Today I cried for the first time in Greensboro. About 3 days ago my eye started showing signs of a stye and I thought, ag it's only a stye and will go away again. Not this time. Last night we went to Walgreens Pharmacy to buy some stye ointment and although the package says Stye, the small print says it helps for itching, burning etc but does not cure a stye. Anyway, this morning when I got up, my eye was swollen almost shut. So now to get an ophthalmologist. I am on United Medical Care medical insurance and this was going to be my very first attempt at getting to a doctor. I sit down at my pc and I log into my medical insurance app to find a doctor as the doctor I go to has to be part of the network and if not, I would have to pay out of pocket. As mentioned before anything medical is extremely expensive so I had to make sure this doctor was on the network. I called the first one on the list and got through only to be told that they only do eye surgery. I called the second one on the list and the lady there gives me another number to call for the stand-in ophthalmologist. I call there and get an appointment but now I have to make sure this doctor is on the network. So I phone my medical insurance and ask them if he is on the network and they tell me that they don't have a list of docs on the network and that I would have to check online. She walks me through how to do that and this doctor is not on the network. Ok, so I cancel that appointment. I can hardly see through this eye and I can't seem to find a doctor to help me and I just burst into tears. Then John took over. He called another doctor on the list and was told that they only do retinas or some such. Then he tries another doctor and gets me an appointment but I'm still pessimistic about this as anything could still go wrong. I hadn't printed out my medical insurance ID card yet but they told John that the one on my phone would be fine. I also haven't got my Greensboro ID yet but they said my passport would work.
A uber ride later, I get to the doctor. My appointment is at 11h30 and I get there by 11h20. You have to announce yourself at the counter, which is normal, but there's a queue because they are implementing a new computer system. Eventually, I get to the front and the lady is not happy that I don't have my medical insurance card printed out and to top that I don't have an ID. She explains that it would take a while as she now has to load me on two computer systems and I say that's fine. After about 10 minutes she says we're good and I can take a seat. Just sat down and she calls me again and asks to see my medical insurance card and she explains stuff to someone at the medical insurance office as they have to make sure that I'm covered or else to pay-up. The lady explains to me that they cannot call up United Medical insurance on their computer but that it would have to be phoned in, I guess by the insurance company. She says this will take a bit longer. Ok, I'm fine with that. About 15v minutes later I get called by Felicia, a nurse, who first does eye testing and all of that. Gets my medical history etc. Then she goes off to test my specs and tells me Albert will be in shortly. I have not idea who Albert is and what he would be doing for me. About 15 minutes later again, Albert pops in and he asks some questions and checks out my eye, dilating it. He says it's a stye that has infected my eyelid and that he would put me on a course of antibiotics and that I need to do a warm compress on the eye as regularly as I can, like every hour. I had to put some rice in an old sock, and put it in the microwave for 20 seconds and keep that on my eye after checking that it was not too hot for my eye by first testing on the outside of my hand and then my cheek. If it was not too hot for my cheek, it was ok for my eye.
I got out of that surgery by 13h36 exactly, Got an uber to Walgreens in Spring Street, which is the closest one to us. The doc had sent my script there and all I had to do was to collect. I go to the collect window and tell my story and the girl says yes she can see my script, halleluiah. Then she asks me if I have a prescription card and I ask where I was supposed to get that and she says the medical insurance had to send me one as my meds would then be cheaper. She suggests I call my medical insurance which I dutifully do cause who doesn't want a saving? Now calling the medical insurance is not as easy as it sounds. It's press 1 for this and 2 for that and a whole long waiting time. Eventually, I get through and I'm told that with my plan, I have to pay upfront and then claim. So that is what I will do and hopefully get all my money back.
We don't have a printer here, which is quite a schlepp as I have to send all my printing to John on email and then he prints it at the university. So now he's been sent the claim form which he'll print and then I have to complete and then he has to scan it in so I can send it to the medical insurance for reimbursement. I just find everything takes so much longer here than in SA. I guess I will get used to it in the long run but I'll just start getting used to everything and then we have to leave, such a waste of time and energy.
A uber ride later, I get to the doctor. My appointment is at 11h30 and I get there by 11h20. You have to announce yourself at the counter, which is normal, but there's a queue because they are implementing a new computer system. Eventually, I get to the front and the lady is not happy that I don't have my medical insurance card printed out and to top that I don't have an ID. She explains that it would take a while as she now has to load me on two computer systems and I say that's fine. After about 10 minutes she says we're good and I can take a seat. Just sat down and she calls me again and asks to see my medical insurance card and she explains stuff to someone at the medical insurance office as they have to make sure that I'm covered or else to pay-up. The lady explains to me that they cannot call up United Medical insurance on their computer but that it would have to be phoned in, I guess by the insurance company. She says this will take a bit longer. Ok, I'm fine with that. About 15v minutes later I get called by Felicia, a nurse, who first does eye testing and all of that. Gets my medical history etc. Then she goes off to test my specs and tells me Albert will be in shortly. I have not idea who Albert is and what he would be doing for me. About 15 minutes later again, Albert pops in and he asks some questions and checks out my eye, dilating it. He says it's a stye that has infected my eyelid and that he would put me on a course of antibiotics and that I need to do a warm compress on the eye as regularly as I can, like every hour. I had to put some rice in an old sock, and put it in the microwave for 20 seconds and keep that on my eye after checking that it was not too hot for my eye by first testing on the outside of my hand and then my cheek. If it was not too hot for my cheek, it was ok for my eye.
I got out of that surgery by 13h36 exactly, Got an uber to Walgreens in Spring Street, which is the closest one to us. The doc had sent my script there and all I had to do was to collect. I go to the collect window and tell my story and the girl says yes she can see my script, halleluiah. Then she asks me if I have a prescription card and I ask where I was supposed to get that and she says the medical insurance had to send me one as my meds would then be cheaper. She suggests I call my medical insurance which I dutifully do cause who doesn't want a saving? Now calling the medical insurance is not as easy as it sounds. It's press 1 for this and 2 for that and a whole long waiting time. Eventually, I get through and I'm told that with my plan, I have to pay upfront and then claim. So that is what I will do and hopefully get all my money back.
We don't have a printer here, which is quite a schlepp as I have to send all my printing to John on email and then he prints it at the university. So now he's been sent the claim form which he'll print and then I have to complete and then he has to scan it in so I can send it to the medical insurance for reimbursement. I just find everything takes so much longer here than in SA. I guess I will get used to it in the long run but I'll just start getting used to everything and then we have to leave, such a waste of time and energy.
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