The Waiting Game

Aug 28, 2011

It seems I'm in a trap of "hurry up and wait". 

OHSU requested the EKG from Kaiser and the chart notes from the 6 month supervised weight loss from my PCP earlier this month.  I emailed then  waited 2 weeks and had not heard anything, so I called OHSU to make sure they got everything.  I was told that the coordinator was on vacation but they had received a fax from both Kaiser and my PCP on the 18th and once Leigh Ann (the coordinator) was back, everything would be processed.  The next week, I got an email back from Leigh Ann saying that they just needed to review all my documents and then they'd submit to insurance. After they got an approval, we'd schedule to speak with the surgeon.

So, I waited another week to see if they had submitted to insurance.  Leigh Ann gets on the phone and says "Danielle, we haven't received the chart notes from your PCP. That's all we're waiting on."  I said "wait... hold on... I was told you received a fax on the 18th, and then you emailed me saying that you just needed to review everything... How do you not have my chart notes?"

She double checks and says "ohhhh I see... I have a note on your file to get on this... I'm so sorry. We had a student leave and another employee leave, so I'm doing the job of 3 people, so I'm really back logged. I will be getting a temp tomorrow to help with this work load and I will put a note on your file to make sure it's one of the first ones I work on tomorrow morning! I apologize, Danielle." 

So when I get off the phone with her, I'm satisfied that maybe we'll have an answer from insurance in a week or so.

Then I was telling my "health coach" with the insurance company about this whole mess and she thought she'd call and see if things are moving along, and maybe light a fire under Leigh Ann. When she called, Leigh Ann told her "I talked to Danielle yesterday.  I don't have the chart notes from her PCP. That's all we're waiting on." AAAARRRRGGGG!!!!!

Well, my health coach called my PCP and requested to have everything faxed over again ASAP.  Then she called Leigh Ann 2 days later to make sure she got them to find out that Leigh Ann took an extended weekend and was out for the rest of the week.  Cripes! If she's short staffed then there is NO ONE there to do her job!

Nearly a month has gone by since I asked Leigh Ann to request the chart notes from my PCP and NOTHING has really happened. I'm so frustrated and feeling very impatient right now.

My health coach gave me all the cliche sayings to think about for being patient... "Patience is a virtue" and "Good things come to those who wait". 

Well, I say "The squeaky wheel gets the grease!" LOL  I'm tired of waiting. I did everything they asked me to do. Now I want them to do what I've asked them to do.  Just send my info to Regence BCBS so I can get my approval!

Does anyone have any other ideas that I can use to speed this up? We're going into September and I need to have surgery before the end of the year. I'd prefer to have it by end of September - mid October. But I'm afraid that might just be unrealistic thinking. *sigh*

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