Shoulder update
So it didn't cost me $500 for an MRI. I called the insurance company the next morning and she confirmed that I was responsible for the first $400 and then 20% after that up until $1800. Clear as mud, right? BUT...if I didn't go to the hospital but had it done in an office or in a lab then I it was 100% covered. So after several calls back to the Dr's office I got new orders written and re-scheduled it at a lab nearby.
I'm going to give the dr. the benefit of the doubt and hope he sent me in the direction of the hospital because he thought it would be faster to get in and easier for him to get the results since he mentioned they would just pop up in his screen rather than having to have them faxed. But there is the niggling feeling that he gets some incentive for sending patients that direction. I was seriously pissed by having to schedule and reschedule. Just the fact that there was a $500 differnce between the two places is ridiculous!
BUT I had the MRI and I got it covered. That's what matters. And I finally got a diagnosis. After a year and half they determined that I have multi-level disc disease without herniation. From what I can tell from googling (the nurse seemed to not understand why what she read off the chart didn't make sense) it seems the discs between my spine are breaking down. This usually starts happening in middle age and gets worse as you get older. But 25% of people can get it younger. Everything I've been doing is what I should be doing. Resting as needed. Taking an anti-inflammatory and pain meds as needed. And exercising to strengthen my neck and back muscles so they can pick up the slack.
I have new orders for physical therapy and now that I have good insurance I can afford to go back and really make it worth it. Hopefully if I can get my strength up I will have less episodes of horrible-dear-God-where-is-my-vicodin episodes.
So that's that figured out. Kinda wish it was something with an easier faster fix but at least I know something now.
How are you lot?
I'm going to give the dr. the benefit of the doubt and hope he sent me in the direction of the hospital because he thought it would be faster to get in and easier for him to get the results since he mentioned they would just pop up in his screen rather than having to have them faxed. But there is the niggling feeling that he gets some incentive for sending patients that direction. I was seriously pissed by having to schedule and reschedule. Just the fact that there was a $500 differnce between the two places is ridiculous!
BUT I had the MRI and I got it covered. That's what matters. And I finally got a diagnosis. After a year and half they determined that I have multi-level disc disease without herniation. From what I can tell from googling (the nurse seemed to not understand why what she read off the chart didn't make sense) it seems the discs between my spine are breaking down. This usually starts happening in middle age and gets worse as you get older. But 25% of people can get it younger. Everything I've been doing is what I should be doing. Resting as needed. Taking an anti-inflammatory and pain meds as needed. And exercising to strengthen my neck and back muscles so they can pick up the slack.
I have new orders for physical therapy and now that I have good insurance I can afford to go back and really make it worth it. Hopefully if I can get my strength up I will have less episodes of horrible-dear-God-where-is-my-vicodin episodes.
So that's that figured out. Kinda wish it was something with an easier faster fix but at least I know something now.
How are you lot?