and it should be all good. He orders tests because he sees one of the disks he "welded" into place collapsed. Might be the cause of all my headaches and the burning in my hands.
I get the papers from the girls and I go off and have lunch with my mom.

I get home and there's a message on my machine telling me I have to go to some facility on my own for the EMG and the MRI's as this office doesn't take my insurance. Here we go. No shit. I already discussed this part with doc.

So Matt gets home and I show him the stuff he wants and notice on the one paper the idiot at the desk has my old insurance listed. Fucking moron.

I call in the morning and the girl fixes the form and faxes it over.
I call the hospital for the tests and it seems I need authorization from the insurance company for them. Naturally the doctor who ordered the tests gets the authorization. At least in the real world, right? Turns out Jersey is Bizzaro World. The hospital tells me what and who needs to do this and that. Everyone passes the buck.

I spent literally, all day on the phone and getting aggravated each step of the way. What kept coming back was this ortho's office idiots telling me they can't call for the authorizations. Idiots.

So I try to circumvent them and call my GP and ask her to write new orders exactly the same and I'll get them done and bring the results to doc. I find out that she is now on maternity leave for at least a year. Goddammit. Does anyone in NJ let their patients know wtf is going on? I JUST got this new GP because the one I was using for 20+ years up and took off too!

I called the ortho's office manager again and finally got her on the phone. Told her the whole story and she was livid. Of course the doc ordering the tests gets the approval. Goddammit I know that! I've been doing this shit for my back since '95 - I KNOW THE DRILL!

Anyway, if the girls who gave me grief (above is the short story, believe it or not) keep their job after I'm through with them I'll be surprised. I'm not letting this go. I drive an hour to see this guy and I'll be damned if I have to jump through hoops every time I need something done.