Info Desk [Paperwork, ordering, wait times, procedures, booklets, prescriptions...]

Linda Johnson15 said:At the Cancer Institute over on Ilica / Baruna Filipovića...
I’ve actually been there myself.

Hello everyone.

I am quite interested in this as well. Does anyone happen to know roughly how long the waitlist was before they ordered yours?

Thank you.

Does anyone actually know what the co-pay is for an Total IgE blood test if you don't have supplemental health insurance?

Also, does anyone have a clue what they charge for the copay on T3, T4, and TSH tests?

Hannah Hernandez50 said:Hey!

I'm curious about this too. About how long did you guys have to wait after ordering?

Thanks

I think there were two separate delays.

Kate Evans48 said:Does anyone know what the co-pay is for an IgE blood test at the local clinic if you don't have supplemental health insurance?

And also, how much is the co-pay for T3, T4, and TSH tests?

I actually called the hospital—figured I’d drop the info here in case someone else is stuck wondering too, just being helpful or whatever.

For the total IgE, the co-pay is $27

As for T3, T4, and TSH, it's $40

Hey there! So, I’ve run into a bit of a situation (maybe 😁
I'm just overthinking this, but still). I got my medical referral, left it face down on the table, and somehow managed to spill some tanning oil all over it—don't ask how. The paper isn't actually ripped or anything, but about a third of the page is stained dark and now smells strongly of coconut :D
Now I'm stuck wondering if this thing is even valid anymore, or if I'm just going to look like a total idiot at the doctor's office when they refuse to take it because it looks like a tropical cocktail

I'm honestly not even sure where to post this kind of thing.
So, I’ve got my current doctor, and honestly, I’m really happy with them—I wouldn't dream of switching. But there's a chance I might be moving to a different city soon, basically changing my zip code. I guess I was just wondering... is it actually possible to keep seeing the same doctor if I move?

Hey, does anyone have a rough idea of how long it takes to hear back when you order via email? Specifically, I'm looking to schedule some thyroid hormone testing—sent an email over to Cedars-Sinai this past Monday, but I haven't heard anything back yet... just waiting...

Laura Mendoza32 said:Hey, does anyone know roughly how long you have to wait for a reply when ordering via email? Specifically, I’m trying to book an appointment for some thyroid hormone testing—sent an email over to Mount Sinai this past Monday, but still haven't heard a peep.

They were lightning fast with me—I shot off an email Sunday night and had a response by Monday morning!

Hey everyone! So, a family member is dealing with tachycardia and actually passing out—total scary stuff—so we rushed to the local GP, and they sent us straight over to the specialist heart clinic downtown. They did an ultrasound right there, but then get this: they told us the actual follow-up appointment won't be for another two months, and we wouldn't even see the results until then. I mean, seriously? Is there anywhere else we can go where we might actually get seen sooner? Are there other cardiology centers around here? I just don't get how you can push someone back—especially an older person—like that. Two months... in two months, who knows if they'll even still be with us.

wearyheron7 said:Hi. A family member is experiencing tachycardia and fainting. We went to our GP, but they’re sending us to the cardiology clinic at Mayo Clinic. They want to run an ultrasound, but we can't get an appointment for another two months—and even then, we won't actually have the results until later. Is there anywhere else we can go to get seen sooner? Are there other cardiac specialists nearby? I don't understand how you can delay care for someone, especially an elderly person, by two months. In two months, who knows if they'll still be alive.

You can. They discharged my mother with blood pressure at 270 and a stroke, acting like nothing happened. I couldn't do anything. I begged them, but it was useless.

wearyheron7, from what I know, Heart Clinic has a full list of their service fees. If you were to ask how long the wait is for a paid consultation, you’d probably be seen in about two or three days.
If you're dealing with fainting spells and tachycardia, you really need to head straight to the ER.

Anyone know when Dr. Hrvoje Uremović over in Chicago is taking his vacation?

I have a question about medical referrals. If they’re only valid for 30 days, but it takes months just to get an appointment for every single test—does that mean I actually have to go back to my primary care doctor to get a brand new referral every time?

rustyviper23 said:Where can I get a urine culture, ABG, and a CBC done near downtown DC?

You can drop off urine for a culture at the VA hospital nearby, but I'm not sure about the other tests. Maybe try a clinic over in Georgetown?

Lisa Myers said:Quick question about referrals. If a referral is only valid for 30 days, but the wait times for these tests are months long, do I really have to go back to my primary doctor to get a brand new one?

Yeah, you do. But honestly, you can usually just book the appointment without one anyway, so just grab the paperwork from your doctor within that first month.

Does anyone know where I can get a breast ultrasound using an insurance referral? Like, somewhere with a relatively short wait time?

The nurse at the hospital told me straight up: you have to schedule your appointment within a month of getting the referral. It doesn't matter if they book you out for several months down the line; the only thing that counts is that the referral itself isn't more than thirty days old when you make the call. This was already mentioned earlier in the thread.

Kate Campbell78 said:Does anyone know where I can get an ultrasound of my breasts using a referral? Like, somewhere with a relatively short wait time?

I called Blue Cross Blue Shield—the one over on the corner near downtown, you know, that old building right across from the AT&T office—about two years ago.
I managed to get an appointment within two or three days... just by using the referral.
You should probably double-check if they still handle things that way, though...

boldnomad45 said:The woman at the hospital told me that once you get a referral, you have to actually book the appointment within a month. It doesn't matter if the actual appointment is scheduled months out; what matters is that when you call to book it, that referral isn't older than thirty days. People already covered this in the thread.

I had no clue, my bad. I usually just book everything without a referral and then just bring a fresh one along on the day of the exam.

boldnomad45 said:The woman at the hospital told me that once you get a referral, you have to schedule the appointment within a month. It doesn't matter if the actual appointment is months away; what matters is that the referral itself isn't older than thirty days when you book it. This was already mentioned earlier in the thread.

Thanks, that’s basically what I thought too. You can't just book anything anywhere without a referral, especially for something new where you don't have previous test results to back it up. A month goes by easily enough, and all the tests I'm waiting on have wait times of several months anyway.

My bad, I missed that it was already discussed.

Is it actually possible to take an electronic referral issued by a doctor in one city and use it to get bloodwork done in a completely different city?

Also—how long do these digital referrals actually stay valid? Are we talking a thirty-day window or is it basically indefinite?

Thanks 🙂