Ignorant People!

Ugh! Dealing with ignorant people is frustrating for me.  I don't know why everything is so difficult.  Driving home today (from a good and meaningful day with a dear friend, I might add), my primary care doc's office calls to question the referral I asked them to make for me to the REI.  See, I have an HMO and I have to get a "referral" to see any specialist from my primary care doc.  In the past this has been simple (relatively speaking). I call the number, press several buttons, leave a message all about me, all about the referral, and why I want the referral.  Typically, after I do this, all is A-OK.  So, today, the lady from my primary doc calls at 5:15 pm to ask me about my referral. I explain to her the need.  She seems hesitant and is "concerned" because "these treatments" may need preauthorization rather than a referral. I explained that I know my insurer covers this group (it's how I picked them!) and could she please simply place the referral.  Again, she's concerned because..."things like this" may not be covered and she wants to protect me! She advises me to call the number on the back of my card to get information on eligibility. I don't want to fight with her but request that perhaps she could call them tomorrow as well.

1st:  Why are you calling me at 5:15 PM when everything is closed!
2nd: "(In)Fertility" is not a bad word! Crazy lady did everything to avoid saying these words. Really offensive.
3rd: Why can't you just do your job without meddling??  I know she's just trying to help and save me from an insurance bill, but I'd done my homework and she wouldn't listen!

So, I call the insurance company.  Again, get a lady who is horrified by a fertility center.  She doesn't see that fertility is covered by my insurance.  Lady--it's just a consult! You cover lab-work don't ya? Yep! And diagnostic tests! And IUI!  And we're not even there yet..And my doctor shows as in the network, right? Yep! So, as I already knew, I simply needed a referral to the specialist from my primary care doc.  But once more info is received from the doc about how to move forward I can provide and ICD-9 code and they'll let me know if it's covered.  I already knew this, but it was helpful nonetheless.  I'll call the primary doc referral line back tomorrow.  Why does it have to be so hard!???

Oh! And this was all immediately after I went to labcorp to get a repeat quant drawn to see how close to zero it is from my miscarriage.  Well, Labcorps fax was down and they never got my MD's request.  Of course, this is after I sat in the waiting room for 20 minutes listening to a child scream his lungs out because the phlebotomist kept missing his veins and after the doc's office is closed...Why are labs not electronic via Labcorp? Why can my MD not sit at a computer and place the orders and it goes to Labcorp central database? Then, I can go to ANY Labcorp that happens to be near me and they'll have the order! It's all electronic, so my MD could have the results immediately when it's done as well.  There'd be no frustration waiting for the fax, going to the wrong Labcorp, dealing with fax machines breaking, etc. This is such a simple solution with all the technology they already have in place.  Seems so stupid to me the way they do it! Any insight would be helpful.

I did have a good day, by the way :) But needed that vent...