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

How long does it actually take from the moment the lab tech finishes drawing my blood until they ping the results over to my doctor online?
I'm talking about the specialist I see right after the draw.

Asking because I spent 70 minutes just sitting there waiting with some other guy one time...☕
And we were the only two people in the whole building!!!

Hey everyone... I have a question, not sure if this is the right place to post

So here’s the deal. My grandfather needs prostate surgery—specifically, they need to remove it at the hospital. I don't have all the exact details yet, but that's the situation.

The hospital is the closest one to us, but it's about an hour and a half drive away, and we don't have a car. So, that's our first hurdle.

He went in for his initial consultation thinking everything would be handled in one go. Instead, he's had to go back six different times. They just keep calling us at home with these ridiculous questions, asking if he completed this specific test or that one, while the hospital staff hasn't communicated a single thing to us. :/

Anyway, he finally finished all the tests and went into the hospital on Monday to prep for the surgery, which was supposed to happen yesterday. Then, he calls us to say the doctor told him there are too many patients. A nurse actually told us there wasn't even a rush and that only one other person was waiting for that procedure 🙄 . Since it's a long, six-hour surgery, they said he'd be operated on today instead. But then my grandfather calls again today, and the doctor is giving him the exact same excuse, telling him he can just go home. Apparently, they'll call him next week to reschedule.

My grandmother and I are at a total loss. She’s convinced the doctor is just trying to solicit a bribe, and honestly, we don't have the money for that. We're struggling to make sense of this—does this sound like a standard medical procedure to you? Help. 🙂

It doesn't always have to be about bribery... though, unfortunately, that’s still a reality for some people today. For instance, my father was sent home three or four different times, having to redo all his pre-op preparations from scratch every single time. It’s such a massive waste of resources for Medicare, not to mention the sheer amount of wasted time. In the end, he actually walked away from the surgery altogether because he truly felt the doctor was looking for a kickback. And honestly? I suspect he was right. As for my own experience, I was turned away from the hospital and missed my scheduled surgery date simply because my surgeon failed to notify the department head that some "emergency" cases had popped up, causing my procedure to be pushed back. So, anything can happen, really. But if you notice a recurring pattern like this... you should definitely consider reporting it. Best of luck!

How long does a prescription for orthopedic supplies actually stay valid?
And I was wondering, is there like a specific deadline where you have to head over to the pharmacy to pick everything up before it expires?

Jeremy Reyes4 said:How long does a prescription for orthopedic supplies actually last?
Is there a specific deadline for when you have to head to the pharmacy to pick everything up?

It’s valid for 30 days from the date it was issued.
Basically, if it's dated August 1st, that day doesn't count toward the window—you start counting from August 2nd. That means August 31st is the very last day the pharmacy can bill Medicare for it.
What this means in practice is that if you show up on August 31st and the pharmacy doesn't have what's listed on the script, or they can't get it in stock that same day, you're going to have to hunt down another pharmacy that does have it.
Once September 1st hits, that prescription is dead in the water.

I've got three stool samples ready for blood testing... how long can these things sit around before they're totally useless?

So, I’ve got this massive hematology checkup coming up, right? And I was wondering—am I allowed to eat before the appointment or am I supposed to be totally fasted?
Since my slot isn't until the afternoon, I honestly don't know if I can make it through the whole day without snacking on everything in sight! Plus, nobody at the hospital is picking up the phone when I call to double-check, so I'm feeling a bit lost. Does anyone here happen to know how this works?

Hopefully I’m hitting the right topic here.

Since I’m studying abroad—outside of the US—I don’t have any kind of health insurance, neither basic nor supplemental. I need to get blood work done, a full panel, and probably some testing for my liver because I’ve dropped a massive amount of weight in a ridiculously short window. I changed my diet, sure, but there is no way you lose 5 or 6 pounds in a single week without working out unless something is actually wrong.

How much would these tests run me?

Also, can I donate blood without an ID card? I’ve already donated five times back when I had coverage. In Canada, I used to donate even though I didn't have their insurance (though things were always rushed there due to emergency surgeries and constant blood shortages), so I’m wondering if that’s an option here too.

Thanks for the help.

feralbadger2 said:So, I’m out here studying abroad—not even in the US, just some other country—and I’m basically flying totally blind with zero insurance. No basic coverage, no supplemental stuff, nothing... just me against the world. I really need to get some bloodwork done and go in for a full panel, and probably some tests on my kidneys too, because things are getting weird. I’ve dropped a massive amount of weight in a ridiculously short window of time. I mean, sure, I changed up my diet, but there is absolutely no way I could lose like 10 or 15 pounds in a single week without hitting the gym hard. It’s physically impossible... which means something is definitely wrong...

So... just how much would I actually cost you? ...

Most labs pretty much lay their prices out there for everyone to see... you can usually find them posted right at the entrance of your local clinic, or if you're looking at private spots, they just list everything clearly on their websites (like...) I can't really make sense of this link... looks like some old lab report or a PDF from an American clinic that isn't loading right on my end. If you were trying to show me some bloodwork or medical data, you might want to try uploading the actual file or just pasting the numbers here... hard to help when I'm staring at a broken URL... , Check out this price list for the Stela Clinic... just browsing through their services and costs... honestly, it’s kind of wild how much things add up when you start looking at specialized care... some of these numbers are definitely eye-watering if you don't have top-tier insurance... still, worth a look if you're trying to budget for anything major... might be better to just call them directly though... prices always seem to shift depending on what they tell you over the phone... anyway, just thought I'd drop the link here for anyone else playing the comparison game... Man, I’m telling you... things are finally starting to move. It's happening. Action... 🙂 So, I was just scrolling through this clinic's site and saw their updated schedule for August... basically saying they're going to be running on a skeleton crew or whatever while everyone heads out to the Hamptons or hits up some beach in Florida... It’s that classic summer slump where everything slows down, you know? You try to get something scheduled, maybe some routine bloodwork or a quick check-up, and suddenly it feels like trying to get a reservation at a Michelin-star restaurant in NYC on a Saturday night... impossible... everything is booked up or they're closed for the holiday weekend... Just a heads up if you were planning on getting anything done this month... better move fast before the whole system grinds to a halt... anyway... just thought I'd mention it... ,
I can't actually open that link... looks like a broken file path or some kind of dead end on the server side... typical, right? Just when you think you've got the data you need, everything just hits a wall... nothing but a blank screen and a whole lot of frustration... )

I mean, you really gotta look at where you're standing... just take a second to assess the situation...

feralbadger2 said:...
And another thing... can I actually donate blood without an ID card? I’ve already done it five times back when I had insurance coverage. I used to give blood in Canada all the time even without their insurance—mostly because things were always such a rush with emergency surgeries and those constant blood shortages, so everything just happened on the fly... just wondering if it works that same way over here in the States.

Look, you can still donate blood even without Medicare coverage, but you're gonna need to show some ID. They’ll actually just whip up a donor card or whatever they call that little booklet for you right there when you do your first donation... but honestly? That medical condition you mentioned sounds like a total red flag. That sudden weight loss for no apparent reason? Yeah, that’s a major contraindication. You really shouldn't be doing this until you figure out what's going on with your health...

...

I have a question regarding admission for psychiatric treatment.

If I were to submit an application for inpatient care, especially when many others are likely applying every month and hospital capacity is limited, what specific criteria do psychiatrists use to decide which requests to grant and which to deny?

Furthermore, are waiting lists for these wards made public? If the answer is yes, does that list include the full names of patients for everyone to see, or is a patient assigned a code so that only they and the doctors know their identity and position on the list?

I have a quick question, though if this is in the wrong place, could a moderator please move it to the right thread?

Does a patient actually have the right to request a referral for a second opinion from a specialist, or are we just limited to one single opinion? Is there a specific list of diagnoses where a primary care physician is required to provide such a referral, or does it really just come down to their own individual discretion?

Robert Green93 said:How long does it actually take from the moment the lab techs finish drawing my blood until they ping the doctor with the results online? And I’m talking about a scenario where there isn't a massive line out the door—just me sitting there waiting.
Regarding that doctor I have to see after my bloodwork comes back.
I’m asking because I just spent seventy minutes standing around waiting with someone the other day. ☕
We were the only ones there! Alone!

If an emergency search at HSBC returns results within an hour or two regardless of whether you’re a client or a stranger, I honestly don't see what the big deal is. It seems like everyone here is under this massive delusion that the second a technician draws blood into a vial, the results just magically pop up on a screen instantly. Real life doesn't work that way.

I can't even begin to wrap my head around this level of incompetence. It’s absolutely infuriating! Every single time I think we've hit rock bottom with these ridiculous policies, someone finds a way to dig even deeper. It is pure, unadulterated chaos, and frankly, I'm sick of pretending it's anything else. How much more of this nonsense are we supposed to just sit here and take? It's an absolute joke. kaže:
If you’re heading in for a full hematology workup, should you be eating beforehand, or is it a no-go? I’ve been scheduled for an appointment in the afternoon, and honestly, I don't know if I can actually make it through the entire day on an empty stomach. To make matters worse, nobody at the hospital is picking up the phone to give me a straight answer. Does anyone here happen to know the drill?

For heaven's sake, why on earth wouldn't you be able to eat it? Where on earth do you even get a question like that from?

Nicholas Wells74 said:I have a question regarding my intake for psychiatric treatment.
If I submit a request for inpatient psychiatric treatment, and we’re looking at a situation where dozens of people are filing those same requests every single month while hospital capacity is already razor-thin—how does it actually work? What specific criteria are these psychiatrists using when they sit down to decide whose application gets approved and whose gets tossed in the trash?
Does anyone actually publish those departmental waiting lists publicly? And if the answer is yes, does that list just lay out everyone's full names for the whole world to see? Or is there some actual privacy involved where patients get assigned a code—something only they and the doctors can use to track their spot on the list?

Whether or not you need inpatient treatment isn't up to anyone else—it’s entirely at the discretion of your attending physician. In this specific instance, that means the psychiatrist makes the call.

bluecrane16 said:I’ve got a question to toss out here, but I’m not entirely sure which thread this belongs in. Can a moderator please move this to the right section?
Does a patient actually have the right to request a referral for a second opinion from a specialist? Or are we strictly limited to just one single opinion? I’m also wondering if there’s a specific list of diagnoses where a primary care physician is required to hand over a referral, versus cases where they can just flat-out refuse. Does it all just come down to whether the doctor feels like being helpful, or is there an actual protocol in place?

It does.

My primary care physician just referred me for an EEG, and I'm scheduled for tomorrow morning... however, I don't have any supplemental insurance coverage. Even with a referral, will I still be responsible for the cost of the EEG? And if so, does anyone know roughly what the out-of-pocket expense looks like? I've been searching online but haven't been able to find anything useful... any quick insights would be greatly appreciated. 😢

As far back as I can remember, a few years ago at Mayo Clinic, there were about $40.

Megan Sullivan12 said:My primary care physician referred me for an EEG, and I've got the appointment scheduled for tomorrow morning. The catch is, I don't have any supplemental insurance. Am I still responsible for the cost of the EEG even if I have a referral from my doctor? And if I am, does anyone know roughly what I should expect to pay? I've been scouring the internet, but I can't seem to find a straight answer anywhere. I would truly appreciate a quick response. 😢

You'll be paying. I suspect you'll have to cover it yourself. $17 😉

Alright, does anyone else happen to have a third figure? 😁
Thanks so much!

I also have a question regarding seeking psychotherapy.

According to a psychiatry resident I spoke with, the Department of Health and Human Services has decided to stop authorizing psychotherapy sessions entirely, opting instead to assist patients solely through prescriptions for psychotropic medications.

I must admit, I find this incredibly difficult to believe. Even though doctors seem to favor mass-prescribing medication just to get through the day, I suspect they might be using this supposed Department of Health and Human Services mandate as an excuse to bypass deeper care.

Because of my chronic physical illness, I feel that if I were to formally petition for psychotherapy—even going so far as to submit my medical records to the Department of Health and Human Services—I might actually receive some support in the form of therapy. On the other hand, I am mindful of how many people are desperate for counseling, how long-term the process can be, and the severe shortage of psychiatrists. In my specific case, I don't believe I would need years of treatment; perhaps just ten standard sessions, occurring once every two weeks.

Has anyone here ever submitted such a request or something similar? Did you have to physically deliver medical documentation to the Department of Health and Human Services? Who was your point of contact there, and what was the overall process like? Was your petition ultimately granted? Any information at all would be deeply appreciated. If you are uncomfortable discussing this on the public forum, please feel free to reach out via private message or email at piskavac@gmail.com

(In my previous post regarding admission to inpatient psychiatric care, I realize I did not express myself clearly).

Under what specific conditions would a doctor actually prescribe testosterone? Is it even a thing where someone can just ask for it and get it? I mean, how does a person go about getting a testosterone prescription from a physician in the first States?

Where can I get a 2-hour OGTT done along with an insulin test?

Specifically, I need both fasting and postprandial levels checked.

Thanks.

It's kind of urgent—does anyone know where I can go to avoid a massive wait time?

Karen White4 said:Where can I get a 2-hour OGTT performed along with an insulin test?

I need both fasting and postprandial levels measured at the same facility,

thank you.

It's urgent—where can I find the shortest wait times for this procedure?

Which part of the country are you located in?