jrlehnardt Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 OK so i have my doctor saying I should go to the mayo clinic and see Dr Goodman. Now that he is putting in the referral, what should I do? Do I talk with insurance? Do I call mayo and ask if they deal with my insurance, do I talk to the Dr goodmans office and ask what type of people and tests I will need to be seeing during the same week because if my insurance approves me to see Dr Goodman but then he wants me to see a cardio, endo, etc. Wouldn't it be best that I have had my pcp put all those referrals in and approved before I get there? How do I get in as fast as can? I am just needing some tips/advice for all this to go smoothly and as quickly as possible. I have been waiting over a year to be able to go (had pots for 6) but the last 2 years I have been bedridden and getting worse, so I don't want to waste any more time and I want to have everythinglined up so i don't run into glitches with insurance (we have military insurance) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sue1234 Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 Others can answer better about seeing Dr. Goodman specifically, but I can tell you Mayo can answer all those questions for you! They are excellent at finding out whatever you need to know. I must say that I called my insurance first to see if Mayo was an in-network provider(it was) and what to expect if the doctors wanted to do procedures the next day that normally need approval time. My insurance said usually they can understand the situation of being from out-of-town and can approve it right away.Definitely give your insurance a call to ask what to expect with going to Mayo where they might pass you out to other specialists within a 7-10 day visit, plus the tests on the spot.I was able to get in in 10 days, so not sure what the average wait is. It will go pretty smooth once at Mayo. I was an odd case(I found out later), in that the test I needed to get done couldn't be done for 2 weeks. Instead of waiting to do it, I just put it off until I go back in April. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julieph85 Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 All you need is the appt. with Dr. G. Once he see's you he will make the referralls himself to other specialists there and scheduling will set up the appointments for you for that week. Once you know your doctor has sent the referral, i would call them yourself and make the appointment. They take your insurance info. at that time and then they handle the rest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrlehnardt Posted February 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 OK, just got off the phone with my insurance so I know what has to be done to get it all approved, it is different from regular insurance as it is insurance for military and i am seen at a military facility so i do have to do more but it should work out. But I do need to call the mayo and find out what other specialists I might be seeing that week because i do have to have a referral in and approved for all not just Dr. Goodman. I looked online and all I could find was a general number for the mayo and to make appt. I am not ready to make an appt as I still am working with insurance and referrals, is there a number to call to talk to the desk at Dr. Goodmans office so I can ask what other specialists I need to see during that time. Does anyone know the phone number, julieph85? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sue1234 Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 You can ask at that general Mayo phone number to speak to someone in Dr. Goodman's office. They'll connect you right up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrlehnardt Posted February 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 OK thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sue1234 Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 Ask anytime you need an answer about Mayo. Plenty of people have been. I panicked at my appt. because my doctor said he'd do a test, but it couldn't be done for 2 weeks. I did not know at the time that I had to go back in April. And, with my history of having doctors dismiss me sooooo easily, I kind of panicked and thought he was just putting it off so far so I would just forget it and go home (which I almost did). I was on here asking people if this was normal, because I was not "feeling the love" from Mayo. Most had talked about going for a few days or a week, and having all their testing done and answers, then going home with a plan. I later found out that, for some strange reason, they really could not fit me in for two weeks. Then, I had to go back to see other specialists in April, so I will do it then. But, I really went expecting to see all the specialists, do the tests and know something all within a week or ten days. I don't know why I got spread out over 2 months, even though I am a 12 hour drive away. I hope you have better luck.Overall, I am hopeful, though. Time will tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icesktr189 Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 I just went through this and got approved today for Mayo clnic to see him (My insurance usually does not cover mayo but my cardologst made the referal). I went to set an appt today and they told me Dr. Goodman has no openings for MONTHS They said they would call back if someone cancels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comfortzone Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 There is always one "lead" primary doctor that is yours at Mayo when you go for something such as dysautonomia ~ for you I guess that's Dr. G. The usual way it goes is that it may be enough to see just him with zero referrals at all. Also he cannot know you until he sees you - and once he meets and sees you - he has to think ... Once he thinks - he will begin the process of deciding what it is that will best benefit you in your time there. He will put in the orders for the different testing he thinks will help him to help you. Based upon the answers from the tests/testing and his physical exam and your history - he will decide if you also need to see someone else. You may or may not. If you do need other visits while you are there - it is the schedulers who take care of the appointment making. You will be given a "main" scheduler who should be your contact person for all your scheduling needs while in AZ. Schedulers should know that you are an out of town person if that is the case. They will try to have all of your appt.s come together in consecutive days. Sometimes there will be zero openings for a specialist till a month or two away. When that happens sometimes you are advised to just show up at 8am in the lobby of the department where your desired appt. is. You go to the scheduler and say you are going to be standing by waiting for an opening - either through a cancellation or some time that opens up in the docs day. So you plan to bring reading material or your computer so you don't get too bored and you just wait. Sometimes within the hour you will find that someone has made you an appt. after all! You will carry a pager so that you will know when to go back in the scheduling line to find out when that appt. is.... this is how Dr. G's Scottsdale appt's work - something similar may happen at the hospital ...Each day as more results come back Dr. G will also schedule you your final summary type of appt. You go to that and discuss what the plan will be for you once you are home again.Because you have an insurance that I'm sure Mayo has worked with before - you wouild be wise to call them and let them know that you are calling to make a Dr. G appt. -- you can then make the appt. over the phone probably - or if not now - when the next 3 month portion of the years schedule opens up... then also ask them about your concerns as regards the possibility of referals with your style of insurance - ask them how this all works when you are on a tight out of town type time schedule - they should be able to answer your questions to your satisfaction. Good luck to you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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