Poll of the Day > Why is it so damn complicated to set up a doctors appointment nowadays

(+) Yeah! (+)

I call the number for my insurance to set up an appointment somewhere and lady #1 says she needs the name of a doctor to set one up. I don't have that since I am a new patient so I apologize and say I'll call back.

I look up a doctor on my plans site and call back and speak to lady #2. She asks me for the name of the doctor and the call starts beeping rapidly and then ends.

Third time I call, lady #3 doesn't even ask me for a doctors name, when I tell her I need to set up an appointment she asks me which specialty, tells me I've called the wrong number and redirects me. This led me to an answering service to a clinic that is a 40 minute drive from where I live. Meanwhile there dozens of doctors on their website in this field just a few minutes drive from where I live.

Granted I've never been good at this kind of thing, but the whole system just seems needlessly obtuse.
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Thanks, Obama.
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Doctors want money to see patients.

Doctors don't accept any insurance from anywhere because payment isn't always reliable, so you have to confirm with your insurance company if the doctor you want to see has agreed to accept your health insurance with said company.
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If you have found the number of a doctor on your insurance company's website, why are you not just scheduling with the doctor's office? They can pre-run your insurance if you're curious (shouldn't be necessary if you found that the provider is part of your insurance network) and they'll tell you whatever your appointment is for if it's covered or not.

I'm not seeing the complexity - since when has insurance helped (or in your case not helped) schedule appointments?

TigerTycoon posted...

Doctors want money to see patients.

Doctors don't accept any insurance from anywhere because payment isn't always reliable, so you have to confirm with your insurance company if the doctor you want to see has agreed to accept your health insurance with said company.

That is why I'm trying to set up the appointment through my provider, all the doctors I'm talking about are part of the same network though and listed on my insurance website as approved doctors

wolverinerob79 posted...

If you have found the number of a doctor on your insurance company's website, why are you not just scheduling with the doctor's office? They can pre-run your insurance if you're curious (shouldn't be necessary if you found that the provider is part of your insurance network) and they'll tell you whatever your appointment is for if it's covered or not.

I'm not seeing the complexity - since when has insurance helped (or in your case not helped) schedule appointments?

The insurance website just lists the number for the medical group next to each physician for some reason. I guess they want you to go through that? You make a good point though I will try and see if I can just find the number to their office.
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I've never liked how convoluted our healthcare system can be, but that's the consequence of having a highly privatized health care industry.
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I have never done it the way you have. I look to see what doctors in my area take my health insurance and then I setup the appointment with the doctors office, not with the insurance company.
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there's four eye doctors in my area that apparent take my. insurance according to my insurances website

i called each of them and asked. and they said they do not take my insurance.

i called my insurance people to tell him this and ask what's up, and all of a sudden I have an appointment with one of the people who previously said they didn't take my insurance.

it turns out that receptionists are often pretty fucking stupid.
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JanwayDaahl posted...

I've never liked how convoluted our healthcare system can be, but that's the consequence of having a highly privatized health care industry.

Actually, it was fine until Obamacare. I'm not out to point fingers or play politics, but the number of barriers to start a medical practices was minimal. Pricing was actually rather competitive and affordable 10 years ago.

I agree with you that today it's convoluted, though.

Why you gotta go and make things so complicated

This topic makes me thankful we have the NHS over here. It's simply enough to set up a appointment and call the Doctors too. I simply call them at 8:30 in the morning and get a appointment for that day. The only downside is the opening hours for the surgeries but if it's that bad you can go to the hospital and go to A&E easy enough although you maybe waiting a while to be seen by doing that.
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