I need some help dealing w/uncooperative PCP!

My PCP is totally 100% on board for me having surgery. My insurance does not do pre approvals, so I asked him to write me a letter of medical necessity. Well I saw him on Feb 20th and gave him a typed out paper telling him exactly what he needed to write. He looked it over said it would be no problem and to give him a week and he would have it done. WELL fast forward 3 weeks....I still don't have the letter and I have left 6 messages all of which have not been returned. I did find out from the VERY kind receptionist that my doctor isn't writing it, but his assistant is actually doing it. Fine no problem but WHY no returned calls??? I would even accept it if they said it would take another week because they are swamped....anything at this point to know that they acknowledge the fact that I am waiting on this. I have everything done and the only thing keeping me from getting a date is this dang letter. Does ANYONE have any advice for me as to what I can say to this office?? I intend to start calling once a day every day the rest of this week. If I still get no response I will start calling 2x a day and so on. I feel like everything to this point has been SO easy compared to some stories I have read, but this is crazy. Please help of you can! Thanks, Jennifer

I think what you need to do is type up a letter yourself, then make an appointment with your PCP and have them read it and sign it. I had to do this myself after I was denied the first time. Needless to say it did work...

Hello Jennifer! I can truly appreciate what you're going through. In May, 2004, I visited my PCP, telling her about my plans to have WLS. Told her I needed a letter of medical necessity, and she said she'd do it right away. Two weeks passed, three weeks, several calls to her office manager, who was a witch... Finally, in July, after receiving no letter, I had it out with her office manager, and asked if I should make an appointment to meet with the doctor personally. She said yes. I made the appt., and she called me back 1 hour later, saying she'd spoken to the doctor, and the doctor said she had a stack of paperwork on her desk, and would get to it when she could. I explained my whole life was on hold because of her. THEN I FIRED HER AND WENT BACK TO HER FORMER PARTNER, WHO SHE'D LEFT 2 YEARS PRIOR. He was very gracious, and had my records up until the time she'd left him. I work for a sports team, so our team doctor, who'd known me 23 years, did my letter of medical necessity. Once the ball started rolling, I had my approval in 6 days! If you feel the need, go to another PCP and explain everything. In fact, request your records from your current PCP. They're required by law to fork them over within 30 days. Feel free to go to my doctor in Shelby Twp. (26 Mile/Van Dyke). His name is Gregory Koby, D.O. You'll love him! Best wishes to you! Nancy Bontumasi 297 / 193.5 / ???

Hey Jen I work at a very busy doctors office. From my expierence here sometimes its better if you go in and handle things in person. I would suggest you make an appointment with your pcp and hopefully they can generate a letter for you while your still sitting in the office. Even if your pcp has a very busy office there is still no need to make a patient wait for 3 weeks for a letter that only takes a few minutes to type. Maybe you should write the letter yourself and then only thing they would have to do is transfer it on to there letter head. Good Luck to ya Dayja

Thanks you all for you input...and thank you Dayja for a little insight on working in a doctors office. I have decided that I will wait and see if I get a call back and if not, I will be calling to make an appointment on Friday. When I go in I most definately will take my own letter and see what happens. I don't want to make them mad and then NOT want to help me, but a 30 second call to tell me the "status" is more than acceptable. If my appointment doesn't make it happen then I will most definately be looking for another PCP

Well I had to make an appointment today as I seem to have cought an upper resp inf. The GREAT news is it took the girl about 30 seconds to write and fax my letter of medical necessity!!!!! I should have a date next week