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

Casey Bennett2 said:- Is there really no way to make that appointment at the Mayo Clinic as scheduled?
- If that’s actually the case, can we just cancel the appointment? And if we do, will they reschedule us for the earliest possible slot after rehab—which basically means skipping an entire month of check-ups, plus all those holidays coming up... I really don't think waiting that long without a follow-up is a good idea!

Thanks!

Look, here is some info based on actual experience.
Someone I know was undergoing inpatient treatment at a medical spa for three weeks.
During those three weeks, they had a single day scheduled at the Mayo Clinic for blood work.
We had been waiting months for that specific slot and we weren't about to push it back again...

What they told you is partially true—in a sense.
It can be done, obviously, but the staff at the spa would have to officially discharge the patient for that one day and then re-admit them the next morning to continue treatment. It involves a mountain of paperwork for the facility to process—essentially a formal discharge followed by a re-enrollment—and honestly, it’s just easier for them to tell you "no" than to deal with the bureaucracy.
It is 100% possible.
But listen—do not go rogue and skip out on the spa without being properly discharged first. If you do, the hospital won't take you because their system will show you are still an active patient at another facility.
So the workflow is: discharge from the spa—head to the check-up—return and re-register to resume the stay.

As for medical transport... that’s a whole different headache. That really depends on the doctor you're dealing with—everyone handles it differently since the guidelines regarding transport eligibility are incredibly vague...

Hey everyone, I’m not actually from this area, but I’m staying in Chicago right now. My primary care doctor just handed me a referral to see a dermatologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Does anyone happen to know who I should actually reach out to? Like, which number do I call to get on their schedule or whatever? If someone could point me in the right direction, it would be a massive lifesaver. Thanks in advance! 😁

Grace Alvarez said:Hey there—I'm not actually from around here, but I'm staying in the city at the moment. My primary care doctor just wrote me a referral for a dermatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital... does anyone happen to know who I should reach out to or which number I should call to get on their schedule? If someone could point me in the right direction, it would be a huge help... thanks in advance. 😁

Hey there... just checking in... Salad...You can find their phone number right there on the link... I’m not entirely sure how they handle orders—some people just head down there in person—but just a heads-up, they're located over in the West End area, not near the waterfront. They're still operating out of separate locations...

You can just email the instructor and place your order. I'm not sure which clinic you're heading to, but some of them have massive wait times, so maybe be prepared for that.

Justin Brown6 said:Hey everyone. I was diagnosed with testicular cancer and have finished three rounds of chemo. So far, there are no signs of metastasis, and my first follow-up went great. During the second check-up, my AFP levels spiked, though they actually dropped once we retested. Now, because of some random circumstances, my oncologist wants me to get a chest CT scan just to be safe. Honestly, I've always been a huge advocate for MRIs since they don't involve radiation. Do I actually have the right to request an MRI instead, even if she isn't recommending it? When I asked about the risks of a CT scan versus using other methods that might be less harsh, her response was basically that a CT won't hurt me and there's no reason to worry. What should I do? Mentally, I'm just feeling pretty worn out...

You can definitely ask for an MRI—that’s your right as a patient. Just keep in mind that CT scans can sometimes pick up certain bone changes that an MRI might miss.

restlessangler said:Get in touch with Salata Hospital. You can find their phone number right there on the link. I'm not entirely sure how they handle orders—sometimes people just show up in person. Just a heads-up, that facility is over at Salata, not Rebro. They’re still operating separately.

coastaltiger7 said:You can also just email your referral to book an appointment. I don't know which specific clinic you're heading to, but some of them have pretty massive wait times, so definitely be prepared for that.

Thanks so much, seriously!! 😁 I found everything on the website and already emailed my referral over. Now I'm just playing the waiting game. Fingers crossed I don't end up waiting forever! 😉

Hey everyone
I was scrolling back through some old threads but everything here seems pretty dated...
Does anyone happen to know where I can get an MRI on my spine ASAP using a referral? It doesn't have to be in Chicago or anything...
Thanks
lp

Gospić?

placidorca24 said:What, like Des Moines?

April 2015 🙂

I can't quite recall

How long does a referral actually last?
To be more specific—I was looking for a referral for a neurologist for an initial consultation back in mid-July, and now that I'm trying to schedule the appointment, they're asking for the referral upfront.
Does it still count if it's been this long? And if not... can my doctor just cross out the old date and put today's instead?

Once you get that referral from your doctor, you should book your appointment right away. As soon as you get that confirmation with your scheduled date, the specific date printed on the paperwork doesn't really matter anymore.
If you don't actually schedule the visit within 30 days of getting the referral, though, you'll probably need to ask for a new one.
Basically, if they give you an appointment slot—even if it's six months out—you're all set. Your referral stays valid.

restlessangler said:How long does a referral last?
Specifically, I got a referral for a neurologist—just an initial consultation—back in mid-July. Now I'm trying to book an appointment, but they're demanding the referral upfront.
Does it still count? And if not, can my doctor just cross out the old date and put today's instead?

Referrals are good for 6 months. Once you've actually used one to get on a waiting list, there isn't really a deadline.

Roger Cruz said:April 2015 🙂

That’s incredibly fast—I ordered an MRI back in Los Angeles about a month ago and they’ve already got me scheduled for March 2016!!!

My primary care doctor is refusing to give me a referral to have a (benign) atheroma removed from my back. He claims it should only be dealt with if it starts growing. How on earth am I supposed to monitor its size when it’s on my back?... And more importantly, does a GP actually have the right to deny a specialist referral just because they feel a visual inspection is enough, even when I'm explicitly asking for it?

Hey, does anyone know if I can just swing by the local clinic on Main Street to switch doctors, or am I stuck trekking all the way down to the big metropolitan hospital downtown?
I’ve been trying to get them on the phone—seriously, the hold music is driving me crazy—but they're always busy, and I really need to get this sorted out today...

Hey there.

Does anyone know if I can get tested for HPV, gonorrhea, HIV, and Hepatitis B and C using just my insurance referral? Basically, I'm wondering if I can get all this done without paying out of pocket.😁

Thanks.

Carl Green said:Hey there.

Does anyone know if insurance covers testing for HPV, gonorrhea, HIV, or hepatitis B and C? Basically, can I get these done without paying out of pocket? 😁

Thanks.

You should probably be able to get a referral from your primary care doctor... or a gynecologist.😉

This concerns my father (born 1952), who was admitted to the hospital due to weakness in his left limbs.
After 20 days of hospitalization and extensive testing, he was discharged with a recommendation for physical therapy. All other findings were normal.

I am not a doctor, but this looks more like a cluster of symptoms than a single diagnosis to me. I would appreciate input from any specialists here if they can correct my thinking.

Dx:

Cervical myelopathy
Left-sided hemiparesis
Chronic cervicobrachial syndrome
Left brachial plexus lesion
Multilevel disc protrusion of the vertebral column
Lumbosacral radiculopathy

Best,

There are six different diagnoses here...
Cervical spondylosis, hemiparesis,
chronic cervicobrachial syndrome, plus a disc protrusion—which basically means a piece of the soft tissue in the spine has slipped out and gotten wedged between the discs. That’s the whole list, so I don't quite get what you're struggling with. Is it whether they're accurate or what? If you have doubts about the diagnosis, just go get a second opinion at another hospital.