I need the medical history of my vaccinations for education reasons. For a variety of other reasons, I do not have access to this yellow card that already has my history, so I call my doctor’s office.
Me: “Hi, my name is [My Name]. I’m a patient of [Doctor]. I’m just calling to ask if I could get a copy of my vaccination history.”
Receptionist #1: “Your what?”
Me: “Oh, uh, my medical history?”
Receptionist #1: “Why do you need that?”
Me: “I began going to university and I need that information to prove I’ve been vaccinated. Can you guys possibly email it, or do I have to come down?”
Receptionist #1: “Uhhh, hold on.”
Eight minutes later:
Receptionist #1: “Do you have a fax machine?”
Me: “Unfortunately, no.”
Receptionist #1: “Then you have to come down to the office. It should be a quick visit.”
I make the appointment and go to their office. My mom and I already visited within the last few weeks. It was the start of a new year and insurance updating was already done. My mom got a misprint of her insurance card and went through a big hassle of getting their office to understand that the number on her card was right but the doctor’s name was wrong. I’m under her insurance as a dependent. After this confusion and debacle, the insurance company didn’t want to give my mom more than one properly fixed card, so she gave me the misprint.
I get to the office and they give me the usual forms to fill out and then ask for the card. I’m dealing with the person who I KNOW my mom dealt with last time, because he’s the only male receptionist among the other three women.
Me: “Just a reminder, the info on that card is inaccurate. The doctor’s name is [Doctor] but the number is right.”
Receptionist #2: “Uh-huh.”
Approximately ten minutes later:
Receptionist #2: “Miss! Your information is wrong!”
Me: “Yes, I know. I told you that already. It’s [proper information].”
He only looks from me to the card without even glancing at the computer.
Receptionist #2: “No, I don’t think so. This is wrong. Do you have another card?”
Me: “No, I do not. Is it possible for you to just pull up my file or my mom’s?”
Receptionist #2: “No. That’ll be $45 for today’s visit.”
Me: “What? I’m here to ask for my own medical history. Why is it so high?”
Receptionist #2: “Because you don’t have insurance.”
I was literally in this office a few weeks ago.
Me: “You know what? Can you please just pull up my mom’s file? Her name is [Mom]. We have the same insurance information and hers is the correct one; it’s the same number.”
The receptionist makes a weird face at me and then flicks his hand in an indication for me to go sit down.
About fifteen minutes later:
Receptionist #2: “Okay, fine. Your copay is just $15 dollars.”
I pay it and then go sit down to wait. Twenty minutes pass. I’m finally called in and they insist I be weighed. Disclaimer, I’m fat, and my weight hasn’t been under 180 pounds for years, and this office uses the old fashioned scale that has a weight and a balance slidey thing. As I’m being weighed, the nurse, who I’ve also seen for years, starts off on 160 before slowly moving the slider higher. Every time she does, she goes, “Oh, wow,” over and over again until we get to my actual weight. She then refuses to measure my height, despite that being the usual thing I’ve done for the last fifteen-plus years coming to this office.
I’m finally taken to a room and told to wait for the doctor. Ten or fifteen minutes later, someone finally comes in.
Nurse: “So, you’re here today to get your vaccine shots?”
Me: “What? No. I’m here for my vaccination history.”
Nurse: “Huh? Why didn’t you just call us?”
Me: “I did. You guys told me that because I don’t have a fax machine that I had to come down.”
The nurse looks back and forth from her chart to me before eyeing me suspiciously.
Nurse: “And what do you need this information for?”
Me: “I got into university and they want my vaccine history.”
Nurse: “Oooookay… Wait here.”
She leaves and I wait another ten minutes or so before she returns.
Nurse: “Can you email us the form you have to fill out?”
Me: “Uhh, it’s not a proper form? I just log into the school’s website, and on my profile, it gives me a prompt to fill it out. I took pictures of all the questions on my phone here.”
I show her the pictures.
Nurse: “Hmm… Are you sure there’s no other form?”
Me: “Absolutely.”
This time, she doesn’t say anything before she leaves the room and then comes back a few minutes later.
Nurse: “Okay, can you email us these pictures?”
I get that done and wait another ten minutes.
Nurse: “All right, so do you have the yellow card?”
Me: “No, I don’t have access to it.”
Nurse: “What?!”
I’m surprised at the suddenly loud and very shocked tone of her voice. She’s been monotone and suspicious this whole time.
Me: “I don’t have access to it. Things are complicated at home and I don’t have access to it.”
Nurse: “Well, can’t you just… ask for it?”
Me: “No, I can’t. That’s why I’m here: because I already tried my other options.”
Nurse: “All right, well, that yellow card has your medical history on it that you need. Unless you have that card, we can’t let you see your file.”
Me: “You— Wait, what? I’m asking for my history, and you’re telling me you can’t give me my own history… unless I have my history.”
Nurse: “Yes, because you need that card.”
Me: “I. Don’t. Have. It. That’s why I’m here to ask you guys — my doctor’s office — for my history.”
Nurse: “We can’t do that.”
Me: “Well, if I can’t see it, then can you at least just tell me the information that I need? I sent you the pictures.”
Nurse: “Hmmm, no, I don’t think so. Well, thank you for visiting.”
She gestures for me to leave the room.
Me: “No. Absolutely not. You guys tried to make me pay a ridiculous amount for copay I’ve never paid before, you guys did make me pay for copay anyway, and you are trying to turn me away without helping me. I haven’t even seen the doctor yet. I’m not leaving until I see the doctor.”
The nurse suddenly looks panicked and tells me to wait longer before leaving. It’s about another ten or fifteen minutes before the doctor actually shows up.
He basically sits in the office with me, holding my file, while I show and ask him the questions necessary and he tells me the dates. I’m still not allowed to see or hold my file. It comes to light there’s a vaccine shot that I actually need a renewal of, so that can also be done to get out of the way. He thanks me for coming into the office and tells me a nurse will help me with the vaccine.
Surprisingly, it doesn’t take long for her to show up, and it’s the same nurse I’ve been dealing with this whole time. The shot gets done and over with rather quickly, and then she just leaves the room. She hasn’t uttered a single word to me the whole time. I sit there a bit confused, waiting for further instructions. The nurse then pops her head through the doorway.
Nurse: “Ummm, you can leave now, y’know.”
I was honestly a bit more surprised at the sudden attitude change than I was angry. When I got to the car, the surprised feeling was gone and I was definitely more than dissatisfied with the supposed “quick visit” that lasted from 9:30 am to 11:50 am.
