Just a little btching and moaning here...
I woke up Monday with a kink in my ankle. Progressed to where I couldn't stand on it. So I went to Urgent Care on Thursday. I have Pacificare with Lakeside Medical Group. Doctor takes x-rays and comes in to tell me its broken. How I broke it...I dunno. Tells me an Orthopedic will call me to put on a cast.
Friday, no call. I call Urgent Care to see whats going on...they don't open till Noon. So I call Pacificare, and told to call my primary physician. I call them, and they put in an referral for me. They also tell me to call Urgent Care, because they're referral will probably go through first.
I call Urgent care at noon, and told they'll call me back in a minute. 30 minutes later, I call them. "We're busy right now, I'll call you in a few minutes!" 30 minutes later (1 hour total) they call me and give me a referral authorization number. I call the Ortho Dr. and I'm told next appointment is on Monday afternoon! Not acceptable!!! I'm sitting here with a broken ankle, and they're telling me I have to wait till Monday to see an Orthopedic!
So I call Lakeside Medical Group Customer Service number. Her response is, "wow, Monday is quick!" WTF!?!? I ask if they really expect me to lay around with a broken ankle until Monday. She then asked if Urgent Care didn't put a temp cast on it. No, they didn't! Did they give me a brace? No, they didn't! What did they give you? My response, "A bill to pay." I told her I could not wait until Monday. Her response was, "Well, you can't expect the doctors to change their schedules because you got hurt!" THIS is customer service!!! I just hung up.
So, I call Pacificare to complain about this. I asked to see ANY ortho outside Lakeside Medical Group. "Sure, let me transfer you, and they'll give you an Authorization number." I'm on hold for nearly an hour, and then I'm told I "cannot see a doctor outside my medical group, unless I'm injured out of town."
So I take myself to ER. I would have done this in the first place if I suspected my ankle was broken. ER Doc tells me it is not broken. He see's a fracture that is probably more than 10 years old. He splints my ankle, gives me crutches, with at home care instructions. Why the heck couldn't Urgent Care do this!?!? Now my ankle is supported till Monday, when I can see an Orthopedic.
I guess I can't complain too much, cuz if the health care was Universal, I would have had to wait 6 months for treatment!
Rant over
I woke up Monday with a kink in my ankle. Progressed to where I couldn't stand on it. So I went to Urgent Care on Thursday. I have Pacificare with Lakeside Medical Group. Doctor takes x-rays and comes in to tell me its broken. How I broke it...I dunno. Tells me an Orthopedic will call me to put on a cast.
Friday, no call. I call Urgent Care to see whats going on...they don't open till Noon. So I call Pacificare, and told to call my primary physician. I call them, and they put in an referral for me. They also tell me to call Urgent Care, because they're referral will probably go through first.
I call Urgent care at noon, and told they'll call me back in a minute. 30 minutes later, I call them. "We're busy right now, I'll call you in a few minutes!" 30 minutes later (1 hour total) they call me and give me a referral authorization number. I call the Ortho Dr. and I'm told next appointment is on Monday afternoon! Not acceptable!!! I'm sitting here with a broken ankle, and they're telling me I have to wait till Monday to see an Orthopedic!
So I call Lakeside Medical Group Customer Service number. Her response is, "wow, Monday is quick!" WTF!?!? I ask if they really expect me to lay around with a broken ankle until Monday. She then asked if Urgent Care didn't put a temp cast on it. No, they didn't! Did they give me a brace? No, they didn't! What did they give you? My response, "A bill to pay." I told her I could not wait until Monday. Her response was, "Well, you can't expect the doctors to change their schedules because you got hurt!" THIS is customer service!!! I just hung up.
So, I call Pacificare to complain about this. I asked to see ANY ortho outside Lakeside Medical Group. "Sure, let me transfer you, and they'll give you an Authorization number." I'm on hold for nearly an hour, and then I'm told I "cannot see a doctor outside my medical group, unless I'm injured out of town."
So I take myself to ER. I would have done this in the first place if I suspected my ankle was broken. ER Doc tells me it is not broken. He see's a fracture that is probably more than 10 years old. He splints my ankle, gives me crutches, with at home care instructions. Why the heck couldn't Urgent Care do this!?!? Now my ankle is supported till Monday, when I can see an Orthopedic.
I guess I can't complain too much, cuz if the health care was Universal, I would have had to wait 6 months for treatment!
Rant over
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