During my last pregnancy, I had an easy time deciding which OB/GYN office I would go to. I worked downtown, and would be there 40 hours a week, so I decided to go to a clinic downtown. I figured chances were pretty good I would go into labor at work, and if not, the drive wasn’t so bad that I wouldn’t be able to make it to the hospital.
I picked a doctor that came highly recommended, and I absolutely loved her. I had a great experience with the practice and with the hospital, but I didn’t automatically assume I would go there next time I got pregnant. I didn’t work downtown any more, and it’s quite a hike to make just for an appointment.
So, in January when I came up pregnant, I ended up going to an OB office close to my house. I knew the doctors and the nurses there, and was comfortable being seen. I went through both of my miscarriages there, and started to feel like it might be the right place for me to go to deliver my next child.
Until Monday.
You see, Monday I called to make a New OB appointment, and I was informed by the scheduler that ALL patients must first have a ‘confirmatory’ GYN visit, where they do a pregnancy test and ultrasound. Normally, and if I were a regular person, I would be very excited to get to have an ultrasound to confirm my pregnancy.
Only, my insurance isn’t great. And they’re not going to pay for an extra ultrasound. When I told her that I didn’t want the ultrasound, I was informed (over a period of being on hold for nearly 30 minutes) that it is clinic protocol, and EVERYONE must have that ultrasound. I politely informed her that it was MY RIGHT as a patient to refuse any medical test for ANY reason, and that they couldn’t force me to have an ultrasound I didn’t want. She told me that if I didn’t want to have the ultrasound, I would have to talk to her manager. She then transferred me to her manager, who didn’t pick up. I left a message, and my call hasn’t been returned. Since Monday.
Quite frankly, I’m disappointed. The customer service was awful, and it left me hanging up the phone feeling entirely pissed off. If they had accepted that I didn’t want the ultrasound, they would have been out, what, 200-400 dollars? But now that I’ve chosen not to deliver there, they’re going to be out the whole cost of my pregnancy. Just for the record, Ronan’s delivery came to greater than 14,000 dollars, of which we paid 3500 out of pocket.
So, now I’m left with the question of where to go instead? My instinct is to go back downtown to the doctor that delivered Ronan, but there is some bad mojo there. One of my former coworkers (that hates my guts) is very good friends with my doctor’s nurse. That nurse and I had worked together, and moved downtown together, and became close friends. We used to go out to lunch together every week. She was there for Ronan’s delivery because my mom couldn’t be, and I wanted someone there that cared about me. But I haven’t heard from her since I left my downtown clinic. She’s never returned my calls or texts. I hate the idea that going there will bring up bad feelings, or even worse, that she would talk about me with someone that dislikes me after my visits.
I honestly believe she’s above that, because she’s a sweet, wonderful, caring person. I guess all I can do is call, make an appointment, and find out. If it doesn’t work out, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m not very good at handling confrontation. And I hate the idea of trying to find a new practice. But no matter what, it will get done, because I don’t really have a choice.
