Because Bassett is full of shit. Bullshit, in fact.
Bassett has a hell of a lot of nerve saying that they’re a reliable health care service. Ha! All they really care about is making as much money as they can; they don’t care about what the patient wants. They only want the patient to be obedient and do whatever they say.
Anyway, I’ve completely lost all respect for Kelly, the doctor who was supposed to set me up with a referral to the orthopedic in Buffalo. I take back everything I said about her being “willing to help me.”
When I had gone to see her on Wednesday… well a couple of weeks ago, I had asked if she could refer me out to the Dr. Bisson in Buffalo, because I felt that someone who had published research on clavicle osteonomies would definitely know what he was doing, and I wanted to be positively sure that the surgeon who was going to operate on me wasn’t going to kill me for not knowing what he was doing.
A couple of days later, my mom called me to let me know that Kelly had received the medical information from Ithaca Orthopedic Group. The message passed to me was “Kelly wants to refer you to one of the Bassett orthopedics in Oneonta but if you want to be referred out to the orthopedic in Buffalo, she’ll see what she can do.”
So I had given their office a call, letting them know “I would like to be referred to the orthopedic in Buffalo, kthnkbai.” And they seemed perfectly fine with it, though Barbara had said “Kelly would really like for you to see one of the orthopedics in Oneonta first,” but I made it very clear that they weren’t needed. So they said that they’d work on getting the referral for me.
Anyway, on Friday, I was awoken my a call on my cell phone. This time, it was Connie, one of Kelly’s nurses. She told me that Kelly “couldn’t refer me out to Buffalo because it was out of her network, buuuuuut she could still refer me to one of the orthopedics at the Bassett center in Oneonta.”
At the time, I told her I’d “get back to her later.”
Earlier today, mom called up GHI inquiring about the network. And, as I thought before, it’s statewide. Nothing is stopping Kelly from making that referral, because Dr. Bisson IS in the GHI network. So, after I found out this info, I called the office once again. Barbara was the one who answered the phone, and the conversation went as thus:
“Hi, I’m Regina Baker. I was called a couple of days ago about the referral to Buffalo.”
“Okay, hold on one moment.”
*on hold*
“Hello Regina? Connie’s not available right now.”
“That’s okay. Anyway, I was told by Connie that Kelly couldn’t make the referral because it was out of her network. But I made a call to GHI today and I was told that I can be referred to anyone in the state who takes GHI. So… can Kelly refer me out to the doctor in Buffalo, please?”
“Kelly left a message saying that she wasn’t comfortable with that referral.”
“… Is that so.”
“She’s had a lot of success with referrals to the orthopedics in Bassett’s Oneonta Center.”
“Yea, but those doctors can’t help me. The reason why I wanted to be referred to the doctor in Buffalo is because he can help me.”
“Kelly isn’t willing to make a referral out to that doctor.”
“Really. And, if you don’t mind me asking, why is that?”
“I don’t know, ma’am. But if you’d like, I can leave a message for her to see if she’ll make the referral anyway.”
“Yes, you go do that. Thank you.”
“Bye.”
*hangs up without responding*
That stupid bitch Kelly isn’t willing to make that SIMPLE referral, because Dr. Bisson isn’t in the Bassett network, therefore Bassett won’t be making any money. So she’d rather send me to a useless orthopedic just so the company can leech more insurance money from me. She’d rather make more money than help me fix my problem. And all she needs to do is fill out ONE STINKING REFERRAL, and send it to Dr. Bisson! And schedule me an appointment! And how do I know that’s the reason? Not just because of other experiences our family has had with stupid Bassett doctors, but because the specific quote “Kelly isn’t willing to refer you out to Buffalo.” and how they kept pushing to get me to go to the stupid Oneonta center to see their doctors who won’t be able to do SHIT!
Fuck you! I’m not going to let you pull me away from where I know I’m going to go. I don’t give two craps if you’d rather I see your orthopedics. I’M NOT GONNA GO SEE ‘EM! I know Dr. Bisson is gonna be the best doctor who can help me, and so I’m gonna go see him, and if you aren’t going to give me that simple referral, then I’m gonna find someone who will!
And already, I’ve found a local doctor who owns a private practice, and is an independent. Therefore, he won’t get on my god damn case about seeing a “specific doctor” and that bullshit. I’m sure he’ll give me the referral I need, for sure. Hell, I probably can get the referral from Dr. Krauss when I got see Laurie at the Ortho Group here in Ithaca.
As for Bassett? Well, they can all go kill themselves. I’m NEVER gonna see ANY Bassett doctors for as long as I live.
Bassett isn’t in the business of actually helping people… They are a corporation and the ones that they help are their share holders.
I wonder if the same doctor is at that orthopedics that looked at my hand some 20 years ago… said “yep, its broke. Sorry you can’t write, but WE can’t help you. Go home and take some aspirin. You’ll probably have arthritis in your right hand by the time your 30. Oh by the way make sure to pay on your way out… heres your bill.”
With that noted on my file with them, the local Army recruiter turned my app. down flat, ripped it up in my face. As far as they were concerned I’d never be able to type or hold a weapon. Not that I really wanted in the army anyway, I was just trying to satisfy my parents need to try and push me.
But now I have more inflexibility and strength in my hand than before, and I’m now over 30 and no arthritis. Bastards, I did their job for them on myself.
There was a second instance that I had to deal with them and between the two, as well as watching what you and your family has gone through so far with their general practitioners, and what I’ve seen of what my family has gone through with them….
I think I’d rather die than go to one of their doctors again.
That’s kinda STUPID! i wonder why she wouldn’t let you go to buffalo to see that doctor…anyways…I was really looking forward to you fixing your clavicle…that’s just rude of her to do that…well…maybe RUDE is not the word I’m looking for but…Of course my brother went there and they billed us for an ambulance ride, even though THEY forced him to ride the ambulance. I’m pissed…
Well, Nat, the reason why she won’t refer me out to Buffalo is because the doctor in Buffalo isn’t a part of the Bassett network, so her company wouldn’t be making money. She’d much rather have her company make money than have me get my problem solved. But don’t worry, it’s not over yet. Mom and I found a doctor who’s independent, and I can probably get a referral from Krauss here in Ithaca. I’m going to talk to my mom about it and see what she thinks.