Peanut #3

I had my first OB appointment today. It started out a little rough:

MA enters room.

MA: So your a self pay?
Me: Yes
MA: Are you just in transition, will your insurance kick in soon?
Me: No, I'm paying cash for services. I already called and talked to billing.
MA: We have an office on the South side of town that is much less expensive than this office.
Me: Is there a problem with me paying outright?
MA: No, it's just that you'll get a better discount for cash if you go to our other office.
Me: How much of a discount? Do you have a difference in the schedule of fees?
MA: Let me see if I can get that for you. The NP will be in soon. The first appointment is just a meet and greet.
Me: I'm sorry, I wasn't notified of that when I made the appointment. I expected to at least come away with having the fetal heart rate monitored.
MA: Let me talk to the NP and see what she can do...

Okay, I was feeling pretty peeved at this point.
#1 I'm not paying to meet a Nurse Practitioner.
#2 The billing should have been sorted out and confirmed when I called initially.
#3 Insurance and medical billing is one of the largest legal rackets around. AUGHGHGHGH!!!!!!

NP enters the room

NP: Blah Blah Blah medical history, blah blah blah date of last pregnancy, menstrual cycle.....
Me: I'm sorry, did the information I entered into your system last night(via online medical records) not get recorded?

NP: Oh, I'm sure it did. I just haven't gotten a chance to look at it yet. This first visit really gets you established as a patient and do an initial pap, and STD screening, the next two appointments...
Me: I began spotting a couple days ago, I'm fine now. I really need you to check the fetal heart beat, so I know if this is still a viable pregnancy or not.
NP:Oh...Okay... Sure, let's get you fixed up in the ultrasound room.
Me: Great, Thank you! I actually said all this very nicely, despite my irritation.

The rest of the appointment went great. I received a few great shots of our little peanut number three. Nubs and all. The doctor said I had a "pretty" ovary, and my fibroid is about the size of an almond. I opted out of the other unnecessary procedures for now.

Lisa from billing came down and gave me a schedule of fees. Turns out the real savings comes from getting my labs done on the Southside- rather than paying 350 I'll pay 150 per lab appointment. (I only need to make two lab appointments.) The NP assured me she wasn't sending me someplace scary... I explained I was familiar with the area-I shant be afraid...

$240 dollars later, I left the office feeling happy and satisfied. I got my ultrasound, and everything looks just peachy. Hurray!!!!

We had an electrician come out and fix our outdoor electrical problems today. So we should be ready to go with a lawn again. Yipee.