More fun with health insurance!

[TZ]

So as some of you may know I am soon to travel to Mayo clinic to see a specialist in my rare blood disorder. Well when I talked to the Mayo people about an appointment, they said make sure you get pre-authorization from your health insurance co or we will have to have a $3,000 (!) deposit.
I call my insurance company..they say its up to the DOCTOR to pre-authorize/notify the insurance comapny! Maybe I'm confused (because I've had so many different carriers in the last 10 years) but I'm pretty positive that the insurance company needs to be notified.
Then there is the whole medical record thing from my hematologist. Thats fine I understand that..they want me to hand carry my records up with me...including some glass slides from a bone marrow biopsy I had done..My hematologists office said they don't have the slides they were done elsewhere and could they SEND them to Mayo. Mayo was adamant that everything be hand carried up.
Been playing telephone tag with my hem's office the last few days trying to get this sorted out....
Sigh. I hate our "for profit" health care system. I really do.:banghead:

[madinmaryland]

1. Fun and health insurance do not belong in the same sentence.

Good luck!

[siligut]

2. So sorry, here is my experience.

Usually, it is the doctor’s office that gets approval, but as you alluded to, insurance companies actually seem to make it confusing on purpose.

Health insurance companies have a high rate of attrition. There are always new people, and they don’t know the ropes. The people who have stuck around can be dense and indifferent or are "company men". Some good people stay around to try to help, but they are not the majority.

Call the actual doctor; ask the receptionist or finance manager how to proceed regarding getting approval. Sorry for your anguish. It is bad enough that you have the blood disorder and have to go to the clinic; you don’t need the people who are supposed to help you, and have been paid to help you, give you the run around. :hug:

[lizerdbits]

3. I guess they want you to carry it

so they can be sure there's no mix up but if they send you the slides there's still that possibility of a mix up that you won't have time to fix before you leave. Or maybe they're afraid someone will forget to send them, you show up, and they have nothing to work with. You might also want to inquire with the airline about taking the slides on the plane before putting your luggage on the X ray machine. If you're shipping biological samples they must be labeled as such (UN 3373 for diagnostic specimens not knowingly infected with anything affecting humans or animals according to IATA regulations) so if you're carrying it I don't know if there's a difference. It might be better to find out first instead of being told you can't take it on the plane. You know you don't have HIV, Hepatitis, etc, but it's not like TSA is going to take your word for it.

When I had my sleep study I called to make the appointment and the hospital dealt with the insurance. Of course we may have different companies (I've got BCBS) and a sleep study isn't the same caliber as what you're doing. Makes me glad I just have to pick up some amoxicillin for my ear infection resulting from sinus infection.

ETA: Yes our system sucks. Maybe you should just take some anti platelet herbs.