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Yeah, this business about 'Come back for another visit to get your lab results' is B S. Unless it's to discuss abnormal results (give you bad news), I wouldn't let it happen again. In the future when you need labs, do any area hospitals have health fairs where you can get blood tests done at a reduced price without an order? In my area we have two. I get them before my doctor appointment & come to the visit with the results. Even though I paid out of pocket it saves me $.
Scam. Had a quack eye doctor try this a couple years ago. I did the full exam to get my prescription renewed including the dilation. When my glasses came in a couple of weeks later they tried to force me to schedule another full exam including getting dilated again, just to pick up the glasses. I was told it was his "policy". I had a good laugh over that one.
Maybe HIPPA laws prevent the office from giving out medial info over the phone. They have so way of knowing if that is really you.
I will add that many working in medical offices are idiots. Once, when I was off thyroid hormone for a test ( I had thyroid cancer and don't have a thyroid) They lost my results. I called again and again, still no results. "we'll call you". I was going deeper and deeper into the hole of hypothyroidism, sick, cold and bloated. Finally I called the lab where they sent my blood test, the Mayo Clinic. I said I was my endroconologist's nurse. I am his patient who happens to be a nurse. By them, the test was off the graph, TSH over 200.
My Dr. just sends the results by mail unless there is a problem, in which case her nurse calls to set up an appointment. The paper she sends tells me if each result is low normal, normal, or high normal.
My MD is a one woman office, integrative MD, and she can help or not help a patient as she sees fit. She charges for an online script if a patient calls for one, say abx for something. If she knows the patient well and she knows her patients as it's not a huge assembly line practice. I thought I'd go for a call appt to discuss a couple lab numbers but decided not to as for the $125 fee for the phone consult. A friend talked me thru my concerns.
Her office sells a line of supplements and IF I wanted to get my thyroid meds from her I could, but they are more expensive than pharmacy. But I know I have that option.
Oh, sure, I understand. A lot of that makes sense to me. But this case is different - the doctor is required by federal law to give the OP her test results when she asks for them, period. End of story. I don't understand why she doesn't just demand them, and if they still refuse, report them to the Department of Health and Human Services. There's no need to jump through any hoops or any of that other rigamarole - if they don't give her her test results, have HHS slap them with a fine and order them to give them to her. Why would anyone put up with being treated that way?
Call the lab. They likely have their own online portal.
Yep, I get mine online from the lab. When I was with Kaiser they emailed me my lab results. HIPAA requires them to give you your lab results with no cost other than copying and mailing - and I've never paid a penny to get them
My MD is a one woman office, integrative MD, and she can help or not help a patient as she sees fit. She charges for an online script if a patient calls for one, say abx for something. If she knows the patient well and she knows her patients as it's not a huge assembly line practice. I thought I'd go for a call appt to discuss a couple lab numbers but decided not to as for the $125 fee for the phone consult. A friend talked me thru my concerns.
Her office sells a line of supplements and IF I wanted to get my thyroid meds from her I could, but they are more expensive than pharmacy. But I know I have that option.
Geezus $125 consult fee? I've never had a doctor charge me to talk to them on the phone and in the past 5 years or so I've mainly communicated with my doctors via email
I just rec'd a "past due" notice from the dr office for $65 that ins co won't pay because it wasn't really a "preventive exam," supposedly. ???
Before we all go off chasing windmills, what did the EOB say about the exam and cost?
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I was told it was his "policy". I had a good laugh over that one.
