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

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's the email. Should hear back from them in a few days, hopefully.

I tried checking this out but man, this site is completely dead. Is it just the website acting up, or is it something on my end? I was just trying to see what the wait times look like for the service I need.

I don't think you can actually verify that through Blue Cross

I was wondering if I, as a patient (16), have any right to privacy during an exam... specifically, the right to request that no one else be present besides my specialist doctor. In this case, I’m thinking of medical students. Thanks!

So, I guess it’s worth mentioning that every single patient actually has the right to say, "Hey, you don't need to be here," if they feel like other staff members—you know, like extra doctors or students just hanging around—aren't absolutely necessary for their care at that moment.

Actually, I’ve always been asked if students could sit in on the sessions—regardless of which type of review was taking place. 🤷

If you don't want her there, even the nurse isn't allowed to be present during the examination.

Has anyone ever heard of getting a MED (minimal erythema dose) test done? I'm wondering where someone could actually go to get one...

Hey there,
Please excuse my rookie question here, but I rarely find myself sitting in a doctor's office, so I’m a bit out of the loop on how things work these days.
Here’s the situation: I need a referral for a urology appointment at the local medical center in a city like Indianapolis. Since I’m balancing being a student with a job, my primary care physician—wherever I’m officially registered—is located about 124 miles away from where I actually spend my time. It’s honestly a massive headache to trek all the way there just to grab a piece of paper and then try to make it back, especially since I’m rarely home and this has become quite urgent.
So, I was wondering, what is the absolute easiest way to secure a referral and get this exam handled in Indianapolis? Is there any way to handle this through an online portal or digital scheduling?

Honestly, the fastest way to handle this is just to switch doctors. Once you make the move, you grab a referral and get your checkup sorted. If you don't have a referral, be prepared to shell out the cash yourself. Your only other option is playing the waiting game, hoping your current doctor actually mails the paperwork to you—assuming you're on their good side, anyway. As for those online portals? They’re basically just glorified appointment booking tools.

Not really sure where else to go with this, so I figured I'd just drop it here—I need to get my insulin resistance checked out. Does anyone know if there's anything specific I should watch out for right before the test or even the day before? My endocrinologist told me to check with my primary care doctor, and then my doctor just told me to ask the lab...

LKM, ANF, AGLM, AMHA—do I need to book a rib biopsy just to get the serum and 24-hour urine tests done, plus the ceruloplasmin and Alpha 1 antitrypsin? I've been calling them all week and either nobody picks up or the line is busy... I need someone who actually knows what they're doing to tell me. My boyfriend is going to kill me if I mess this up and he drives all the way from Chicago for nothing. 😁

Just send an email to book your screening. Scan your referral and medical history, then shoot everything over to the address listed on the Mayo Clinic website. You can do the exact same thing for Johns Hopkins, Mount Sinai, or any other major hospital out there. Every hospital uses this same booking system now. Seriously, don't bother calling them—you won't get anywhere through a phone call. It’s useless.

Is a referral actually required if I want to go in for a routine dental checkup through my insurance?

Thanks

placidorca24 said:Just email them to request an appointment. Scan your referral and medical history and shoot it over to the address listed on the Mayo Clinic website. Same thing works for Johns Hopkins, Mount Sinai, whatever—all these hospitals use the exact same system. And don't even bother calling... you can't actually book anything over the phone.

Ugh, I've already sent mine a few times and haven't heard a single word back. I even went there in person and they just told me things were slammed and to follow up via email or phone—which, newsflash, they never pick up...

My doctor sent me over to get some bloodwork done in downtown Seattle. I totally blanked on asking for the exact location, so does anyone know if it’s that clinic over at 3rd and Pine?

Joseph Anderson13 said:Do I need a referral for a regular checkup at the dentist through my insurance?

Thanks

Think of your dentist as primary care, just like your family doctor or a general practitioner.
You don't need a referral to see them. You can just give them a call to book an appointment, or if it's an emergency, you can usually just show up. Of course, you first need to find a dentist who’s accepting new patients if you aren't already on their roster.

The only exception is if you're heading to a specialist—like going to a major dental clinic or a university hospital—in which case you'll likely need a referral from your regular dentist.

silverpuma18 said:My doctor sent me over to get some bloodwork done in downtown Chicago. I totally forgot to ask for the exact location—does anyone know if it’s that clinic over near St. Mary's Park... maybe around 3rd Street?

Yeah, it's the station heading toward the depot—if it's actually a station—right by the police precinct...

restlessangler said:Yeah, it's that station near the old depot—I think it's right by the police precinct...

thanks 👍

I have a question; my dad just got back from the doctor with a positive stool test for occult bleeding, and they've referred him for a colonoscopy. He’s planning on getting the procedure done at a private clinic, but I was wondering, if it turns out he actually needs surgery, will the hospital respect the results from the private facility, or are they going to pester him with another colonoscopy and a whole bunch of other tests anyway?