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

Not sure if this fits the topic, but I'll give it a shot...

My private gynecologist put me on birth control, and now I need to get some blood work done. My doctor is based in another city halfway across the country, so I'm wondering where I can get this handled here in Washington, D.C.? Maybe at a local Community Health Center?

frozenangler12 said:thanks, so I guess my 🙄
expired.

Maybe not. It really depends on what you're getting tested for and which facility you use.

For me, the immunologist wrote out a whole list of things I needed to have done at the hospital lab, and someone told me that specific referral was only good for about a month or two. 🤷

If I'm looking at results from a hospital lab, does having high sugar levels mean I really should go ahead and get that checked out??

frozenangler12 said:If I see "sugar" in a hospital lab report, does that mean I actually need to double-check things??

Check it. It's possible those results stay valid for a month. 🙂

it was truly worth 🙂🙂
...

Hello... I have a request if anyone here is in the loop... and I'm not sure if there’s already a thread about this... does anyone know which hospital in the Midwest—meaning, within driving distance of Washington, D.C.—has an MRI machine available, excluding Indianapolis, Memphis, and St. Louis?
Basically, St. Louis is fully booked for the rest of the year, I'm still waiting to hear back from Memphis, but I'm on the list and have no idea how long the wait will be, and Indianapolis doesn't even have one...
To be blunt, I can't afford to go to a private clinic...
Thanks!!!!

Wait, didn't our illustrious Secretary of Health mention something about having contracts in place with certain private clinics? He was saying you could get those major diagnostic tests done there, all covered by Medicare. When he was talking about cutting down the lines and reducing wait times for scans, he was rambling on about that too—I just don't know if any of it actually became a reality.

Maybe try calling Medicare or just head down to the office to ask them about it yourself.

melloworca6 said:Didn't our illustrious Secretary of Health mention something about having contracts with certain private clinics? He claimed you could get those major tests done there, all covered by Medicare. When he was talking about cutting down wait times and clearing out the queues, he mumbled something along those lines, though I haven't seen any actual results yet.

Try calling Medicare or just showing up at their office to ask about it.

That’s what I heard too. I actually called two private clinics... one told me they want $533, and the other wanted $667... everything else is supposedly covered by Medicare... so, that's the long and short of it.

ruggedfox94 said:That’s exactly what I heard too, so I called two private clinics to check... one is asking me for $533, and the other wants $667... everything else supposedly falls under Medicare... so there you have it.

So they're only covering part of the cost? 🤦

And the Secretary announced it like Medicare was footing the entire bill. Honestly, it’s disgusting. I’m sick of all of them.

Lisa Adams54 said:I'm not sure if this fits here, but I thought I'd ask...

My OBGYN put me on birth control, and now I need to get some blood work done. My doctor is based in a different city halfway across the country, so I'm wondering where I can go to get this done in Washington, D.C.? Maybe at a local community health center?

I had mine done at a community health center where my social worker gynecologist works, but that was about five years ago.

Maybe try reaching out to your doctor first; they might be able to just send over an electronic referral?

If not, you'll probably just have to head to a private lab...

So, I’ve managed to misplace my health insurance card—though, thankfully, I still have that orange supplemental one tucked away somewhere. Getting a replacement through Medicare isn't really what's weighing on my mind, since reporting it lost and ordering a new one is pretty straightforward, but I am stuck on a bit of a dilemma: I'm actually planning to file a change of address in the meantime. Does that move trigger anything regarding my main insurance card, or will I need to jump through extra hoops to make sure everything stays synced up?

And while we're at it, if I do move, will that supplemental insurance card I still have remain just as valid, or is that going to be another headache?

Thanks so much! 🙂

That’s all fine, but now I’m really wondering—does switching from my current doctor to a new one at a different clinic have anything to do with where I actually live, or is it just a matter of whether it's legit? Does my registered address even matter in this whole process, or is it all pretty much the same regardless?

ruggedfox94 said:Hi everyone... I have a quick favor to ask if anyone here knows the drill—and I’m not sure if there’s already a thread for this... I was wondering if you know which hospital in the Midwest has an MRI machine available? I'm looking for somewhere between my area and Washington, D.C., excluding Indianapolis, Memphis, or St. Louis...
The thing is, St. Louis is fully booked for the rest of the year, and I’m just waiting to hear back from Memphis—I’m on the list, but who knows how long that wait will be—and Indianapolis doesn't even have one...
To be honest, I just don't have the budget for a private clinic...
Thanks so much!!!!

Just give them a call to schedule an appointment...

I was wondering if anyone knows where they are based in Washington, D.C., and how I might get in touch with them directly? I'd rather not go through a specialist doctor this time. I'm planning to write a formal request for an upcoming surgery and I'd really like to drop it off in person myself.

Hey everyone! Quick question for you all—do I actually need to grab a referral from my primary doctor if I'm planning to head over to a private clinic that doesn't take Medicare?

Scott Davis32 said:Do I actually need a referral from my primary doctor to see someone at a private clinic that doesn't take Medicare?

Nope. 🙂

If a patient who takes regular medication is planning a long trip abroad, how far in advance can they get a prescription filled for their meds?

How long are we talking here? And what kind of condition is this?

I figure if you just walk into the doctor's office, tell them you're heading out on a long trip and need a backup supply of meds, they'll hook you up. Though, honestly, it probably comes down to what exactly you're taking and the dosage.

Take me, for example. If I go to my doctor and ask for a six-month supply of my thyroid meds, she’d probably just write it off since it's basically just two boxes of pills. But if someone needs ten boxes of something heavy-duty, that might actually be an issue. 🤷

It’s been about 3 months, maybe even a little longer
We're talking about neuropathic pain here, and the medication is Lamal—it's technically an antiepileptic, but it's used for treating this type of pain too.

And how long does one box actually last you?