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Friday, October 29, 2010

more HMO/ultrasound drama

So, in summary, tuesday I went in to see the midwife after spotting all weekend . She couldn't find a heartbeat on the doppler and said she would talk to my HMO and get payment for an ultrasound. wednesday she called me back and said she turned in all the paperwork and we should have an answer ASAP because she marked it urgent. She gave me her pager number but said she had the next 2 days off but had given all the necessary hmo info to the office manager who would call me the second we had approval. Thursday morning I called to see if the fax had come in and the office told me it had not. I spent the day shopping with my mom and cleaning house getting ready for my bff Sara's weekend visit. Finally at 4PM I called the office again and left a message. At 4:55 (five minutes before the office closed) I finally got a call saying they recieved the approval number and here's your payment approval number to give the ultrasound place. So I quickly called the ultrasound place to make an appointment. First they said the soonest they could get me in would be Nov 4th. Then I told them that my midwife wanted the ultrasound to determine fetal viability and I was bleeding and needed it, like, yesterday. So they told me they could squeeze me in at 7:15 AM on saturday morning. That was great because then O could come with me.

Every seemed to be working until she said, "wait, I can't book this appointment because of a credit hold on your name" what? what the fuck? seriously? So she told me she'd hold the appointment time for me but I had to clear up a credit problem before they'd agree to see me. So she gave me the number and we said good day.

Today (friday), I called the payment credit department SIX times before noon and left multiple (increasingly urgent) messages and still no call back. Finally I called back the ultrasound department to see if my appointment was being held and to see if they'd recieved the payment fax from my HMO. They hadn't and they hadn't. At this point I was rapidly reaching the end of my fraying rope. As soon as I started talking tough she transferred me to credit services, so I got tough with her, and she transferred to someone who knew what they were talking about. In 2004-2005 I had a severe peptic ulcer and had to recieve several ultrasounds and medications. The last ultrasound they gave me in 2005 was denied by my insurance because it's purpose was to determine if the ulcer was adequately healing. Last I heard (as a freaking 20-year-old) was that the hospital was appealing the decision because it was deemed a medically neccessary procedure. I thought that was that. Come to find out that the insurance agreed to pay 80% of the bill leaving me with the other 20% (about $300). I understand I should've followed up with this, and I take responsibility for that, but to deny a bleeding pregnant woman a fetal viability ultrasound just seems callous and cruel. Really. So I spent much of the morning being transferred from office to office repeating that no, I could not afford to pay off this 6-year-old balance today and yes, I was going to get my ultrasound tomorrow. Finally, maybe 3 transfers in, I totally snapped. I started full-on sobbing and threatening to sue them. Finally when I said, "so apprently swedish covenent will not allow me to recieve adequate prenatal care because I have an outstanding credit bill?" they transferred me to someone important. Suddenly things changed, this guy was so polite and understanding and deeply apologized for such insensitivity, very apologetic and all "of course you can get your ultrasound tomorrow, I'm so sorry you had to deal with all this at such a fragile time." These fucking pricks. Seriously. I could not believe it.

Now tonight I am having a 12 person dinner party to celebrate my friend Sara. I feel like I've been whacked with a shit-ton of bricks. My face hurts from crying so hard. I'm exhausted and sick and I feel like the fatest mcfaterson that ever fated my hair is disgusting and I have to pull it all together. Seriously I'm so emotional all I want to do is lock myself in a dark room and watch the godfather trilogy. uuuuuggggghhhh. hopefully I can get it together in the next 5 hours.

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