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

Maybe try sending an email, though even then they don't always get back to you. In my case, it feels like for every little thing, the doctor sends over a home health nurse who honestly doesn't have a clue what they're doing. I feel like I know more than she does at this point, yet she just keeps inserting herself into everything. She’ll ask me what I’m using on his skin, and I'll just say whatever I think is helping him in the moment. I can, you know, use logic. I guess avoiding home visits might be better right now given the COVID-19 situation, but sending someone who lacks basic competence really seems pointless. Even the staff from home care mention when she’s supposed to come by to check his skin. So, what’s the purpose? It's almost like she needs to move in with us. I never know when she’s going to show up; most of the time, she just appears without any notice. On top of that, she’s constantly asking questions—who has been by, where people work... I mean, why does that even matter? I don't owe her an account of my life. I suppose during a pandemic, it's definitely better to limit the number of people visiting, especially an elderly person, and frankly, I haven't really welcomed visitors before anyway.

I remember having a doctor for my patient once who basically just kept telling me, "Just go buy it, buy it." Well, obviously I want to buy it, but I can't when they won't give me the prescription! It was so frustrating. And then, when his life was actually on the line, she wouldn't even bother sending over an antibiotic—she just started yelling instead. I ended up having to handle things a different way back then, but honestly, it still doesn't feel right... especially since we're talking about an elderly person here.

mistyjackal842 said:Try sending them an email, though honestly, they don't always bother responding. In my case, the doctor sends over some home health nurse for every little thing, and frankly, she has zero clue what she’s doing. I feel like I know more than she does at this point, yet she still insists on meddling in everything. She keeps asking me what I'm using on his skin. Like, I just use whatever I think will help him in the moment—I'm capable of basic logic, you know? Maybe skipping home visits is fine given the whole COVID-19 mess, but sending someone out who is completely clueless is just pointless. Even the folks from home care know how to give a heads-up about when she's coming to check his skin. So what's the point? What, is she supposed to move in with us? I never know when she'll show up; usually, she just drifts in without warning. And then there's the constant questioning. Who's been by, where do they work... why does she even care? It's not like I owe her a full report on my life. During a pandemic, it's definitely better to keep people away, especially from seniors, and besides, I haven't really wanted visitors anyway.

She's probably grilling you about the skin because of pressure sores. I can't even remember the name of that cream anymore, but honestly, you might be better off just asking at a CVS or Walgreens—those pharmacists often know way more than these people do. I know they used to use certain baby creams for people who are bedridden for long periods.

Anthony Barnes31 said:Hey everyone

I am totally lost dealing with Medicare and the healthcare mess here in Chicago..

I went to a private clinic for an ultrasound.. they found some stuff and recommended I see a specialist/urologist for more tests..

I need help figuring out what's next. I called my doctor this morning and she opened up an electronic referral..

I've been Googling like crazy but I can't for the life of me figure out how to electronically book an appointment with a urologist at Mayo Clinic...

And I couldn't even tell if my referral was valid on the health portal...

Can anyone give me some advice or help on what to do now?🙏

Just look up Mayo Clinic, check their waiting list. Somewhere it should say you have a blue form or a registration questionnaire. You can either call them or send an email. You can actually book at any hospital, just make sure to mention that it's an electronic referral—your doctor needs to give you a little slip of paper to prove the referral exists.

They couldn't find it even at the local pharmacy. So, I just ended up reading through some medical journals myself and found a cream that actually works for him. I kind of just mix and match whatever comes to mind, I guess. I did ask this lady who dealt with similar issues with her mom, but that specific cream didn't help her, and it wasn't even a lanolin-based one. For him, the irritation clears up, but then it just keeps coming back, even though I try so hard to keep his skin from getting too dry. He’s dealt with this before, really, it's just that he never used to ask me about it, so I wasn't feeling all this pressure. But having someone constantly questioning you about it when they literally have no clue what they're talking about—like that sister was doing—it’s honestly just awful.

Linda Gray said:Hey, I was wondering if all the family doctors are just totally swamped lately and that's why they aren't picking up the phone? I'm stuck in self-isolation right now, and I've tried calling my doctor over 150 times, but the nurse either doesn't answer or the line is just constantly busy.

Nah, you just gotta be relentless. Maybe try again in three days or just shoot them an email.

Megan Jones27 said:Regarding those Ursofalk capsules... My doctor mentioned she could only provide a private prescription because Medicare won't cover them for my specific diagnosis (biliary gastritis). This means I would have to pay out of pocket, which comes to about $67. I pointed out to her that the instructions clearly state they can be used for this condition, but she insisted she couldn't issue a standard prescription without risking professional penalties. The gastroenterologist wants me to take them for two weeks, specifically one capsule every night before bed. During my recent endoscopy, they found quite a bit of bile in my stomach along with a couple of erosions near the pylorus.

Who is being unreasonable here?

Sent from my Sony Xperia using Reddit

Biliary gastritis isn't considered a qualifying indication for Ursofalk under current Medicare guidelines, so they simply won't cover it for that diagnosis. Because of that, the medication isn't available via standard insurance prescription; you just have to purchase it at the full retail price.

Hi everyone, I was at my primary care physician today and she gave me a referral for a follow-up with an ENT. I've been there quite a few times before,
but she also handed me a referral for audiology (my last ENT report specifically recommended that I get tone audiometry and tympanometry done at an audiology
clinic). My doctor suggested I give them a call to see if they can just issue the referral for the tympanometry then, and eventually told me that
two referrals have been sent out over to their system. Honestly, I walked away feeling like even my own doctor wasn't entirely sure why I need a separate referral specifically for tympanometry ?
Is it really impossible to get that done during my first appointment with the audiologist if it isn't explicitly listed on the paperwork?

Since this will be my very first time visiting the audiology department—I've actually never been—it's a bit of a process. We only have one audiologist in San Diego since the previous one retired,
though I think someone new has stepped in recently. On the other hand, we have plenty of ENT specialists available. I'm going to call both departments tomorrow, but I'm still stuck on this whole tympanometry thing; why can't I just handle it during that initial audiology visit? Can't I just show them the findings from my ENT...

Every time I want to book an appointment with the general ENT clinic, I have to play phone tag for about an hour before I finally get through, usually landing an appointment a week or two out.
I’ll try calling the audiology department tomorrow as well and just be persistent; hopefully, the nurse there can clear up the confusion regarding the tympanometry, because getting this checked is pretty important to me.

In our area here in San Diego, the audiology department is still tucked away in the old wing of the hospital, while the ENT department moved over to the new facility quite a while ago.

Thanks for any help you can give. 👍

Never mind, I managed to get it sorted out.

How much does a private lung CT cost in the US?

I was wondering if a 1% salicylic acid solution would be available via prescription ear drops?

Thanks. 😉

Does anyone happen to know how long those electronic prescriptions for hospital blood tests remain valid?

wanderingbadger0 said:Does anyone happen to know how long electronic referrals for hospital blood work remain valid?

I am specifically referring to an A3 referral. I seem to be finding conflicting information everywhere... some sources suggest a 90-day window, while others mention 365 days...

wanderingbadger0 said:I am looking into the A3 referral. I keep running into conflicting information everywhere. Some sources mention a 90-day window, while others suggest 365 days...

I have verified this information. The specified referrals are valid for three months...

Does anyone know what an internal referral actually is and who is supposed to issue it?

We sent over the GP's referral for hospital care along with the cardiologist's opinion from the Magdalena clinic, and we just got word from the hospital that Dad can come in for hospitalization this Thursday, but they're insisting on this specific referral. His doctor isn't even in until tomorrow afternoon, and frankly, I have no idea if she’ll even know what they're asking for. He's just at home right now, not at the hospital.

Thanks

Hey everyone.

My mom was referred from her clinic over at SKB Mostar to KB Merkur after getting diagnosed with bladder cancer and liver metastasis, and she’s got the referral for inpatient treatment (B). First, we were stuck waiting for our local county and hospital to actually approve the paperwork, and then we finally managed to book an appointment with Dr. Jadrijević, who is supposed to perform the surgery. During the consultation, he told her he'd operate, handed her a list of tests she needs to complete, and said the surgery would be sometime in early July—he said he’d call us. He mentioned checking back in around July 2nd, but so far, nothing. I’ve been calling endless numbers at Merkur, but everyone just transfers me to some other random department, and I can never actually get through to the surgeon himself. I’ve even sent emails, but I'm getting zero response, and honestly, I’m starting to lose my mind. It’s not even that the waiting is the issue, per se; I just really need to know exactly when we should show up, especially since traveling all the way to Chicago isn't exactly a quick trip for us. I’m also wondering how long this referral stays valid, because some people tell me it’s a month, others seem totally unsure, hesitating and second-guessing everything... the whole process of getting the referral was so incredibly slow, and I’m really hoping we don't have to go through that nightmare all over again, especially since that thirty-day window from when the referral was issued is about to run out. Does anyone know how to actually get a straight answer? 😁 Her doctors back at SKB Mostar just tell us to be persistent and keep calling. I haven't put the phone down for days, but they're just giving me the runaround. 🤦

Kimberly Smith said:Does anyone know what an internal transfer referral is and who is supposed to issue it?

After we sent over the primary care physician's referral for hospital treatment along with the cardiologist's opinion from Magdalena Clinic, we got word back from Rebro stating that Dad can come in for hospitalization this Thursday, but they need that specific referral. His doctor isn't even in until tomorrow afternoon, and who knows if she'll even understand what's being requested. He's at home right now, not in a hospital facility.

Thanks

Call the Rebro main line at 2388 888 and ask for the specific department, then just ask them directly.
Hope you already called, sorry for the late reply.
Look, if he isn't being transferred from one hospital to another, all you should need is the PCP referral for inpatient care and a COVID-19 test.

Melissa Phillips4 said:Call the main line at 2388 888 and ask them to put you through to the right department.
I hope you already called, since I'm late responding here.
If they aren't transferring you from one hospital to another, all you need is a referral from your primary doctor for inpatient care and a COVID-19 test.

Thanks. Yeah, I did. They had the info wrong regarding the referral. You were right about how it works.
The main thing is that it's sorted now.

We just received a bill for an emergency room visit from back in January. Is this actually legal? Shouldn't they have sent the statement out much sooner than this? The patient doesn't have any supplemental insurance coverage.

dustymaker11 said:We just got a bill for an ER visit from January 1st of this year. Is that even legal? Shouldn't they have sent it sooner? The patient doesn't have supplemental insurance.

Completely legal. Doesn't matter when the visit happened if they don't have supplemental coverage.