UGH!
I just got off the phone with an incredibly obnoxious twat at my orthopedist’s office. I broke my hand at my wedding. I fell and landed on my left hand, fracturing a bone. A week and a half later, the orthopedist decides that I have a fractured bone in my hand (this is after a prior visit to the ER). He puts me in a cast. Two weeks later, I go for a follow-up and he wants to do an MRI because the x-rays aren’t showing exactly where the bone is broken - there’s a ‘blip’ on the x-ray, as he calls it, and he wants a better look. So he takes the cast off and puts me in a splint, telling me that someone will call to schedule the MRI.
She called on Thursday - around 2 PM - to my home phone. I, of course, don’t get the message until that evening and she’s off on Friday. Wonderful. The message includes wording such as “Well, we need to schedule an MRI for you, but I don’t see any insurance information so I don’t know how you’re going to pay for this.” All said in the slightly haughty tone I’ve gotten used to from people around here (that’s another rant altogether).
Excuse the fuck out of me?
I left a message yesterday, but never heard back from her. I called again today. I finally got her on the phone. I told her who I was, and her first response was a very nasty “I don’t see any insurance information in here.”
Really? Then why have I seen my company billed for my past two visits? I explain to her that my insurance card didn’t arrive by the time of my two visits, but her office should surely have my group number, ID number, and claims address, as I gave that to them on my first visit, along with the company’s phone number for BOTH providers and subscribers. I work for a medical billing company, I am fully aware of the information needed to bill a claim. However, I have since been put on my husband’s insurance, so while I’m covered by both for the moment, I’ll need to provide that insurance on my next visit. But for now, as I’m still covered by the other company, I’ll continue to use that insurance.
“Well, I need your new insurance card to bill you. You don’t have any information in here.”
I figure I need to speak slowly because she’s obvliously not listening. I explain, once again, that I provided all of my insurance information to the office on the first visit. I have since received a duplicate card for my coverage, and will bring that on my next visit. But she has all of the information that she needs to pre-certify the MRI - I gave them every piece of information that was on the card.
“I need your new card.”
Holy pig-fucking shit! I shouldn’t have even mentioned that I have additional coverage. I should have just told her to deal with the info in the file. For some reason, I can’t seem to get through to her that she just needs to deal with the fucking company that they already have - there’s no need to switch my insurance in the middle of a procedure if I’m still covered by the first one!
So now I have to either call her back and go through this AGAIN to precertify through the original company, take the insurance card to the office (which is a half-hour away - not an easy drive on a workday) so she can see all of the info she already HAS in her file, or wait until my card arrives from my husband’s insurance company and then give her that. Fuckin’ A. In the meantime, I’m walking around with a splint on a BROKEN hand, and in serious pain. It’s not her responsibility to decide which insurance company to bill, it is her responsibility to pre-certify the procedure with the company I TELL HER TO BILL. The company for which she already has ALL of the information IN MY FILE.
And my hand hurts.
Ava
