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I tried to do the right thing. I got some blood work done on my own through life extension. The results show high levels of Iron, plus elevated hematocrit (52.9) So the recomended course of action was to go give blood to lower both. At the blood bank the lady tested my iron and told me it was high, she said it can affect my organs and and cause failure and be very dangerous. She suggested i see a hemotologist, and they can refer me to the blood bank to donate more often than 8 weeks under the hemachromatosis program. (you can only donate every 8 weeks) Hemachromatosis is a genetic disorder in which your body absorbs too much iron. So this lady had me a little freaked out thinking I was going to die from iron overload and I searched for a hemotologist (blood Dr). Plus I thought it would be a good idea to get refered by the dr instead of lying on the forms at the blood bank to give blood. I felt guilty for that.
So i make an appointment with the dr office and specifically tell them I don't have insurance and asked how much it would cost for an office visit. They told me first time visits cost more because the Dr would want to perform blood tests, test are done right at the office they have machines. So there was an additonal $100 charge to the office fee. I filled out paperwork a week early to submit to them so they knew what i was going there for.High iron and high hemacrit levels. Plus submitted my peronal blood results. So it was to my understanding that they were going to perform blood tests at the office in which i paid an extra $100 for.
When i went for my appointment i paid the office fee and additional fee, they drew blood, then i went to see the doctor. I told the doctor how I went to give blood and the lady told me to get refered under the hemachromatosis program, so that's why I was there. But he wouldnt' refer me unless I actually had hemachromatosis. Said they had to do some tests. Which i assumed i had just paid for and had blood drawn for. He also wanted to test for something else, Polycythemia, for the high hematocrit levels. Even though I told him i was using testosterone. So again i assumed this test was paid for and blood was drawn for. He also wanted to send me for an MRI of my liver, But i told him again I didn't have insurance and that would be too expensive. So i denied the MRI. He also wasn't concerned about my hematocrit level being at 52.9, he said if it was 55 then he would send my for a phlebotomy today, 52 not too bad. But he likes to see it under 50. So i questioned him if its 52 and you want it below 50 why wouldn't you send me to get a phlebotomy, why wait til it gets to 55? He suggested I lower my dose of testoserone.
I had to make a second appointment two weeks later to go over the results of the tests. Hemachromatosis negative, polycythemia negative, iron levels within normal range, ferritin normal, hematocrit 48.2 within range. So he said we'll run more tests in a month and keep an eye on things. If hematocrit gets above 50 he'll send me for a phlebotomy. I said I'll get blood work on my own (through life extension) and I'll come see you if there is anything out of range.
Now the part that pisses me off...
I got a bill in the mail from quest diagnostics for $642
...comp metablolic panel $53
...carboxyhemoglobin $95
...erythropoietin $166
...ferritin $103
...GGT $49
...iron, total $28
...TIBC $38
...LD $41
...magnesium $53
...uric acid $41
The next day i got a second bill in the mail from quest $1244
I believe these may be the polycythemia tests,
...jak2v617f....$622
...jak2 exons....$622
I now expect to get one more bill for hemachromatosis test
I never authorized them to send my blood out and get all these tests, did I? It was to my understaning they they were performing the tests within the office and i had paid for it at my first office visit. Is there anyway I can fight this or get out of paying for these test? This is over $1800 of tests that I feel didn't even need to be performed. All i wanted was a referal to the blood bank so I can give blood without having to lie to them. Which I didn't even get, now I wont feel so guilty next time I lie. Should I go to the Dr office and question them why they did all these tests, why they didn't tell me it was going to a third party and I would be billed for it? Should I call Quest and tell them I did not authorize these tests? If I knew i was going to have to pay for this I would have told the DR no thanks and walked out. It was to my understanding that they were performing the tests and i had paid for them. They knew what tests were needed because i submitted my paperwork a week before the appointment.
How can the health,medical field legally be allowed to perform services without telling you how much it is going to cost? If you take your car for service they must call you and tell you what the price would be and ask if you want the work performed, no? Why wouldn't it be the same?
So i make an appointment with the dr office and specifically tell them I don't have insurance and asked how much it would cost for an office visit. They told me first time visits cost more because the Dr would want to perform blood tests, test are done right at the office they have machines. So there was an additonal $100 charge to the office fee. I filled out paperwork a week early to submit to them so they knew what i was going there for.High iron and high hemacrit levels. Plus submitted my peronal blood results. So it was to my understanding that they were going to perform blood tests at the office in which i paid an extra $100 for.
When i went for my appointment i paid the office fee and additional fee, they drew blood, then i went to see the doctor. I told the doctor how I went to give blood and the lady told me to get refered under the hemachromatosis program, so that's why I was there. But he wouldnt' refer me unless I actually had hemachromatosis. Said they had to do some tests. Which i assumed i had just paid for and had blood drawn for. He also wanted to test for something else, Polycythemia, for the high hematocrit levels. Even though I told him i was using testosterone. So again i assumed this test was paid for and blood was drawn for. He also wanted to send me for an MRI of my liver, But i told him again I didn't have insurance and that would be too expensive. So i denied the MRI. He also wasn't concerned about my hematocrit level being at 52.9, he said if it was 55 then he would send my for a phlebotomy today, 52 not too bad. But he likes to see it under 50. So i questioned him if its 52 and you want it below 50 why wouldn't you send me to get a phlebotomy, why wait til it gets to 55? He suggested I lower my dose of testoserone.
I had to make a second appointment two weeks later to go over the results of the tests. Hemachromatosis negative, polycythemia negative, iron levels within normal range, ferritin normal, hematocrit 48.2 within range. So he said we'll run more tests in a month and keep an eye on things. If hematocrit gets above 50 he'll send me for a phlebotomy. I said I'll get blood work on my own (through life extension) and I'll come see you if there is anything out of range.
Now the part that pisses me off...
I got a bill in the mail from quest diagnostics for $642
...comp metablolic panel $53
...carboxyhemoglobin $95
...erythropoietin $166
...ferritin $103
...GGT $49
...iron, total $28
...TIBC $38
...LD $41
...magnesium $53
...uric acid $41
The next day i got a second bill in the mail from quest $1244
I believe these may be the polycythemia tests,
...jak2v617f....$622
...jak2 exons....$622
I now expect to get one more bill for hemachromatosis test
I never authorized them to send my blood out and get all these tests, did I? It was to my understaning they they were performing the tests within the office and i had paid for it at my first office visit. Is there anyway I can fight this or get out of paying for these test? This is over $1800 of tests that I feel didn't even need to be performed. All i wanted was a referal to the blood bank so I can give blood without having to lie to them. Which I didn't even get, now I wont feel so guilty next time I lie. Should I go to the Dr office and question them why they did all these tests, why they didn't tell me it was going to a third party and I would be billed for it? Should I call Quest and tell them I did not authorize these tests? If I knew i was going to have to pay for this I would have told the DR no thanks and walked out. It was to my understanding that they were performing the tests and i had paid for them. They knew what tests were needed because i submitted my paperwork a week before the appointment.
How can the health,medical field legally be allowed to perform services without telling you how much it is going to cost? If you take your car for service they must call you and tell you what the price would be and ask if you want the work performed, no? Why wouldn't it be the same?
