Catch 22
The insurance ridiculousness has begun!
I went to get my staples out a couple of days ago and the nice lady, well, really, she wasn't so nice...the pissy lady at the counter said that my insurance company needed a referral from my primary care physician for the appointment. I said, but it's follow up for a surgery that's already been authorized. She said yes, but for me to see a specialist, I needed a referral from my primary.
OK, fine. Except that I don't really have a primary doc. When I changed insurance, I picked one, randomly from the list, but I never needed her, so I never went to see her. When I called the insurance company, I said, "So, I need to see this doctor I've never seen before and get her to give me a referral to a specialist that's already seen me?" The insurance company said, "Yes."
I called my primary, the random one listed on my card, and found out that they are no longer accepting new patients.
Humm...what to do now? So I called the insurance company again. That didn't matter, I need a referral from my primary. "Could I get a referral from the doctor I've seen for the past five years before I got this insurance?" Nope, it has to be a primary care physician on my plan.
So, I had to get on the web, and slog through the provider directory and find a doc that was taking new patients and could see me for a new patient appointment in the next day or so.
The amazing thing is, I actually found one. One that I really kind of like. It's a family/sports medicine clinic up by campus. Mostly students with sprained ankles and broken arms. I really liked the doc, he saw me, gave me the referrals I needed and also took a look at my knee that I bashed falling over Hank a couple of months ago. He gave me some isometric strengthening exercises I can do while my belly is healing.
All is well on the insurance front...for now...
I went to get my staples out a couple of days ago and the nice lady, well, really, she wasn't so nice...the pissy lady at the counter said that my insurance company needed a referral from my primary care physician for the appointment. I said, but it's follow up for a surgery that's already been authorized. She said yes, but for me to see a specialist, I needed a referral from my primary.
OK, fine. Except that I don't really have a primary doc. When I changed insurance, I picked one, randomly from the list, but I never needed her, so I never went to see her. When I called the insurance company, I said, "So, I need to see this doctor I've never seen before and get her to give me a referral to a specialist that's already seen me?" The insurance company said, "Yes."
I called my primary, the random one listed on my card, and found out that they are no longer accepting new patients.
Humm...what to do now? So I called the insurance company again. That didn't matter, I need a referral from my primary. "Could I get a referral from the doctor I've seen for the past five years before I got this insurance?" Nope, it has to be a primary care physician on my plan.
So, I had to get on the web, and slog through the provider directory and find a doc that was taking new patients and could see me for a new patient appointment in the next day or so.
The amazing thing is, I actually found one. One that I really kind of like. It's a family/sports medicine clinic up by campus. Mostly students with sprained ankles and broken arms. I really liked the doc, he saw me, gave me the referrals I needed and also took a look at my knee that I bashed falling over Hank a couple of months ago. He gave me some isometric strengthening exercises I can do while my belly is healing.
All is well on the insurance front...for now...