and no treatment was necessary from any doctor. I could look at my online chart and see that the labs were normal, and also, the practice nurse would call me at home and tell me that the labs were okay.
Now, it seems that my PCP tries to "upsell" her services.
(1) I needed a pin prick for a TB test. My PCP's receptionist said that I would have to see the doctor first. Huh? Good gracious. How much is that going to cost the insurance company or me? Why would I need to see her? I got it done at a drug store Minute Clinic. I paid for it myself, but it wasn't expensive, and I didn't need to involve Medicare.
(2) My PCP used to load all of my results from mammograms, DEXA scans, stool tests, etc., into my online chart. Tests I had done in May still haven't been loaded into my chart. The radiology clinic said they faxed the info twice. So, today, I took copies of my normal mammogr./ultrasound reports to the office. While there, I asked about my stool test because they didn't load the results, and they said it was normal.
(3) My AST and ALT were high on a lab test (not normal for me, so the nurse said the doc wanted to test to see if it was a temporary spike or permanent). The doc wanted me to come in for another blood draw. The receptionist set me up with a follow-up appt. with the RN. Huh? The lab tech is going to do the blood draw, not the nurse. Why would I need to see the nurse?
If I let my PCP office collect the blood work, they charge a $15 fee to send it to their lab plus a $20 copay. If I have them give me a referral to any lab (and there are many that are close to my home), then they say I have to come in for an office visit to get the results ($20 copay). I can get the results myself from the lab because I will have an account with the lab. The receptionist wanted me to make an office appt. right then and there, but supposed the labs are normal. There would be no reason to come in.
To me, it's kind of like unnecessary billing. Plus, running back and forth to a doctor's office is screwing up my schedule.
Is this what you all are doing--constantly running back and forth to the doctor's office just to hear them say that your labs are normal? Paying $5 or $10 or $20 to hear the doc or nurse say the word, "normal?"
Whine over.