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

I'm looking for some solid lab recommendations around the Chicago area.
Specifically, I want to get a full metabolic panel, check my heavy metal levels via blood work, and see where I stand with vitamins and minerals. I've seen people mentioning hair analysis for mineral testing—does anyone know if that’s actually reliable?
Doing a bit of digging online, I came across
Labcorp, Stella, Butterfly, Symbex, Nemet, and Breyer Labs.
Honestly, I’m getting a little lost in all the medical jargon—it feels like not every one of these places offers everything on my list, or maybe I'm just overthinking it...
Also, if anyone has a ballpark idea of what these services usually cost, that would be super helpful.
Any info at all is much appreciated!

I have a bit of an unusual question here!

My health insurance is currently through my husband’s employer back in Austria.
However, since we’ll be stationed in Chicago for work for a while (at least 6 months)
can I still request a social security card for the US?
There is absolutely no way I'd give up our Austrian coverage just to get American coverage, but it really doesn't make sense to fly all the way back to Austria if I get sick...
I'm honestly not sure how I'll handle things once I start working in the States, especially since if something serious happens, the care in Austria is much faster and higher quality...

thx

Does anyone know if they run NH4 blood tests over at the Mayo Clinic?

Does anyone know if you need to make an appointment ahead of time for an EKG at the local clinic in Newark?

Matthew Taylor17 said:You don't even need to worry about ordering those tests in advance. The thing is, hormone levels have to be drawn on a very specific day of your cycle to get accurate results. Since no woman can predict her cycle with 100% certainty—life happens, right?—it’s impossible to schedule everything perfectly ahead of time. It’s better to just wait until you know exactly where you are in the process.

copperraven53 said:You know, it can be a bit of a headache with some of these hospitals. You'll go ahead and book an appointment, and they give you a rough timeframe for when to show up, but then you realize you actually need to be there right around the second or third day of your cycle. Even so, the hospital stays pretty strict about sticking to that scheduled slot. I ran into this exact situation over at the Mayo Clinic recently—they really want you to stick to the reservation they have on the books.

It’s the exact same story over here at Rib.

Carol Thomas15 said:I’m actually wondering about this too, though it wouldn’t be for a psychologist, but for a different kind of specialist, like a dermatologist.
Is it possible to see a specialist in Chicago if we are technically from San Diego, but since the person is studying in Chicago, they spend most of their time there rather than at home? If they only come back on weekends, they won't be able to make it to any appointments.
They wouldn't even need travel reimbursement, since they're already stationed in Chicago.

I managed to find out how the whole process works!
Basically, you can receive treatment anywhere in the country as long as you have a referral from your primary care physician.
The catch is that if that specific specialist and the necessary equipment are available within your own county, you aren't eligible for travel reimbursement—unless, of course, the specialist specifically schedules you for some sort of specialized follow-up.

Oh, and you also need a bit of "help" to actually get an appointment scheduled.

Specifically regarding a student living in another city, since they are already present in that area, they don't even need to worry about travel expenses.

Hey, does anyone know how I can track down hospital records from over twenty years ago? My parents took me in back in the late '80s when I was just a kid. The problem is, the paperwork I actually have in my hands is basically useless—it's literally just one single sentence. It feels like there should be way more detail than that one vague line. Is there any way to get a hold of the actual physician's notes or my full medical file if they even still exist? The doctor passed away a long time ago, so that’s another hurdle. Any advice? Thanks!

If you're staring down a months-long wait for an MRI, you might actually get it done within six weeks at Johns Hopkins Hospital on Rib.
Back in November, they told me to go ahead and get on the schedule, noting that the date on my initial confirmation didn't really matter—they promised I’d have my lumbar spine MRI completed within 45 days at most.
I can personally vouch for that, too; it only took me 36 days from start to finish, and they gave me a quick call just five days before the appointment to make sure I was still good to go.

I honestly don’t get it. If you’ve already been examined by a doctor, why on earth should you have to schedule yet another appointment and wait at least two months just to get a prescription refilled based on the diagnosis they already gave you? It’s absolutely pathetic!

Hey there! 😁 I was wondering where I could go to get my thyroid hormone levels checked using a referral? I’m looking for somewhere without a massive waiting list, and also, does it cost anything out of pocket if I already have my referral from the doctor? Thanks!

Michelle Harris19 said:Hey. 😁 Anyone know where I can get my thyroid hormone levels checked using a referral? I'm trying to find somewhere without a massive waitlist, and I'm wondering if there's still a co-pay even with the referral. Thanks.

If you’ve got a referral and supplemental insurance, you won't be paying a dime at any hospital. Honestly, I have no clue which one has shorter lines—I can only tell you where the wait times suck the most. 😁 Waited three whole months just to get an appointment at the Rib.

copperraven53 said:If you’ve got a referral and supplemental insurance, you won't have to pay out of pocket at any hospital. I honestly don't know which one has shorter wait times—I can only tell you where the lines are longer 😁 - at Rib (I was stuck waiting three months for an appointment).

Thanks for the heads-up 🙂 but I don't have supplemental insurance, just my regular referral... so it looks like I'll probably be footing the bill myself... great. -.-

Does anyone know what I’m supposed to put in the field for insured persons on a travel voucher?

Maybe the SSN. 🤷

Kimberly White63 said:Does anyone know what I’m supposed to enter in the insured person's ID field on the travel voucher?

Look, the ID number for the insured person is right there on their health insurance card.

I have a few questions—and if anyone could possibly get back to me by Tuesday at the latest, I’d truly appreciate it:

1. Is it actually a bad idea to head to the ER because of sciatica? My doctor has been feeding me nothing but painkillers and Norman for months now, yet the pain just won't budge. I'm fully aware that this situation is getting serious, but she seems to be chalking most of my symptoms up to hypochondria, which is... frustrating.
2. I'm planning on switching to a different physician. Once that switch happens, when does it actually take effect? Like, from the moment I officially register with the new doctor? Do I need to go back to the old one to pick up my medical records or something, or can I just sign up with the new person and call it a day? And here's the big one: if I finally lose my temper with the current doctor and she actually sends me for some tests, resulting in me getting referrals, but then I switch doctors before those appointments happen—do I have to ask the new doctor for entirely new referrals, or can I just use the ones from the previous one?

Thanks.

Lisa Nelson70 said:I have a few questions (and please, if anyone can answer by Tuesday at the latest, I'd really appreciate it):

1. Is it stupid to head to the ER for sciatica? My doctor has been (literally) feeding me nothing but painkillers and Norman for months now, but the pain isn't budging. I know this is serious, but she seems to think I'm just being a hypochondriac.
2. I’m planning on switching to a new doctor. Once that switch happens... how does that work exactly? From the day I sign up with someone new? Do I need to go back to my old doctor to grab my medical records or something, or do I just sign up with the new one? And most importantly: if I get fed up with this current doctor and she finally sends me for tests and gets me referrals, but then I switch doctors before those appointments actually happen—do I have to ask the new doctor for new referrals, or can I just use the ones from the old one?

Thanks.

First off, I don't know about the ER, but when my old lady was dealing with that kind of pain, they just gave her an Apaurin injection at the emergency room and called it a day. Nothing else worked. -.-
As for switching doctors, when I switched last year, I just showed up at the new office. You fill out some paperwork, and then they request your files from your previous doctor, so you don't have to go on some crazy pilgrimage back and forth. The nurse actually asked me right then and there if I wanted to see the doctor immediately, so basically, once the forms are done, you can get your exam. Legally, I think the old doctor only has about three days to hand over the records.🙂 Hope that helps!😉

Michelle Harris19 said:First off, I honestly don't know; when my mother was in that much pain, they just gave her an injection of Apaurin at the ER, nothing else. -.-
As far as switching doctors goes, when I moved over last year, I just showed up at the newly selected office, filled out some paperwork, and they request the files from your old doctor, so you don't have to go on some endless pilgrimage back and forth. The nurse actually asked me right then if I needed to see the doctor or not, so yeah, once you finish those forms, you can potentially get an exam the same day. Otherwise, legally, I think the window for your previous doctor to hand over the records is about three days.🙂 I hope that helps you out.😉

You’re a little bit right there, regarding that first part—with my mom, the pain had probably just started setting in, so they likely gave her that injection just to ease the muscle spasms.
For me, the main concern is avoiding any sort of "gap" between leaving one doctor and starting with the next, especially since I'm on medication for hypertension, so... plus, I'm also curious about how the prescription situation works, maybe someone here knows... thanks, Enivey. 😉

So, my "smart" pumpkin is really dragging its feet on renewing the supplemental insurance I'm entitled to since I'm unemployed right now...
I was out on maternity leave and had to deregister from the unemployment office, but I just can't seem to get back on the system...
But honestly, that's probably not even the main issue because I should still have basic health coverage since I'm not working—I mean, I hope I'm not totally wrong about that...

Anyway, I'm someone who NEVER gets sick, but suddenly this impossible, intense throat pain hit me out of nowhere. It burns like crazy, and now my ear is completely clogged and hurting so much it's driving me nuts... I feel like it might pop at any second...

Does anyone know roughly how much an exam and maybe some meds would cost me???

Well, look on the bright side—at least it wasn't something truly catastrophic. If I recall correctly, and feel free to correct me if my memory is failing me, you're covered by Medicare, so you won't be footing the bill for the exam itself; you'll just have to handle a small co-pay of $5.00 (I can't quite remember if it's 15 or $3.25, honestly). As far as medications go, you're entitled to those too... though you might end up paying a little extra out of pocket for certain ones. I believe there's a prescription fee of about $3.25... and then potentially an additional charge for the drug itself, depending entirely on what the doctor decides to prescribe. Personally, since I carry supplemental insurance, I only ended up paying $0.67 🙂 for some Ibuprofen.

All things considered, it shouldn't break the bank. My advice? Just head to the ER now instead of waiting until Tuesday... people show up at the emergency room for much less than this. You won't be charged anything there either... you'll just deal with the pharmacy later, just like you would if you'd gone to see your own primary care physician.