sdrawkcab-backwards
After these many many months, I have come to the conclusion that the medical community has stupid stupid rules. I'm actually extremely frustrated, but trying to smile through gritted teeth as I choose my words carefully.
Medical records.
Those two words have become my nightmare.
All I want are Rambo's medical records. Getting ahold of someone in the medical record department of the hospital would be a good start but when I call I'm put on hold until they say that I have reached the maximum hold time allowed and need to leave a message.
Really?
We have been passively trying to obtain his records for awhile but it kept getting put on the back burner - as though we need one more thing, right? But we recently decided that, yes, we think it's important to have them for many reasons. One of which is that we just plain want them. So I get in touch with my contact person who has never ever ever ever before said anything about them costing a thing. She calls back: It's $.76 a page! A page!!! Do you know how many pages he has?? I don't because nobody in the stinking medical records office will answer their phone!!! But I am positive there are many many many hundreds of them.
So here's where I get really.... confused... and maybe one of you out there can clarify how in the world this makes sense: Why can a random person at the health department (with my permission, of course), the Infant and Toddler Program (why do they need it??), his long list of doctors, and apparently anyone else in the entire world who has some title in front of their names obtain a FREE copy of them all, but I have to pay thousands of dollars?? THEY ARE MINE. And, of course, those individuals can't disclose them to me because....... I don't know the stuff already? Oh wait, no, it's because..... they aren't ours? No, wait, that doesn't make sense either.....
That's because it's all so incredibly skewed. Why is it so difficult to get what is mine?? Everyone else seems to be able to with no problem. One answer offered to me (by someone who already has them- "Yes, they are yours, but you are paying for the ink and paper." My response "Did YOU pay for the ink and paper?"
As far as I am aware they are not yet doing electronic records where I could pay per disc or something. Still paying which is dumb, but maybe less. But, again, I wouldn't know because NO ONE WILL ANSWER THE PHONE!
Okay... I'm just being a broken record now, but this has been my life and frustration for the past several days. I have tried every route I can think of to get them at no cost and come up short every turn. No one who has them is willing to give them to me because of the potential of what could possibly happen. (I DO get that, by the way, I'm not trying to lessen that but at some point you have to say that the law just plain doesn't make sense. And really, who's gonna tell? I'm not going to say a word!!)
My rant is done. On here anyway. It shall continue in my head until there is resolution, I'm sure.
If anyone has any good suggestions or can give me any additional info, I'm game.
Medical records.
Those two words have become my nightmare.
All I want are Rambo's medical records. Getting ahold of someone in the medical record department of the hospital would be a good start but when I call I'm put on hold until they say that I have reached the maximum hold time allowed and need to leave a message.
Really?
We have been passively trying to obtain his records for awhile but it kept getting put on the back burner - as though we need one more thing, right? But we recently decided that, yes, we think it's important to have them for many reasons. One of which is that we just plain want them. So I get in touch with my contact person who has never ever ever ever before said anything about them costing a thing. She calls back: It's $.76 a page! A page!!! Do you know how many pages he has?? I don't because nobody in the stinking medical records office will answer their phone!!! But I am positive there are many many many hundreds of them.
So here's where I get really.... confused... and maybe one of you out there can clarify how in the world this makes sense: Why can a random person at the health department (with my permission, of course), the Infant and Toddler Program (why do they need it??), his long list of doctors, and apparently anyone else in the entire world who has some title in front of their names obtain a FREE copy of them all, but I have to pay thousands of dollars?? THEY ARE MINE. And, of course, those individuals can't disclose them to me because....... I don't know the stuff already? Oh wait, no, it's because..... they aren't ours? No, wait, that doesn't make sense either.....
That's because it's all so incredibly skewed. Why is it so difficult to get what is mine?? Everyone else seems to be able to with no problem. One answer offered to me (by someone who already has them- "Yes, they are yours, but you are paying for the ink and paper." My response "Did YOU pay for the ink and paper?"
As far as I am aware they are not yet doing electronic records where I could pay per disc or something. Still paying which is dumb, but maybe less. But, again, I wouldn't know because NO ONE WILL ANSWER THE PHONE!
Okay... I'm just being a broken record now, but this has been my life and frustration for the past several days. I have tried every route I can think of to get them at no cost and come up short every turn. No one who has them is willing to give them to me because of the potential of what could possibly happen. (I DO get that, by the way, I'm not trying to lessen that but at some point you have to say that the law just plain doesn't make sense. And really, who's gonna tell? I'm not going to say a word!!)
My rant is done. On here anyway. It shall continue in my head until there is resolution, I'm sure.
If anyone has any good suggestions or can give me any additional info, I'm game.
Mandy, I just looked at Hopkins web site and yes, 76 cents per page seems to be the fee after you fill out the request - which is a pdf file online that you can print and fax. Who is your favorite doctor, locally? Maybe they would request the records and then give them to you. To bad Johns Hopkins is not online-I just sign into my Kaiser account and there are my records. Good luck. Love, Aunt Peggy
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