why does it take a act of congress

[Tonya]

I am soooooooo aggravated.. I have been trying to get Daddy an appointment for a sleep study so he can get bipap, this has been going on for almost three weeks now, is it so much to ask for a doctor to fax orders for a test? I bet if it was their daddy that can't sleep laying down anymore they would get off their butt and take care of business.....Now he needs an scooter to help him get around.. and of course u have to have an prescription for that to..Why does it have to be such an hassle to get help?

 

[shellshell]

Hi Tonya,

I'm sorry you too are having problems with getting your daddy the things he needs and is entitled to. I am in the exact same boat as you. I do have to say, the MDA came and talked to our family last week and they are WONDERFUL. We do not have an ALS clinic here in Arkansas, at least not one I can find, so the MDA has stepped up and brought my dad a scooter, and ramps for him to get the scooter in my moms van. Of course all of this is on loan from the MDA but we are so thankful for their generosity.

We are still fighting for disability and VA benefits since my dad is a veteran. THAT is so frustrating and makes you down right angry!

I would contact the MDA in your area, they are wonderful!

Good Luck!
Michelle

 

[CindyM]

Toyna-I bet the hold-up is someplace in one of the offices that are handeling your Dad's paperwork. You need to be persistent and don't feel shy about it. Your Dad is relying on you!

I've learned all the steps, and all the agencies, that are involved when my Doc makes a referral. Things get lost on his secretary's desk, at my insurance company's office, and at the clinic or lab where the paperwork also needs to be sent. Your Dad's paperwork may have a fourth office if he has a primary care physician and an ALS specialists. You will need to learn the steps, and as many contact names and phone numbers as you can gather so that you can track the progress of a referral from one office to the next. Keep his medical record numbers on hand, plus his social security number and date of birth, and put all these numbers together with the steps and contact numbers.

Finally, it may help to learn the name of your Dad's Doctor's secretary. He or she will be a big help the next time you are trying to get service. Hope this helps. Cindy

 

[liz]

One trick I learned is to refuse to hang up the phone when office staff say they'll "look into it and get back to me". I told one lady that I wasn't going to hang up because I believed she would drop the issue as soon as I hung up the phone since this was my third follow-up call and she had already been "looking into" the matter for the last six weeks. Magically, the matter was resolved in five minutes. Unfortunately, some people will only work hard if you make yourself a pain in their ass. (My husband could tell you that I'm very good at that ) That was just for a simple referral for an MRI.