Monday, May 04, 2009

Anatomy of saving money at the doctors:

ring, ring...

Hello I think I might need to make an appointment for my daughter she has a UTI, in fact may I just speak to the doctor because I know she has a UTI -- I tested her at home, so he should be able to just call something in for me.

Secretary: I'll send you back to the nurse, she is standing next to the doctor now

call gets transferred and I get dropped

I call back

"Hi its me again I got disconnected."

Secretary: Yes we talked to the doctor and you need to come in

Me: "Well see this is the deal, I have insurance with a HIGH deductible so I will be paying for everything out of pocket. I already tested her at home she is positive for leucocytes and negative for nitrates."

Secretary: "We need to test her here in the office."

Me: "Why? so I can pay lab fees on top of the office visit? It was a three pack of home tests ask if I can bring a test with me to test her with that in the office so I don't have to pay lab fees."

Secretary: "Hold on I'll go ask the doctor"

wait......

Secretary: "He trusts you, he said he'd call something in, so you don't have to make an appt."

money saved: at least $200.00

6 comments:

Meredith said...

Janie, you rock! I can't count the number of times I KNEW my kid had strep, or KNEW there was a ear infection, or KNEW one needed oral steroids, etc!

ChellaJ [Rachelle] said...

Your a pro! Way to be persistant.

Sarah said...

and this is why you are officially my doctors advocate :D

LaFish said...

Nicely done - just got back from the Dr who told me Wes had an ear infection. He told me something I already knew - wish I could have convinced them to just call in a prescription. Way to stick with it!

Amanda said...

GOOD FOR YOU!
So many times I have KNOWN what we have--Dude if I have pink eye I know it! Why the heck can't they just call in a script???? Just like when I had that ongoing UTI after i had L. I KNEW what I needed...yet I had to drag both children into the doc. while I was in intense pain just to pee in a cup! This is why I need a Doc. in the family......

Janie said...

I guess it helps that we've had this pediatrician for three years and I have a pretty good rapport with him. and I think he trusts me and Kyle because he knows I was in healthcare and Kyle was pre-med. But the hardest part is always getting past the front office. I just plead very nicely but persistently and it usually works -- this is not the first time I have gotten them to call something in.
My mom had the same pediatrician for us that she had as a child and he called stuff in all the time for her