I found out I was pregnant on 11/14. First time! That day, I logged into my health care company’s “portal” to let my care team know. “Hi! I have a positive pregnancy test as of this date, this was my last period, blah blah blah, please let me know next steps!” I filled out an appointment referral form announcing my pregnancy, and then landed an appointment with my personal care provider (PCP) two weeks out. Fine, this will be good, she’ll give me the rundown, run some tests, and give me medical advice.
Eight days before my appointment, “the portal” asked me to fill out a questionnaire. “What’s your main reason for wanting to visit your PCP?” Hmm, I told “the portal” twice already, but the third time must be the charm: because I’m pregnant.
I didn’t hear anything for a handful of days and wondered… Am I even seeing the right provider? I logged back into “the portal” to pose that question to my care team, and a nurse responded within minutes: “You need to call member services to ask them if your PCP is an OB.” Why the hell does the nurse supporting my doctor not know that? OK, whatever, I call the number and they say, “No ma’am, she does not provide OB care, you need to contact your care team for a referral to OB.”
At this point, the tears start to swell. Hormones? Our fucked-up health care system? Feeling like no one who’s supposed to be supporting me and my health gives a flying fuck? Definitely all of the above.
After three portal messages, four phone call transfers, and 879 tears, I finally got one appointment with an OB three weeks from now.
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Fuck, I don’t know what to say. That is crippling to one’s spirit. Hopefully it gets better.
That shit happens far too often…
Unfortunately there may be some truth in what #1 says, maybe men get better customer service in healthcare as they do in automotive repair (?).
This is an understandable frustration. For future reference, your PCP (primary care physician) is almost certainly going to be focused on Family Medicine or General Practice. For anything that doesn’t fall into “general health”, you’ll probably need to contact your network to work on getting a referral to the relevant specialist. It’s annoying, but once you get used to the process it’s not too bad. What’s bad is sometimes how long it takes to get a specialty appointment (2-3 months, depending on the situation). OB stuff can probably move faster due to the nature of the need and the fact that it’s such a large specialty.
Oh and don’t listen to the first responder – they’re just being an asshole.
Hi! Lo, these many years ago, I had a similar hard time. I had no PCP, and the one closest to me didn’t do babies–which I found out at the appointment. The second did, but was retiring before my delivery date–info also revealed to me at the separate, weeks later appointment. I ended up going to Country Doctor and they were very helpful to me, a total wreck with no doctor and a lot of sleepless nights.
This quagmire was back before the Black Mirror-ian proliferation of portals. I bet they were supposed to make things easier to coordinate care. Unsurprising to hear they do not, and I’m so sorry you’re having to grapple around in the dark.
It may not feel like it right now, but you are doing great! You will defeat the portal and its many tricks!
Look on the bright side: the for-profit insurance company gets paid no matter what happens.
Why wouldn’t the OP call her gyno? That is who my wife went to see we were expecting. I thought most gyno’s provided ob care too?
@6 – she didn’t call her gyno, her called her PCP. But hey, I didn’t read closely either since I repeated the PCP bit that the OP already had in their post.
@7 – Oh hey, another asshole appears in the thread.
@3: “This is an understandable frustration. For future reference, your PCP (primary care physician) is almost certainly going to be focused on Family Medicine or General Practice.”
Your PCP is almost certainly going to be focused on being a good little gatekeeper for your insurance company.
Welcome to American healthcare, a double oxymoron. “There will be an origination and maintenance charge plus a hospital overhead charge for the issuance of this message. These charges do not include any charges made by your actual healthcare provider.”
Being informed you need to make an appointment with a specialist rather than your PCP is hardly a tragedy. Being in tears over this does not bode well for future struggles as a parent.
perhaps
everyone’ll
be On the Same
Page before baby
pops out. It’ll be a
Modernday Miracle
and no we don’t have
“healthcare.” we Do
have Wealthcare
where your Wealth
is treated with all
the Respect it’s
Due.
omg — let’s Hope
this chile’s born
with decent
Bootstraps
I’ll add my shout of rage and frustration to yours! But seriously, I’d suggest considering a concierge medical practice if you can find one with an OBGYN/pediatrician. You’ll pay more up front but possibly less in copays for stupid check-the-box appointments, and get better care in the end.
Congratulations and best wishes on your pregnancy!