Has anyone else had problems with Dr. Rita Anderson's office?

To all,

I really hate to complain here.  I know that people (especially in a doctor's office) are simply stressed to the max, overworked, and under appreciated.  I always try to smile when I make a request or have a question... and always say thank you and how much someone's effort is appreciated.

With that said, here is the big, big problem that I am running into.  It has been nearly a month and a half since I finished all of the 'pre-surgery' requirements... like the evals, the paperwork, all of the releases, EKG, spirometry, etc.  (I think you get it).  I gave the doctor's office over three weeks before I called to check on my insurance status.  However, during that same time frame, I also I called my insurance company (weekly).  And every time, my insurance indicated that no paperwork had ever been submitted. 

So, three weeks after I submitted everything that I had control over, I contacted the office.  I was told that my paperwork was submitted March 30th.  However, as of yesterday (April 16th), my insurance company is STILL telling me that nothing (at all) has been submitted.  I am not accusing anyone of lying or being deceptive.  Things happen.  Papers get lost.  People get busy.  It could be some sort of miscommunication.  Basically anything is possible.

So, I called Dr. Rita Anderson's office on Wednesday and left a message.  My phone call was never returned.  I also sent an email (a very nice, non-accusatory, please-help-me-if-you-can message)... and have not heard anything.

At this point in time, I am considering changing surgeons... I just do not know what to do. 

Has anyone had these problems?  Please advise if you can.

I have really tried to give everyone the benefit of the doubt... and have waited at least a week before calling back to check on things.

Thanks everyone.  It is appreciated

I've not had any trouble at the office here are some tips
GET NAMES of who you talk to at the office I'm not sure who is in charge of insurance these days
STAY ON HOLD if you can don't leave a message if they say the person you need is on another call tell them you'll waite on hold till they are done
Keep calling EVERY DAY if you have to 
Ask you insurance is they want you to send it ATTN to just one person then tell Doc Rita's office that info
Good Luck,
Robin

I am pretty sure that Susie is the one that submits to insurance, unless things have changed.  I would shoot her an email.  She says that she may take a day or two to respond but that is the best way to reach her.  I understand completely.  I think they are swamped and overwhelmed, but at the same time you want an answer.  You are so far into the process though, do you really want to switch surgeons and have to do all the pre-op stuff all over again?  Plus I am pretty sure that if you switch you still have to pay Dr. Rita's office for all of those tests.

I had issues too, but when Susie finallly called me back she said she had been waiting on my exercise eval( it had been a month prior), but I think since I kept calling she pushed more with insurance cause she got my approval in litle over a week

Somehow when all my stuff was done, the faxed info got lost the first time around (I waited a couple of weeks from when Susie said they sen it and then called the insurance company just to check on the status and they said they had not received anything).  I contacted Susie and she re-faxed everything and I had my approval within a week.

Make sure when you call you ask for Susie specifically if you have not been.

Lora

yeah i have been asking for susie specifically. Now that things are approved looks like tings are going to move along

It's probably sitting on someone's desk at the insurance companies office lost in the shuffle.  It took about 2 weeks before Cigna even acknowledged receipt of my paperwork from Dr. Anderson's office.  (Insurance company even admitted that it WOULD sit on someone's desk for up to a month before it was scanned into the system.

Once it was scanned in it was passed through the hands of multiple people.. each one confirming receipt and acknowledgement of the FULL stack of paperwork.  it finally reached the medical directors desk for final approval and gues what... the ***** said the majority of the paperwork was missing.  WTF??  Susie made several phone calls to figure out what was going on, and finally 5 days later CIGNA called back and said they screwed up, the paperwork was all there, and that I was approved.

I know it's a ***** but give it time.. it will happen.  It's enough to drive yo up the wall, but it will happen

My DH and I have both gone through Anderson and haven't had any issues.  Susie is incharge of all the insurance stuff.

If it hasn't shown up, then it's not going to yet.  When you talk to Suzy, tell her that it all needs to be sent again, and ask her to contact you right afterward.  Give it a day or two and call the insurance company and ask if they received the paperwork.  I did it this way when my first try never made it to the insurance company either.  I waited for a month before discovering that happened to me too.  After following a little closer, I got my approval in 10 days the second try.

I also had conflicting statements from the insurance company and Dr. Rita's office. Insurance said they didn't have it, Dr. Rita's office said it was sent. I just had Susie send it again and then called the insurance company obsessively to make sure they got it.

I wouldn't change surgeons just yet. Dr. Rita is really good.

Will we be seeing you at the meeting Thursday? A bunch of us are meeting up at BW's for dinner before at 5:30.