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

Is there any way to get a checkup at a private clinic that feels just like seeing your regular family doctor?

You know, where you can actually lay out all your issues and have them point you in the right direction for next steps.

Roger Johnson77 said:Is there any chance to get an exam at a private clinic that works like seeing your own primary care doctor?

You’d have to explain your symptoms so they can refer you to the right specialist.

Even if you go private, getting referrals to specialists or booking diagnostic tests at hospitals still requires a note from your primary physician. The only exception is if you decide to pay out-of-pocket for the entire workup privately—but even then, you really ought to have those results logged with your family doctor. Honestly, if you aren't clicking with your current doctor, it's much easier just to switch to a new one.

frozenmoose19 said:Are long-term prescriptions—the ones that actually last six months—still a thing? I'm on Synthroid for life, but my GP insists they don't exist anymore. Now I have to scramble for a new script every single month.

Just ask them to write you for two boxes at once.

I'm not entirely sure where the best place is to ask this—but does anyone know what the average wait time is for a urologist appointment at hospitals in the Washington, D.C. area?

The last time I sat down to sign a supplemental insurance policy, if I recall correctly, there was a two-week waiting period between the moment the contract was finalized and when the coverage actually kicked in. Is that the standard across the board? I assume everyone deals with some kind of mandatory gap—it seems almost inevitable—but I wonder if anyone else encounters a shorter window than that.

Hey there,

I’d really appreciate some insight if anyone here knows the drill.
So, I started out with a referral for outpatient treatment at a clinic. Now, the specialist has decided I need to move up to day hospital care at that very same facility, and they sent my paperwork over to the American Medical Association. However, the rep at the AMA told me that the specialist actually needs to issue an internal referral based on my original outpatient one. Who’s actually right here? Is it even possible to issue an internal D2 referral based on a D1?

Honestly, I can't help but feel like the goal of this wonderful system is just to keep you running in circles. It feels like every single exam or test results in some clerical oversight on their end, forcing me to make yet another trip to the hospital.👎🙂

Does celiac blood antibody testing only happen at major hospitals, or is there any chance a local Health Department lab could handle it?

Susan Martin4 said:Is there any chance that blood tests for celiac antibodies can be done through a local Health Department lab, or are they strictly handled by hospitals?

It’s just hospitals. And even then, not every single one—I remember a specialist over at Mercury sending me all the way to Johns Hopkins Hospital just to get mine done.

We need this for our kid. Klaice said they can do it. Does anyone know if the results take forever to come back?

If a specialist at a private clinic tells me I need to start taking certain medications, can I just ask them to write out a prescription so I can head straight to the pharmacy and pay for it myself?

I'm wondering if anyone here has experience with whether a GP can actually write a prescription for Lovenox sc based solely on a specialist's report—or any other kind of low-molecular-weight heparin?

I just got my referral for an abdominal ultrasound! According to the Medicare waiting list, Massachusetts General Hospital is taking orders for February 2019, with only a 4-day wait.

But then, I get an email from them scheduling me for February 2020. In this year
. Who even is running this place?! They update the list every single day, too.

And here is the official response I got from Massachusetts General Hospital:
Dear Patient,

The Social Security Administration has made abdominal ultrasound diagnostic scans available at the primary care level. Therefore, unless you are seeing a specialist or a consultant, these scans can also be performed in a family medicine office if the necessary equipment is available.
As such, we suggest that based on your primary physician's red referral or internal referral, you seek the prescribed healthcare services at any other medical facility that can provide the requested care and holds a contract with the Social Security Administration.

At our facility, these scans are reserved exclusively for oncology patients and children.

Honestly, I’m totally lost now. It’s my first time trying this online booking thing, and I already feel like someone is screwing me over and filming the whole thing with a hidden camera! 😵

Hi 👋

I’ve been doing quite a bit of Googling lately, and if I’m reading everything correctly—though I could be wrong—it seems like all the referrals issued by a primary care physician are supposed to stay valid for about three months.
That said, I’ve stumbled upon a few different pieces of information suggesting that some might actually expire after just 30 days...

I was wondering if someone might be able to clarify this for me:
- Does that digital referral (I think it's an e-referral) for blood work at my local health department last for three months?
- And does a physical A3 referral for lab tests also carry that same three-month window?

Someone might stumble upon this post while searching Google, so I suppose I'll just go ahead and quote myself—because why pass up the opportunity, right?

steelowl said:I guess you have to wonder if that untouchable referral for blood work from your local health department still holds any weight after three months. Maybe it’s fine, but I wouldn't be surprised if they give you a hard time about it.

I guess those "black" referrals are also valid for a month, at least at my local health center for things like blood work and stuff—though I suppose that’s probably the case everywhere in the US too.

steelowl said:I guess it depends on what exactly you're looking for, but generally speaking, an insurance referral for lab work might lose its validity after three months. It’s hard to say for sure without checking the specific fine print of your provider, but maybe you should give them a call just to be safe. I suppose if the tests were meant to track something acute, they probably won't accept an old order.

I guess I’m still a bit unclear on how this all works, honestly. Those referrals usually stay valid for anywhere from three to six months depending on what kind of testing you need, but I don't really know where to find the exact specifics on that.
I suppose it’s probably best to just check with your doctor right away. Though, if I had to guess, it should still be valid for more than a month. 🙂

swiftheron7 said:I finally got my referral for an abdominal ultrasound, and according to the Medicare waiting list, Massachusetts General Hospital is taking orders for February 2019—meaning a 4-day wait.

But then I get an email from them scheduling me for February 2020. Like, what year is it?
Who the hell is running this show? The list supposedly updates every single day.

And check out this ridiculous response I got from Mass Gen:
Dear Patient,

The Social Security Administration has authorized abdominal ultrasound diagnostic testing at the primary care level. Therefore, besides specialist services, if the necessary equipment is available, this can also be performed at a family medicine clinic.
Consequently, we suggest that based on your primary care physician’s red referral or internal referral, you seek the prescribed healthcare services at any other medical facility capable of providing the requested care that maintains a contract with the Social Security Administration.

At our facility, this scan is reserved exclusively for oncology patients and children.

I am completely lost now. It's my first time trying to use this online booking thing and I already feel like I'm being totally screwed over by some hidden camera.😵

Give them a call. It's actually possible the wait is that long (so many doctors have left the practice lately, especially over at Mass Gen).

Has anyone here actually used Elidel, or does anyone have some real intel on it?

I’ve been falling down some internet rabbit holes reading about this stuff—some people are claiming it can even trigger skin cancer and all sorts of nonsense.
My dermatologist recommended it because I’ve been dealing with itching and redness on my scrotum for a few months now. But before this recommendation, I was using Diprogent cream, which completely cleared up the issue. Now I’m sitting here wondering if I even need to bother with this new stuff. Plus, it’s expensive as hell—it's going to cost me over $67 with the prescription.

I’m feeling quite frustrated right now.
I called the American Medical Association to handle a prescription over the phone—you know, since everything is supposed to be digital and convenient these days...
They have specific windows of time when they actually pick up the phone for these requests.
Just a ninety-minute window during the whole day... handled by just one nurse...
And here I am, trying for over an hour. First, the line is busy... then, out of nowhere, I get a recording saying "the number you have dialed is no longer in service."
It’s been going on like this for over half an hour...
I finally called the main switchboard... a guy checked for me... turns out they blocked the number... I’m sure they’re just overwhelmed.
This isn't the first time, either.
Honestly, why haven't they implemented email or text options yet?
Now I have to drive all the way there, waste my time, and sit in a waiting room just to get two prescriptions.
And again, this isn't a one-time thing... I’ll try calling for a few days... and either they don't answer, the line is busy, or they have this weird block on incoming calls. It happens right during the exact hours the clinic lists for prescription refills and appointments. So, because I ran out of medication and couldn't get it via phone, I end up stuck in the waiting room...
Brooklyn Health Department.

Final study is out – vaccines don't cause autism

Just got my referral for a dermatoscopy.

I called the Brooklyn Health Department and they told me they aren't taking any new patients right now because one of their doctors quit.
They suggested I try heading over to San Francisco or the Vinogradsky clinic instead.

The waiting lists are a bit of a mess, but from what I can tell, you're looking at about a year's wait for a dermatoscopy appointment.

Any suggestions? Where can I book a dermatoscopy in Washington, D.C. using my Medicare coverage?

Has anyone here had experience scheduling an MRI at private clinics that have a contract with Medicare? My referral says I need a 4-6 TJ scan (via an internal referral) listed on my discharge papers, but the earliest they can fit me in is next January. 🤦