...for the haggling. But look upon it as a matter of principle. All of life's transactions are negotiable.
She instantly agreed that I'd been overcharged. The steps she had to take to correct the error were involved, but I finally received a refund of $15.08. (Maybe it was worth it.)
...it's not over yet. I left no message during my attempts to call. Today Carrie called me again. I don't know if she knew she'd called me before. She repeated the purpose of Honest Health and how a nurse could provide additional services associated with my primary doctor, as part of Albany Med. I asked what the services might be, provided as they would be, by telephone calls. Oh, checking in on me, maybe helping with appointments, communicating with my doctor, etc. It has been my recent experience , that when a doctor orders a test, that the test is sometimes scheduled months in the future. So, with nothing to lose, I said I'd agree to Honest Health's offerings, at least temporarily. Nurse Sue will be calling me, or so I understand.
I'd already received the letter from Medicare, which my primary doctor's office had apprised me of. Everyone on Medicare would receive that letter, at least in New York State. So I was not surprised when I received a call 3 days ago from a pleasant sounding woman named Carrie, but unfortunately, I was away from the phone and missed the call.
She left a message explaining the Nurse Care Management Team, associated with Honest Health, in partnership with Albany Med, to which my primary doctor's service belonged, would be available to offer additional services to me if I so chose. She left a telephone number for me to call for more information if I was interested.
With nothing to lose, understanding that Medicare pays for the services, I called the number. I want to verify what type of help would actually be available---what a member of the Care Management Team could actually do to help. I called, was connected, was told to wait to speak to the Nurse Care Person, but in a few seconds was told "that all of our nurses are busy helping other callers." That is a familiar situation, but again, instantly, the voice said not to wait for a person, but to leave my name and number to be called back.
I did not do so, as I dislike waiting around to receive callbacks. Who knows how long that might be. So I called later in the day, and the next day, and met with the exact same scenario.
Maybe just coincidence, but my somewhat cynical mind suspects otherwise---that this Care Management Team is structured so that it is one-sided and all the communication is generated by the Nurse Care Management Team, and not the patient. I'll try again hoping to rid myself of my suspicions. But I can't see how this organization can be helpful to me. HONESTLY, I don't.
So I called the next day, again, and received the same recorded message, after only a very short wait time; "We are currently unavailable, assisting other patients. Leave your name and phone # and we'll get back to you." Seems like the ball is always in their court.
The voice that awoke me from last night's dreaming, not once, but twice, was my own.
The first time, I am advising those setting a quite fancy dinner table, for a formal event to which I was not invited. The family members were evidently not including napkins because there were none they considered suitable. I told them to go ahead and use the economy pack of paper napkins: put 2 of them at each place setting. They're better than nothing.
The second time I woke to my own voice, my words were, "Well, because it's my dream." I assume I must have encountered some opposition to the advice I'd given earlier.
I didn't know that I ever talked in my sleep, but I woke to my own spoken words.
I'd received telephone call wanting to confirm my relationship with my primary care doctor, quickly mentioning her name 3 times. I tried to ask about the service he was representing, but he said he'd transfer me to another line, which went dead. Caller ID supplied the name Prospero Crespo.
I suspected the call was a scam, and emailed my primary's office. I received a response saying it was not a scam, that all on Medicare would receive a letter confirming a new pilot program, Medicare's ACO Reach Program---"to improve health care and better meet individual health needs."
I received such letter from Medicare a few days later. The letter contained a number to call for any questions. I called it, asked about the call I'd received, supplied the name on Caller ID. The rep said he had not heard of Prospero.
crespo.
Today, June 1, the U. S. Mail brought me the letter from Albany Med Health System, Honest Health, CMS, Honest ACO of New York LLC in Nashville, TN.
A yellow banner across the top of the page reads: NOTIFICATION ONLY." I wonder why that is there, what could it mean? That I am being informed, but not to have any expectations to use any of what I'm reading?
I'm sure there is a reason for why it's headed only a notification. I just don't know what it is.
Just 3 days ago, I asked if a script for a procedure from an Albany Med. participating doctor's office could be sent to Samaritan prior to my office visit. I was told that it would be difficult if not impossible, and anyway it would take such a long time to be received that it would not be in time for my office visit, which would not be of any value without the results from the script. "We are in 2 different systems, you know."
I meekly accepted her explanation, though I know my primary care doctor is in the Albany Med system and she has been sending scripts to Samaritan for years.
When Prospero Crespo called me last week, apparently to advise of what is in this letter, I suspected it was a scam. His accent was difficult enough to understand, but he could not understand me at all, leaving me on line, which led nowhere.
I advised my primary care office, that the caller kept repeating the doctor's name.The office assured me that Honest Health was legitimate.
If I were of a critical nature, I would question the choice of name---what the heck is honest health? Opposed to dishonest health? Bad enough there is already an Honest Weight.
The program's purpose is to improve my health care experience and better meet my individual needs. The emphasis is on coordination. Unfortunately, many of the doctors I see are too busy to do more than barely coordinate what they are reading on the computer with the patient in front of them---all in the 15 minutes allotted for the office visit.
But I remain optimistic---the letter is so detailed as to help it can offer. I'm hopeful that adding another layer to the delivery of health care services can only improve things. HONESTLY.
