No Call

So what happened? The receptionist had assured me that they would call me the very next day with a referral number. NOW what? I sighed and reviewed my forms. I didn't see anything amiss. I decided to call the insurance company and ask how referrals work. Maybe there was something I was supposed to do.

After wading twice through the phone tree (first time I struck out) I was pleasantly greeted by a Girl. I told her I was expecting a referral from my PCP and wanted to know how the process worked. She explained the steps and said that doctors don't always get them called in to them immediately - it could take a week or more before Dr. Ver called.

WAIT - that's not my PCP. In fact, it is the doctor I had when I lived here previously and was with a totally different insurance company. I told the Girl that the PCP was incorrect. She said she would be glad to indicated that I had changed PCPs.

I must have snorted out loud. What change? Where they had gotten a wrong name from, I didn't know, but *I* hadn't changed my PCP. How long do they keep these records? and Where do they keep them? Some area database that all the insurance companies access?

Well, she made the change. I asked her to change it for Drew too since I was sure his record would be wrong (it was). Then I called the doctor's office. The receptionist shuffled through paperwork trying to find my piece of paper. Finally she found it and told me that the referral hadn't taken since they were not listed as my PCP. I told her I had just discovered that and made the change.

So she said they would contact the insurance company and she would call me back this afternoon with the needed number. Well, its now early evening and no call. I know they are busy, that following through on these little details is not easy. Sigh - I will call them tomorrow, not too early, and hope for the best.

I did try calling the oncologist directly to see if he could pull a few strings, but I couldn't even get up to bat - they have an immutable phone tree that is insurmountable until you are a patient and have that magic number. Well, these things have a way of working out to my best interest. I shall be interested in learning why the delays. Timing is everything, as the saying goes.