Beyond frustrated with rude doctor's offices

[venusinlibra]

Over the past year or two (since Obamacare started) I cannot believe how horrible doctor's staff members are. I've had multiple doctors in different specialties tell ne what a great patient that I am, be so helpful to me, and very encouraging along my road to recovery. That is, until I dare to mention anything to a receptionist, nurse, or office manager. For example, a doctor's office never sent me a bill and always demands double my co-insurance at the visit. I pay, then my prescriptions and physical therapy referrals are never put through, and I complained to the office manager about that and five specific instances of tbe nurse not following up with me like she said she would. Now, they want a credit card number and won't even let me see a bill....actually, I believe they owe me a refund. They cancelled my appointment claiming I wont pay this bill that I never saw, said they didn't get voucemails from me about paying my bill, and said there will be no prescriptions or doctor's note until I pay. Now I have to lay in pain again this weekend due to their neglugence and probably call into my six-figure job. The office manager said I would no longer be seen there because I was non compliant....wow.

 

Another time, a dentist injected me before a procedure and the staff came in and I paid them before procedure started. Then they told me to leave because they were closed and the doctor went out with his son. I was clearly on the schedule and paid. But when I dared to ask if the doctor would be back and why he numbed me if he wasn't treating me, I was told not to be a patient there.

 

Also, I've had nurses come out and discuss my condition in a crowded waiting room, asking me my social security number, birthdate, and if I was diabetic, ever had miscarriage, etc...and when I asked to go into a private room to discuss it, I was fired as a patient instead.

 

It's like doctors have no idea what there staff is and is not doing. Do they not get that there could be negligent lawsuits and possible malpractice suits from their staff's behavior? In both cases and others not listed, the doctors were great; it's there staff that is the problem.

 

What should I do? I unfortunately need medical care, but now am scared to even breathe wrong at a doctor's office for fear of being fired as a patient.

[alphamale]

keep on going to offices until you find the right one

[Tayla]

contact a lawyer. receive proper counseling. hippa laws are being violated. your lawyer is your best bet on many of your issues.

 

The doc office consider it a priveldge that they process your claims.,its not. file the claims yourself. Sorry to hear of your discomfort.

[CarrieT]

Over the past year or two (since Obamacare started)

It has nothing to do with the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare).

 

It has to do with the implementation of the Electronic Medical Records and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act which - although implemented in 1996 - began to be enforced in March of 2013.

 

In short, tens of thousands of doctors all over the country had to change their hand-written, paper charts to electronic and the extraordinarily complicated process involved. The idiocy of the implementation meant that doctors and nurses who could normally spend quality time with patients are now having to fill out online questionnaires in order to get paid by insurance companies.

 

My husband is a doctor and he has to ask patients that he has been seeing for twenty years the most inane questions EVERY TIME HE SEES THEM: "are they smoking?" and then proceed to offer quitting smoking pamphlets... He used to work ten-hour days and now has to work 12-hour days just to complete the electronic medical records forms to get his $63 from Medicare....

[CC12]

What should I do?

 

Evaluate your demeanor and attitude when dealing with doctors' staff.

 

It's not common to be fired as a patient yet it has happened to you on at least three occasions. It's probably time to start questioning how your own behavior led to that.