Anyone have trouble with the staff at Tufts??

I was wondering if anyone has had any trouble with the staff at Tufts.

I don't mean the "professional" staff such as the dieticians, psychologists, doctors or surgeons. I mean with the administrative staff.

I am having difficulty with a member of the staff...no names but she is the one that handles the insurance paperwork.

My surgery date is at the end of the month and I still cannot get a straight answer from her if my paperwork has be submitted or not. My insurance company says it has not but she told me (the insurance paper work handler at Tufts)  that the insurance company doesn't always know if it has been submitted or not. Ugh.

I am so ticked. I have been calling and calling and trying to get her on the phone. Sometimes I am lucky enough and she answers but she always puts me off saying she will have to call me back (and then never does). If I call back and get her secretary or assistant or whoever answers her phone for her she tells me that the woman I want to speak with is on the phone and will have to call me back. Geez. For a woman that is always on the phone....she sure is never calling ME.

I am so frustrated at this point. I am wondering if it is just me or if this is a long standing problem at Tufts. Any advice?

Thanks for reading.

Dear Pink:

If I were you I would call and ask for the office manager or Program Director to return my phone call asap.  No explaination needed to whoever takes the message but she needs to know what is going on.  The other thing you can do is speak to your physician and find out who he suggests that you speak with...

good luck.  i know its so frustrating!!  I totally understand b/c Ive recently changed programs for my daughter because of that very reason.

kim

Hi:

I went to Tufts and had rny dec 8 2009.

I got my approval letter from BCBS about 7-8 business days before my surgery.  The packet from Tufts doesn't get sent to insurance I believe until your pre-op testing is done which is either 2 or 1 weeks before surgery.

I was nervous 2 weeks before surgery without an approval letter but I was assured this is how they do it.

When I was in for my pre-op appts I stopped by the insurance office at Tufts and just confirmed my packet was being worked on in person and that Dec X date was my surgery date.

Once I did that - I felt so much better.  The waiting is the worst part.

Take care,
Kerry

Kim, thanks for your advice. I did do what you suggested which is what led me to my answer! Thanks again for your suggestion.

Kerry, that is how I thought they did it to. But Tufts assured me that my paperwork would be submitted to insurance BEFORE my preop testing. My preop testing is Feb. 18 and my surgery date is Feb. 23.

At any rate, I got my answer by speaking to someone in the actual Weight and Wellness clinic vs. the insurance person. I was told that my paperwork has indeed already been submitted. I asked if it was submitted today or earlier in the week and she wasn't sure of which day it had been submitted but that it wasn't today.

Thanks for your replies Kim and Kerry. This has been the worst part so far.

OOOOOOOOO  LET ME GUESS IS HER NAME   TANIA ????


Don't even get me started!!!!!!!!! 

YUP BEEN THERE DONE THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got my approval letter the day of my surgery!!!!  I had it out with her on several occasions....
I will no longer gothrough them for anything and have the girls in the clinic help with all my concerns..... They are always very helpful !!!!  Louise is my favorite :)

I'll PM you my letter that I sent to Dr Shikora and Tania's supervisor.......  it was the rough draft...
Any questions feel free to ask....

PS I have no regrets at all having my surgery by Dr Shikora I thank god for him everyday !!!!!

6 months out 70.5lbs lighter feeling amazing!!!!! 

You'll be the same way soon !!!!!  

LOL, I KNEW we'd hear from you on this!  I just knew it might be the some woman you had hate for...i remember you talkling about her at Christmas.  Glad you've been able to work around this road-blocking *****

LMAO  Oh yes !!!  They don't call me SASSY for nothing.....

That girl still get's under my skin...gggrrrrrr

I feel bad for the other poster but I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels the same way about her....  I'm glad in a way that it's not only me....  Just don't like the fact she gives Tufts and the office a bad name!

DITTO,   DITTO,   DITTO.....

I was going to say Tania as well....  Thank god I didnt have to deal with her for my own surgery, as I have been a St. E's patient since 2004 but, my mother being over  60 has to have surgery at a level 1 center.... being Tufts and Tania has been a pain in my side....  Louise is fabulous though I will agree with that... My mother lives in Hawaii and was making trips to Boston to have the surgery here, they booked her surgery, she came down and did her pretest, then flew back less than two weeks later for the surgery date which was a Monday.... Friday before the surgery date Tania called me, asking if I knew where my mother was... that she had been trying to call her in Hawaii and cant get a hold of her.... I said well thats because shes here already, surgery is Monday ya know....  I handed the phone over to my mother, who proceeded to burst into tears.... they were cancelling her surgery because of an administrative error on their part and for that, the insurance company denied the claim... which we didnt find out until that day!!  This was in Sept of 09!! My mother still hasnt had her surgery and I am still livid with Tufts!! The thousands of dollars my mother spent flying to and from Hawaii to Boston for nothing....  We are still fighting it...   This little administrative error would never have happened at St. E's, let alone being told days before the surgery after flying half way across the world that its not going to happen...

I really dont like that woman!!  They need to replace her!!!