Healthcare Runaround

I got this new Oxford Healthcare plan kinda recently. It's an HMO and it's sort of the low rung of their healthcare where i'm only covered if an airconditioner lands on my head or whatever. No prescription or dental or whatever. Fortunately and thankfully and thankfully again I don't need to go to the doctor often so it's more for the paranoia.

Anyway, I haven't been to a doctor in a while and for whatever reason I decided it was time to get a checkup. I got one a year or so ago with my old doctor but he's 'out of network' aka 'I pay for everything'. So I started looking around for someone local and 'in network'.

This is sort of a long annoying story but here it is. 

I've never used the insurance before so I called up Oxford and basically said I want to find a doctor. This was like a week or so ago. They told me to go to their website and pick one from their listing and then call them back and set that doctor as my 'primary care physician'. So I went through this listing of doctors, found a general one, (basically picked one at random) and called back Oxford to set that person as my primary care person.

Then I called up my new primary care's office to make an appointment. After being put on hold for like three minutes then disconnected, I called back and got someone after another two minutes. When I told the receptionist or whatever that I just wanted a checkup, she said that this doctor isn't a general care person. She told me this doctor specializes in infectious diseases and doesn't do checkups and stuff. She told me that Oxford had the listing listed wrong on the website. Uch.

So I picked another doctor off the website and called back Oxford and told them I need to appoint a new primary care person. She told me that because I switched my primary care person once today that I can't switch it again for 24 hours.  When I explained that it was their fault that I need to change it -- she explained back that I can't switch it again for 24 hours.  Done.

The next day I called up Oxford and appointed a new primary doctor and then called that doctor's office to make an appointment. The person on the phone seemed a little slim shady (like it was a doctor's office and other businesses as well. like a Mailbox etc.. or whatever) but I scheduled a 10/12 at 11:30AM. Fine.

Yesterday around 10:30AM I remembered I had a doctors appointment in an hour. I had totally spaced on it. I decided that I wasn't gonna go. It was too late even though it was an hour away. I needed more lead time for motivation or whatever. But I did decide to motivate enough to call up and cancel. I call up and tell the lady I want to cancel my 11:30 appointment. She asked me if I could call back in an hour. I told her I wasn't looking to reschedule. I just want to cancel. She was like (all rude), 'I understand, sir! But can you call back in an hour!' I was like, 'To do what? To cancel?' She was like, 'Yes..'. I was like, 'So...umm...  I should call up in an hour to cancel my appointment on time?' She was like, 'Sir. Can you call back in an hour?' I was like, 'Ok...'

And I didn't. And that was that. I'll try to remotivate soon to start the process again and just assume I'm ok for now. 

Healthcare 1. Me 0.

ok bye!

tOdd