I've been a patient here for about 20 years. They have some good doctors, but the referral…read moredepartment has made it impossible to get any kind of specialist care. It has always been difficult, and blame has been consistently placed on my insurance company. It has gotten especially bad over the last couple years.
I have a genetic disease that affects every bodily system, so I require a lot of referrals. Lately it seems the department just does not want to deal with me. Calls go un returned, repeatedly. So I have taken to stopping by unannounced to get things done. I am unable to maintain my weight, and am not being taken seriously. Referrals get faxed to the wrong number, so.e have the wrong phone number, and I get random referrals to places that have nothing to do with my care. I am also recently being asked to give names of doctors I want to see. That is their job, not ours as the patients. Then when I do get names, that I select based on knowledge of my condition,I get told they are out of network, and that I have no out of network care. That didn't sit right with a rare genetic disease, so I called my insurance, who stated that is false, for cases like mine, I absolutely can request out of network care.
I've gone in person 2x in as many weeks, because the week prior I saw the dr, and attempted to get 2 referrals, and nothing was done with it. Phone calls placed to insurance, and was told what site the referral department should use to find me care. I called and left a voicemail with this info for referral department. After the week, I hear nothing, so I went in person. She had to rifle through several stacks of papers to find mine. It had literally sat all week with nothing being done. She then faxed the referrals, and gave me copies. I went to make the appointments, and one had the wrong fax number, so that office never got it, and the other had the wrong phone number. I went back today, and it was the same thing.
As it turns out, its not just that I'm a complicated case. My coworker just started going here, and is already switching doctors again because of the referral department. Today when I arrived she was on the phone with another patient, asking them if they had the phone and fax numbers for their specialists. Again. This is not our job, its literally what she is paid for! They need a new referral lady. I really don't want to switch doctors, due to my complex issues, but it looks like I have to. I can not keep waiting. I'm already underweight, And have had to reduce my hours at work due to lack of energy, and an active job. I take the day to focus on trying to nourish my body. Honestly, things aren't looking good for me, and I feel like no one cares.
