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

Sandra Johnson78 said:That’s awesome news because I’m actually heading back there tomorrow. What time did you guys go?

Look, I was there last week around 10:00 AM. The line looks massive—you’ll probably have at least 50 people ahead of you—but they’ve got three triage stations running, so things move way faster than you'd think. 😁

From what I’ve heard from everyone chatting in the queue, those three spots are the fastest way to get seen, and tons of people head straight for them even if they don't end up going inside the main white building. 🤔

I swear, I was barely paying attention at first, but then I checked my watch—I’d been standing there for maybe 10 minutes, and suddenly we were already turning onto the next street, cutting along the other side of the building.

I have a quick question regarding scheduling appointments now that paper referrals are being phased out starting October 1st... Previously, I always avoided booking through the clinic directly because their computer systems would show the earliest available slot anywhere from two months to a full year out, depending on the procedure. However, if I just sent an email on the same day, I could usually snag an appointment within two or three weeks... From what I’ve read, we can still manage our own scheduling, but we might need to contact the hospital once the request is submitted, though there isn't much detail online. Has anyone here had any experience navigating this new process yet?

I’ve been wondering about this whole new digital referral system myself; honestly, the old way was so much more straightforward. I would just give the doctor's office a quick call, mention I had a referral for them,
and then when the nurse asked if anything was bothering me, I’d just say "yes," and suddenly I’d be squeezed into an appointment with my preferred specialist in a week or two instead of waiting months on some endless backlog.

So, I’ve got a question for Rebro. Since they’ve switched over to this whole email ordering system—where you basically scan your prescription and send it off—how is that actually going to work in practice? Like, can you just view your prescription online? I was poking around WebMD and saw stuff about listed meds, scheduled appointments, and all that, but I’m dying to know if anyone here has actually tried navigating this new setup yet.

Also, I’ve got surgery scheduled for October 20th—just found out yesterday—and now I have to hunt down blood work, urine tests, a chest X-ray, and an EKG. Honestly, I'm stressing out because Rebro is always such a chaotic mess. Am I even going to get all this done in time? Or does the way they handle pre-op clearances change now? My surgeon gave me the rundown and told me to handle everything through the local clinic.

It’s nothing like when my mom was at the Mayo Clinic. Back then, they asked her for a specific referral for her pre-op stuff, but she managed to get the whole thing sorted in a single day using internal referrals.

Don't sweat it—you can totally get all those pre-op tests done just in time, as long as they aren't more than a month old. I just had to call up the CDC to schedule my EKG.

Yeah, I actually handled everything through my insurance referrals

One could probably place an order through the online portal or perhaps via email or phone using their Medicare ID, which you can find on a health card or insurance document.
Of course, I suppose it all really comes down to the individual handling the patient records—specifically, just how much they actually know how to navigate a computer system.

Hey everyone,
I’ve got a referral issued on 08/19/2020. It’s supposed to be valid for three months, right? Does anyone know for sure?

cosmicdriver42 said:Hey everyone,
I've got this red referral from the doctor dated August 19, 2020—it's supposed to be good for three months, right? Does anyone actually know for sure?

Yeah, exactly. 🙂

cosmicdriver42 said:Hi everyone,
I have a red referral issued on August 19, 2020, and I believe it's valid for three months, but does anyone happen to know for sure?...

There shouldn't be any issue with it being valid 🙂. I actually turned in part of my own referrals just before the policy changes on September 30th, and they accepted them without a second thought, so I assume everything is fine... As for the rest of my paperwork, we'll just have to wait and see how that unfolds...

Thanks for the input... 👍

Just wanted to give you guys a heads-up. I was at the local clinic today getting a bunch of referrals sorted out because I’ve got some stuff I need to take care of. Here’s how the whole thing works: You hit up the clinic, they plug all those referrals right into the system, and then—boom—you just call whichever specialist you want, give them your Social Security number and info, and they set you up an appointment. That’s exactly what the official notice says on the Rebro website, too. I haven't heard back from anyone yet, but I'm pretty sure that's the drill. Basically, you handle everything in person using the ID number on your insurance card, and the rest is all handled digitally through the backend. 😁

I was poking around WebMD earlier, but it seems like their site doesn't update instantly—it takes a bit for things to show up. From what I can tell, that’s where you’re supposed to be able to see all your referrals. It should also show your old test results, any meds they've prescribed, and all that good stuff. For me, it actually shows my upcoming surgery date right now. 😁

So, I finally picked up my referral today, and apparently, it’s still valid for a little while longer if I actually get around to using it..

Alex Morales3, wanderingpanther68, thanks so much!

Just wanted to give you guys a heads-up—they actually pushed back my surgery at Rebro. For now, they're only moving forward with emergency cases and oncology stuff.

goldenowl15 said:Just a heads-up, they pushed back my surgery at Rebro. For now, they're only handling emergency cases and oncology stuff.

Does anyone know what the deal is with scheduled follow-ups?

I don't think the appointments have been pushed back. Usually, they’d give me a call if anything was actually being rescheduled.

Does anyone actually know how the blood draw process works over at Rebro? Like, am I supposed to schedule an appointment ahead of time or can I just show up and hope for the best? Because I shot them an email yesterday—you know, the one specifically for booking appointments—and I haven't heard a single peep back. Total radio silence.

goldenowl15 said:Just a heads-up for everyone, they pushed back my surgery at Rebro. Apparently, they're only handling emergencies and oncology cases right now.

Man, what was your scheduled time?

So, I finally had my appointment today. They told me to check back in with them in about a week to get the next one on the books.

Hi.

I have a follow-up appointment at the Mayo Clinic regarding my Rebro. Since I have an extremely high prescription, they sometimes dilate my pupils, which means I have to take my glasses off (I don't have any on me right now), and I can't see a thing afterward. I always bring someone along to assist me. Will they give me any trouble about that?