UCI
Soooo my UCI visit was today. First of all, I was sent there because I had no insurance. I was told UCI would work with me on this. I get in there. $200 up front fee, not including the cost of the doctor. Wtf right?
So then they take me back and weigh me and all that (I gained 4lbs in the last week holy shit yes) and I'm sitting there waiting for the doctor. UCI is connected to a medical school so there's students walking around giving examinations. It was my understanding that this was part of the reason why UCI would work with uninsured people, because I'm basically going to be examined by students. WHATEVER. Student comes in, very nice, does my tests on me but doesn't actually know how to answer my questions. She leaves, real doctor comes in. Real doctor looks at my chart and pretty much tells me the exact same stuff the specialist told me last week in about 2 minutes and with a very heavy accent. Uhhh...
So after hearing him reiterate the few things I already DO know about this, my mom pipes up like "what the hell, who is going to answer our questions?" And it turns out the diabetes nutritionist was in that morning and her appointment didn't show up, so the doctor finds her and brings her in. GREAT lady, totally awesome lady. Talking with her for 10 minutes made me feel soooo much better about everything, but 10 minutes was all she could spare at the moment. We decided to make an appointment with her next time for sure.
So theeen we're done, we go up front to pay. 2 minutes of the doctor telling us shit we already knew = $72. What's hilarious is he wants to see me again in 2 weeks, which might be okay except then we'd have to pay $200 up front AGAIN. PER VISIT. Bullshit.
Anyway we can't make an appointment with the nutritionist until I get into some kind of insurance program at the hospital, so we go looking for the services building. Apparently they're doing construction on the center so the map locations didn't match the physical locations (lol) and we walked around for about 20 minutes completely lost.
Finally we find the place. It's this tiny little office with these 2 fat women in there gossiping. Turns out I have to make an appointment by phone, and then I have to bring in a bunch of information including a county-certified birth certificate. Okay fine whatever. How long will it take to get approval once I bring all this crap? 8-12 weeks.....
We're completely fed up by now and head home. We stop off by Ruby's for a burger. Ended up testing my blood in the car. Fuck it lol. First time eating out since the diagnosis, injected in the bathroom. I wonder what the lady in the next stall thought I was doing making click-click-click noises lol.
Come home, mom calls our family doctor who referred us to UCI in the first place, explained the situation and he agreed it was bullshit. The specialist I saw before (who was really cool actually) cost the same amount as the UCI visit, and I wouldn't have to pay $200 every visit. So we're gonna see her from now on until I get on an insurance program.
He also told us about a diabetes information and nutrition course being offered at HOAG hospital. Hopefully that will work out, because right now what I really need is more education and information on this.
So yeah that was my big important UCI visit today, the one they called 3 times to confirm yesterday. Epic waste of money and time.
So then they take me back and weigh me and all that (I gained 4lbs in the last week holy shit yes) and I'm sitting there waiting for the doctor. UCI is connected to a medical school so there's students walking around giving examinations. It was my understanding that this was part of the reason why UCI would work with uninsured people, because I'm basically going to be examined by students. WHATEVER. Student comes in, very nice, does my tests on me but doesn't actually know how to answer my questions. She leaves, real doctor comes in. Real doctor looks at my chart and pretty much tells me the exact same stuff the specialist told me last week in about 2 minutes and with a very heavy accent. Uhhh...
So after hearing him reiterate the few things I already DO know about this, my mom pipes up like "what the hell, who is going to answer our questions?" And it turns out the diabetes nutritionist was in that morning and her appointment didn't show up, so the doctor finds her and brings her in. GREAT lady, totally awesome lady. Talking with her for 10 minutes made me feel soooo much better about everything, but 10 minutes was all she could spare at the moment. We decided to make an appointment with her next time for sure.
So theeen we're done, we go up front to pay. 2 minutes of the doctor telling us shit we already knew = $72. What's hilarious is he wants to see me again in 2 weeks, which might be okay except then we'd have to pay $200 up front AGAIN. PER VISIT. Bullshit.
Anyway we can't make an appointment with the nutritionist until I get into some kind of insurance program at the hospital, so we go looking for the services building. Apparently they're doing construction on the center so the map locations didn't match the physical locations (lol) and we walked around for about 20 minutes completely lost.
Finally we find the place. It's this tiny little office with these 2 fat women in there gossiping. Turns out I have to make an appointment by phone, and then I have to bring in a bunch of information including a county-certified birth certificate. Okay fine whatever. How long will it take to get approval once I bring all this crap? 8-12 weeks.....
We're completely fed up by now and head home. We stop off by Ruby's for a burger. Ended up testing my blood in the car. Fuck it lol. First time eating out since the diagnosis, injected in the bathroom. I wonder what the lady in the next stall thought I was doing making click-click-click noises lol.
Come home, mom calls our family doctor who referred us to UCI in the first place, explained the situation and he agreed it was bullshit. The specialist I saw before (who was really cool actually) cost the same amount as the UCI visit, and I wouldn't have to pay $200 every visit. So we're gonna see her from now on until I get on an insurance program.
He also told us about a diabetes information and nutrition course being offered at HOAG hospital. Hopefully that will work out, because right now what I really need is more education and information on this.
So yeah that was my big important UCI visit today, the one they called 3 times to confirm yesterday. Epic waste of money and time.