Doctor visits
Jul. 14th, 2008 11:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
draggonlaadyReally rather annoying dealing with labs as the patient rather than the doctor.
Got a bill from a lab. Confused, because while I knew that we had sent in some bacterial cultures from a wound, I didn't recall doing anything viral, yet I was being charged for 2 viral tests that my insurance wouldn't cover. "Viral Testing" is all that's listed on the billing slip.
I call my Doc's office to ask what viral tests they sent in. The nurse is very confused and says that they didn't send any viral tests in.
I call the lab. The woman there basically stonewalled me. Would not give me ANY information, wouldn't even tell me what was tested for. Come, ON woman, this is MY information, MY medical record, MY body, MY pocketbook. Woman will tell me nothing. Says that she needs to be contacted by someone from my doctor's office. Fine. Whatever.
Call my Doc's office back. Nurse explains that the lab sometimes is leery of giving out info over the phone, example she gives is I might be my husband's ex-wife calling or something. Fine, whatever, except that the lab woman 1: never asked who I was, 2: never gave any sort of explanation of why she wouldn't give me my own info, 3: was short and snappy from the start of the conversation. Nurse says she'll call the lab.
Nurse calls me back. No viral tests were done at all. For some GOK reason, the lab lists some bacterial cultures as viral tests. Nurse does not say, but hints that lab woman was also snappy at her, with a "well, yeah" attitude when Nurse asked for verification that these were listed as viral. Nurse and I are both still confused as to why the lab things certain bacteria are viruses. I still have to pay the bill. Bother.
Got a bill from a lab. Confused, because while I knew that we had sent in some bacterial cultures from a wound, I didn't recall doing anything viral, yet I was being charged for 2 viral tests that my insurance wouldn't cover. "Viral Testing" is all that's listed on the billing slip.
I call my Doc's office to ask what viral tests they sent in. The nurse is very confused and says that they didn't send any viral tests in.
I call the lab. The woman there basically stonewalled me. Would not give me ANY information, wouldn't even tell me what was tested for. Come, ON woman, this is MY information, MY medical record, MY body, MY pocketbook. Woman will tell me nothing. Says that she needs to be contacted by someone from my doctor's office. Fine. Whatever.
Call my Doc's office back. Nurse explains that the lab sometimes is leery of giving out info over the phone, example she gives is I might be my husband's ex-wife calling or something. Fine, whatever, except that the lab woman 1: never asked who I was, 2: never gave any sort of explanation of why she wouldn't give me my own info, 3: was short and snappy from the start of the conversation. Nurse says she'll call the lab.
Nurse calls me back. No viral tests were done at all. For some GOK reason, the lab lists some bacterial cultures as viral tests. Nurse does not say, but hints that lab woman was also snappy at her, with a "well, yeah" attitude when Nurse asked for verification that these were listed as viral. Nurse and I are both still confused as to why the lab things certain bacteria are viruses. I still have to pay the bill. Bother.
