ARG! All I need is a doctor!

[Momto2Boyz]

I am so frustrated today! DH got a new job about 6 months ago, and we haven't had a need to use the insurance yet, so I haven't messed with it.

Well, now, DS is going to preschool so he needs a physical. Ok, no biggie, right? Go online to our insurance website, and try to find a doctor. It gives me the option of 500 doctors within 20 miles. Ok, after searching for an hour, I realize that the doctor's office we've been using isn't on the list.

Ok, that is pain, but I can deal with it. So, I'm searching through the lists, trying to find one that looks good, is close to home, etc. So then, I notice there are different designations for different plans under our insurance company. But it doesn't actually tell me which ones we can use without getting charged extra.

So, I give up trying to use the online system and I call the 800 number. 100% totally automated. I CAN NOT actually talk to someone. Seriously????? By this time, I am so frustrated. So, I went back online, found the instant chat! Yippee...okay, I hit the button, please wait....and wait...and wait... 2 1/2 hours later, the chat box is still up with no response! You've got to be kidding me!

So, I finally just pick a doctor who looks like it would be good, is a family practice with a pediatrician on staff, etc. So I call them, and ask if they take this insurance, etc. They don't know. WHAT? You don't know! They told me to call my insurance company and check with them before making an appointment so I don't get overcharged.


So, I think I've hit my limit for stupidity today. I'm done dealing with this for the day, if I have to mess with it anymore I'm gonna get so frustrated that either my computer or my phone is going through the window!

Anyone have any advice for me? How do I get ahold of an insurance company when the only number I have is a completly automated system? (I tried all the tricks of pressing star, pressing 0, and sounding unintelligable when asked to make a voice selection...none of it worked).

[Izzy0906]

Call the head of your Husbands HR department. They can give you a number OR at least point you in the right direction. Most larger companies have a rep that works with the company so you may be ablet o get their number and help. For instance, I kept getting bills in the mail even though I was insured (we switched plans mid year and caused problems) but all I had to do was hand them to HR and they would have the rep take care of them.

[janis362529]

I call the number on the card that says for physicans to use. Then I tell the rep what I need and then they get it taken care of

Also when I was working for a pharmacy we would call the pharmacy number on the card and 100% of the time we got straight through

[lovestoread]

No advice here, just good luck with this, and I have been missing your posts..... hope you will be back here alot.....

[Nishu]

I would be lazy and get in touch withe someone your husband works with and has the same insurance and then ask them.

Sometimes the doctors office will take your insurance without being enrolled. For us, when our provider is 'enrolled' versus just accepting the insurance, they have agreed to the insurance company's limits on what they can charge you for particular services. If we go to a provider that's outside the network, even though they accept our insurance, they don't have any limits on what they can charge us and instead they're given a certain amount from the insurance company, so obviously that option is much more expensive. We can also go to someone who doesn't even accept the insurance, and then pay upfront and afterwards submit the bill to our insurance for partial reimbursement. It's a pain.

If you link the website, I bet someone here could figure it out.

[Nishu]

Oh, and just as a sidenote, I was told by my dentist's office that they 'accept' my insurance, so I went ahead and got some stuff done without knowing the difference between being enrolled and just accepting the insurance. As it turns out, they weren't enrolled with my insurance company so there were no limits on what they could charge me for services. My insurance also paid less than had they been enrolled.

I paid dearly for that one.

[MomToTwoBoys]

We almost had this problem when it came to getting DS into a dentist. We were given a list of dentists that were accepting new patients. We called the one that was a) in closest range to our house and b) was easily accessible if DH couldn't take time off work, so we could take the train there.

I called and scheduled an appt and totally forgot to read over the insurance requirements for them. I got his teeth cleaned and they were expecting money, and I was in shock when I had to pay them. Then they reminded me pretty sternly that I should have read the insurance information more closely. We then had to deal with calling DH's insurance company to find out about how we'd be reimbursed and it turned out that they sent our check to the wrong address! We had to fax in all this information and get the stuff changed around, finally getting things settled about a month afterwards.

I'd contact your DH's insurance company through the HR at his work. It's easy to start from there.