Tricare People must read this.

I had a very trying day today, but I'll try and keep it short.  Up until today, things have gone fairly smoothly.  Surgery is in two weeks and today was my day for blood work and gall bladder u/s etc.  The appointments were stacked fairly close so I was already running late for the GI appt.

When I got there, they asked me for my referral.  I will skip over the part where nobody told me that a separate referral was required for this.  I had the authorization etc for bypass and have gone to all the other appointments with no issue.

I was having a circular argument with Tricare, the GI office, the bariatric office and the PCP office and getting nowhere fast.  Tricare said they had to get a request from my bariatric doctor.  My doctor's office said they don't do referral requests it has to come from PCP.  Called PCP, explained situation to them.  Told them tricare could do a verbal over the phone ( which they told me they could do) and fax authorization to GI specialist.

Called back 30 mins later to find that PCP hadn't done a damn thing.  Said they couldn't make the request without a reason!  Guess they weren't listening the first time, because I had to explain it to them about three effing times. Bottom line, nobody wanted to do anything to help or suggest anything and they kept referring me to each other.

I finally got both the Bariatric Office and the PCP office to contact Tricare so my authorization will come through (supposedly on wednesday)  I had to cancel my endo and will reschedule later in the week. 

Bottom line, if you are going through WLS with Tricare and you think you have your authorization and approval all squared away, it doesn't end there.  Most doctors, I believe, want an endoscopy done prior to surgery and if they do.  YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO GET A SEPARATE REFERRAL AND AUTHORIZATION  FOR THIS.  Chances are no one will tell you this.

Had I known I needed it I would have had it sorted out. As it is no one told me, and I had no way of knowing.  So you don't need just one authorization you will need two.

People on Tricare need to know this. -especially when your PCP office is very reluctant to help.  I just hope I save just one Tricare victim from going through this particular fiasco.

Wow, I can understand your frustration!  I'm retired military spouce and it never surprises me when I have "run ins" with Tri-care.  I am currently under Tri-care prime and have only had difficulties with "emergency care" .  I had my endoscopy preformed early (horrible experience!)-- but have had not issues with Tri-care prime yet (with RNY surgery).  I hope everything from now on will transpire more smoothly for you.  Love and lIght brenda

Would love to have that

Curious to know how you managed to get "grandfathered" into the old tri-care system.  And to know that you don't even have to get referrals is like ....Wow...really?"  How does one get the old type of care?  :)

I think Elizabeth is right about standard because when I was at the GI office today that was what they inferred.  BTW I just noticed that you messaged me.  I was away from the desk (trying to help my disorganized son find his classA scout uniform. -no luck)   To answer you question, I am not in diet classes with Moazzez becuase I took ww. 

I was at the dietician nutrition group last week though.  Geez, I better go, I think my son is breakdancing upstairs instead of looking for his uniform!

I've been fairly lucky up till now.  And in the end I don't think my surgery will be pushed back. So it's not as bad as it seemed today.  At my age I should know by now things don't always go to plan and get a bit more zen with it.  I did  take a couple of deep breaths today so I didn't totally lose the plot.

I wasn't well equipped to deal with it today.  It's day two of TOM and I shouldn't even be out the house on days like this.  Then I had to fast (not even water) for the ultrasound.  By the time I got to the GI my tongue was stuck to my mouth.  They had everything booked back to back and I was haring around like crazy.  I finally got to stop and drink when I was waiting for the call back from PCP.  LOL, when I tried to call her back the phone was acting up and I could hear her but she couldn't hear me.  Nothing was going right today.  

I've got prime.   Hubby is retired and it seemed like the best pick.  When I was in Va Beach, I never had a problem with referrals etc.  Now we are in Northern VA and it just seems different up here,  I don't know why because it's the same Tricare area.

If you remember, I posted about this endo last week because I was annoyed about having to ask for help for someone driving me to and from hospital.  Got that sorted and now .....oh well better not get started.  Relax, relate, release.  Wooooosaaahhhh!  That's what my friend tells me to do when my celtic blood gets stirred up. 

I'll tell you something else that's not pleasing me.  Tricare MADE me go to Bethesda for my cardiac clearance.  Driving an hour and a half each way to get it done isn't what's ticking me off.  It's the fact they haven't forwarded my EKG results to my surgeon's office.

I've had to run round different phone numbers and talk to different people and it's STILL not done.  I could get another EKG done but then Tricare would probably question a second one and not pay for it.  I shouldn't have to freakin drive all the way up there and back to get something that should be faxed, but that may be what I end up doing!

It feels like I am having to do the jobs of all these different offices and trying to keep up with who has and has not done what they need to do.

(PCP's office has "misplaced" my endo authorization and is looking for it now)  I like the Doctor but I think I am going to switch doctor's.  Her office goofs up a lot.