Beaucratic Nightmare-to

[Guest guest]

,

Hi! The sad/good part is my insurance company doesn't

require a referral. They treat second opinions like a

regular office visit. I would have to get Dr. G's

approval because she works in the same medical center

as the rheumy I was trying to get into. The medical

secretary said it is simply for ethical reasons. What

about moral obligations to their patients?

Thanks for replying though. How is everything going

for you? How are you feeling? I hope you have a

good night!

Love,

Nikki

--- tjburn@...> wrote:

> Nikki,

> Have you tried getting your primary dr. to give you

> another referral to a

> different rheumy? That's what we had to do to get

> hubby a decent neuro.

> The creep he got first was treating him for

> inflammatory neuropathy. after

> several months he got so bad he couldn't get out of

> a chair, could barely

> walk & couldn't feed himself. His last visit there

> I had to get between the

> neuro & the door to demand answers. I wasn't

> satisfied with what I got &

> came straight home, called our primary doc & told

> them to get us another

> referral. The new neuro had him diagnosed within 10

> minutes!

> I don't know how your insurance works or the dr.'s

> in your area, but you

> might give it a shot.

> B

>

> -- Beaucratic Nightmare!

>

> Oh my goodness! You know is it not enough that we

> have to live with this blasted disease?? No, we

> have

> to play the Dr's and insurance companies games and

> jump through their hoops to get the care and

> compassion we deserve! UGH!!!!!!!!!!!

>

> Okay, I'll tell you what brought that on....I called

> to try to schedule an appointment with a new Rheumy,

> Dr H., for a consultaion. He happens to be in the

> same Medical Center as my current rheumy. I want to

> find a Dr whose personality meshes with mine. I'm

> not

> saying now I am leaving Dr. G, my current Rheumy,

> but

> she even said it was fine if I wanted to get a

> second

> opinion. HOWEVER, in order for me to see Dr. H

> (even

> speak to him) I have to get Dr. G's written

> approval.

> WHAT??????

>

> SO, I scheduled an appointment with a rheumy outside

> of the hospital the others are in. If they call me

> back and say I need Dr. G's approval I WILL leave

> her!

> I just don't like being told in a city of basically

> 14 rheumatologists that I cannot see half of them

> because I have already seen Dr. G. Isn't it my

> perogitive to see who I want??

>

> Do I not have the right as a patient to find the Dr

> that best suits my needs? ALL of my needs?? I am

> not

> saying Dr G is a bad Dr by any stretch of the

> imagination. I have received a serious diagnosis

> and

> since this is my life we are talking about I would

> like a second opinion. I've gotten second opinions

> for much lesser reasons! Good grief!

>

> I just want to find someone I am comfortable with

> that

> will listen to my questions and concerns and not

> trivialize what I am feeling. One of the issues

> with

> the disease is that it is different for everybody

> and

> no one knows how it will present itself in each

> individual right? Including the Dr's? Isn't this a

> learning process with each patient? Just because a

> Dr

> has seen 500 people with lupus doesn't mean they

> know

> how it will play out in ME! Aren't the Dr and

> patient

> on the same team?

>

> Sorry to go off like that I am just blown away at

> the

> problems I have had with Dr's in the short MONTH

> since

> I have been diagnosed. It seems most of them were

> brought on because I am trying to learn as much as I

> can about this disease and I have questions! Are we

> as patients just supposed to get a diagnosis like

> lupus and trust the Dr's implicitly with our lives?

> Are we not supposed to take an active part in

> managing

> our health and surviving this awful disease? I mean

> tell me if I have broken some unwritten rule with

> lupus here! I guess I just figure no one has more

> of

> a vested interest in my life but ME!

>

> Thanks for listening! Have a great day!

>

> Love,

> Nikki

>

>

>

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