Worst. Doctor visit. Ever.
When I went up to the counter to ask if I'd ever be seen -- after all, I had waited over 70 minutes at that point -- they just happened to be finished processing my insurance card. Which was given to them approximately 65 minutes before.
Their pointing this out seemed to have substituted for any level of apology or interest in me at all. They didn't even say I'd be called in soon. They just pointed out that "that" was my card, handed it back to me, handed the folder to another office worker and, after another 30 seconds or so, it became clear that was the end of our interaction.
Two other patients confirmed that this kind of wait was not at all unusual. And that the workers were normally this rude/dismissive.
When I finally did get back there, nearly 10 minutes later, they put me on a digital scale that said I was 5 pounds lighter (in my heavy shoes) than I was on my own scale (shoeless) that morning. I said there was no way that the figure was right. The male nurse didn't seem perturbed and proceeded to write down the number I quoted from my at-home weigh-in. Seriously?!
Even better, another nurse suggested I get put on the other one because "that one is accurate." (?!) Except that I actually zeroed it out first and, sure enough, the tip was hitting the high end when the scale was at zero. So I already knew it wasn't going to be accurate. That one weighed me in at nearly 10 pounds heavier. I pointed out that, if they averaged the two, they had a nearly accurate scale.
The second nurse (who still didn't get up from her desk but just spoke up over the cubicle wall) insisted that the second one was accurate. I snapped back (hey, 70 minute wait to find out they don't even have accurate SCALES?!) that no, in fact, it wasn't. That if the tip wasn't dead center at zero pounds, the scale was off. And that one was.
I saw Dr. Stark for under 5 minutes. He didn't read anything in my medical history. How do I know? I had a pretty rare neurological illness that doctors always comment on. Always. Instead, during the Q & A, he asked if I had had any surgeries (also on the form, along with the list of meds that both he and the nurse asked about anyway) and when I said tracheotomy and stomach tube, he asked why. I said Guillain-Barre and there wasn't even a flicker of recognition. Not even an "Oh, I think I just read that" vibe.
He was upset that my primary care doctor had kept prescribing my antidepressants for the past 11 months instead of sending me to a psychiatrist. I had actually wanted to get referred while I was there -- half the reason for my visit.
He informed me I would have to go to some hospital. I don't remember the name. I asked why, exactly. He said, "It's where all ACCESS patients go."
I'm not ACCESS. I have Medicare, but I'm not ACCESS. Those cards look substantially different from the specific insurance company cards that you get with a Medicare Supplemental Plan, which look similar to normal insurance cards.
Also, since the intake form didn't include a release form, he threatened to withhold my Adderall since there were no records at hand to explain my need. Until then, every intake packet I'd ever completed included a records release. It might have been good to let them do that while, say, I waited for 80 minutes in the friggin waiting room!
In the end, he relented and did give me the Adderall prescription. I guess because I suggested he just go call Walgreens where I've filled that prescription for well over a year.
When I left, I had to sign a release of records. No surprise, it took them over 5 minutes to locate the form for me. By the time I got out the door, I had been in there for 1 hour and 50 minutes.
Never, never again. read more
