More Difficult Than It Should Be

My knee hurt. (It still does, just not as bad as it did last week.) I needed to see a doctor. I thought about shooting myself in the knee and going to the ER, but it was only a thought. I was confused about what type of doctor to see. I saw an orthopedic surgeon last spring who told me I had garden variety (aka "not special") arthritis but that it was not serious and I did not need any type of surgery or medication. But it was hurting a lot more than it had last spring.

Could things have changed in six months time? (Of course!) Should I go back to that doctor? (Maybe, but he's a specialist and I might have to wait a month or longer and he's in a really inconvenient location.) Should I go to the ER - (without the gunshot wound)? An urgent care facility? Should I see a different doctor? What kind? Another orthopedic doctor? A rheumatologist? I wasn't sure. I decided to call the nurse consultant provided by my insurance company. I'm going to assume that she really is a nurse even though it was fairly obvious that she had a list of pre-scripted questions. (And there's nothing wrong with that - job aids can help a novice perform like an expert in a short amount of time.) After we went through her list of questions, she recommended that I see a rheumatologist. Then she helped me find the three that are in my network within a 35-mile radius.

Only three. One in Frisco, one in Plano and one in Sherman. Basically, 15 miles, 20 miles and 35 miles. I really wasn't willing to drive farther than that.

I called the one in Frisco. Was I being referred by another doctor? No? Had I seen a doctor for this condition before? I made the mistake of mentioning the x-ray and doctor visit in March. They would have to have the x-ray sent to them before they could schedule an appointment. No problem. I had time to go get it and walk it over since they didn't have any appointments available until December. I said I'd look into getting the x-ray call and get back to them. (Sure I will. As long as I sign a release form, why can't they exchange this information amongst themselves?)

I called the one in Plano. What was my date of birth? Really? They wanted to know my date of birth before my name? Maybe they wanted to make sure I wasn't on Medicare. Who knows? They wanted to know if I'd seen a doctor for this condition before. I wasn't going to make the mistake of mentioning the garden variety arthritis again. After all, it could have all changed and any x-ray should be redone. So I said "no". Then she told me that I had to have a referral from my doctor. I indicated that I had been referred by my insurance company. Let me tell you, she was not impressed.

"We only make appointments for people who are referred by other doctors. We have to have a referral form from a doctor and a copy of all your medical records."

"I'm over 60 - I have a lot of medical records - most of which are not relative to this condition."

"We don't need them all. We only need what is pertinent to your condition."

"If I haven't been seen for this condition before, how would any of them be pertinent?"

"Just have your GP write up a referral and..."

I interrupted, "I don't have a GP since I changed insurance companies last year. My GP thought he was in network, but he isn't."

"I'm sure he'll still write you a referral. I'll need that referral and the office notes from your last two office visits."

"I'm not sure how knowing that I had a flu shot helps you here, but if it makes you happy, I'll see what I can do. Do we make the appointment now?"

"No. We don't make any appointments until we have the physician's referral and the medical information. Then someone will review it and we'll call you back to make an appointment."

"How long does that take?"

"Usually we review it within three days of getting it and then we call you to make the appointment."

This looked like a lot more work for me and no guarantee that they'd even bother to call me back when my last two office visits pertained to a flu shot and a sinus infection. Besides, their first available appointment was November 23rd. My pain was more immediate.

I was starting to get really frustrated. It should not be that hard to make a doctor's appointment. I called the doctor in Sherman. Again, we start off with the date of birth, even before the name. Seriously people - this may be efficient, but it is just rude to ask someone when they were born before you even ask what their name is.

But at any rate, I did make an appointment - for the following week. (Not November or December.) No medical history required. No referral required. And I even got a call an hour later informing me that there had been a cancellation and if I'd like to come in the following day, that would be fine.

Yes. I would like that very much.