Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Invasion Of Privacy?

UR Groovy

Recommended Posts

UR Groovy Explorer
UR Groovy
Posted

Hi folks,

I'm so floored right now. Something that wasn't supposed to have anything to do with my personal medical records was added to them because of a billiing error, not to mention that they billed my insurance company, which also wasn't supposed to happen. At this point, they can't remove the information from my medical records because of federal law.

This is how it happened:

I went to the endodontist and the assistant pricked her finger (after I left) with a needle that had been used on me. subsequently, I rec'd a call from them requesting that I go in for bloodwork because the gal that had been pricked was taking precautionary meds to halt the possible progress of HIV or Hep C or B, and it was making her really sick.

So, as a favor to them (because I understand the emotional torture of not knowing whether you have a life-threatening virus and because I understand how horrible some of those drugs can make you feel) I was more than happy to go in for testing. So, I go in & sign the releases - 1 for them to release the records to the Endo & 1 for the results to be sent to me. Well because I happen to be a patient of this HMO (not for long - I plan to cut all ties with these guys after this) and because the stupid lab that processed my bloodwork blew it, my insurance was billed and they tied it to my medical records. I was assured when I went in (again, as a favor) that I, as a patient, would have nothing to do with it and they would be billing the Endo & not my insurance.

This has nothing to do with the Endodontist - they did everything right - it's my medical group I'm aggrevated with.

Here's the problem (2 problems): I never received the results (I was supposed to have them 2 weeks ago). I don't know if anything came up positive or not. Now when I see my nephrologist, there it is in black & white. What if (long shot) it's positive for one of them? How's that gonna affect my ability to get insurance if my husband changes jobs? And, also, I won't be the one telling my nephrologist about it - it's already there ! They assure me that the charges will be re-imbursed to my insurance.

I don't think anything came out positive because the endo says that the doctor took the gal off the meds, and also I was tested when they were trying to figure out what my kidney disease was connected to. I didn't have anything 4 years ago - I just feel invaded ! :angry:

They're (the HMO) sending me a complaint form that I can fill out and send in RE: Invasion of privacy, but I almost think it's a CYA for them. Like 10 people have called me today from the HMO about this. Apparently, when I said "I don't think this is something you should be taking lightly", they listened.

Oooooh - I'm sooo mad :angry:

Usually, I'm a pretty friendly kind of gal, but I'm so pissed right now !

Maybe just a vent, but wouldn't you be mad too?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


gfp Enthusiast
gfp
Posted
Hi folks,

I'm so floored right now. Something that wasn't supposed to have anything to do with my personal medical records was added to them because of a billiing error, not to mention that they billed my insurance company, which also wasn't supposed to happen. At this point, they can't remove the information from my medical records because of federal law.

This is how it happened:

I went to the endodontist and the assistant pricked her finger (after I left) with a needle that had been used on me. subsequently, I rec'd a call from them requesting that I go in for bloodwork because the gal that had been pricked was taking precautionary meds to halt the possible progress of HIV or Hep C or B, and it was making her really sick.

So, as a favor to them (because I understand the emotional torture of not knowing whether you have a life-threatening virus and because I understand how horrible some of those drugs can make you feel) I was more than happy to go in for testing. So, I go in & sign the releases - 1 for them to release the records to the Endo & 1 for the results to be sent to me. Well because I happen to be a patient of this HMO (not for long - I plan to cut all ties with these guys after this) and because the stupid lab that processed my bloodwork blew it, my insurance was billed and they tied it to my medical records. I was assured when I went in (again, as a favor) that I, as a patient, would have nothing to do with it and they would be billing the Endo & not my insurance.

This has nothing to do with the Endodontist - they did everything right - it's my medical group I'm aggrevated with.

Here's the problem (2 problems): I never received the results (I was supposed to have them 2 weeks ago). I don't know if anything came up positive or not. Now when I see my nephrologist, there it is in black & white. What if (long shot) it's positive for one of them? How's that gonna affect my ability to get insurance if my husband changes jobs? And, also, I won't be the one telling my nephrologist about it - it's already there ! They assure me that the charges will be re-imbursed to my insurance.

I don't think anything came out positive because the endo says that the doctor took the gal off the meds, and also I was tested when they were trying to figure out what my kidney disease was connected to. I didn't have anything 4 years ago - I just feel invaded ! :angry:

They're (the HMO) sending me a complaint form that I can fill out and send in RE: Invasion of privacy, but I almost think it's a CYA for them. Like 10 people have called me today from the HMO about this. Apparently, when I said "I don't think this is something you should be taking lightly", they listened.

Oooooh - I'm sooo mad :angry:

Usually, I'm a pretty friendly kind of gal, but I'm so pissed right now !

Maybe just a vent, but wouldn't you be mad too?

Ok, insurance aside.... Why feel bad about being tested?

This whole stigma thing is so stupid ....

Firstly the worst possible case.. lets say you had cause to want to be tested because you had unprotected sex with a stranger .. Ok, a bit stupid in todays age but YOUR BUSINESS all the same... but this is just one reason for being tested!!!!

A perfectly valid reason is you are a nurse and prick yourself with a needle, a guy who someone stabs with a blade for no good reason... or like me just a dumb guy who's girlfriend was having multiple affairs!!! Why should I fel stigmatised by being tested whe she was the one sleeping about???

Does it make me mad too? Yes ... but who is more stupid? Someone who has been put at risk and then forgoes testing and risks infecting someone else or someone who takes responsibility and gets tested???

I recently had to get a full suite of STD and HIV tests because of my ex girlfriend cheating on me... I didn't try and hide it from friends or family.. what did I do wrong??? (We were together for 5 years) ... I doubt she has even considered it... so really who should be embarrassed?

So I just thought that might at least put it in a different light... Not everyone who gets tested has done anything wrong!! Indeed I bet its less than 50% since those stupid enough to take the risks are probably the last to take responsibility

The insurance might be a different matter though!

blueeyedmanda Community Regular
blueeyedmanda
Posted

the first thing done wrong here was with the whole needle prick.

I work in a hospital and for years worked in a lab processing blood work, when a nurse or employee gets a injury with a sharp or blood tube, both the employee and the patient are notified immediately. Both have the blood drawn, (2) 5ml red tubes, which are tested for HIV, HEP's etc. There is never any medication given to an employee until those results are back.

Why that nurse was given meds was wrong. You should have been told to go get that blood work ASAP. The nurse would have to have it drawn as well.

The tests them self are done within 3 days. You should have had those results.

If you need any other help, regarding this issue feel free to PM, I had any invasion of privacy happen to me last Spring and I will help you through it. It is just not something I want to post in public.

Amanda

UR Groovy Explorer
UR Groovy
Posted
  • Author
Ok, insurance aside.... Why feel bad about being tested?

This whole stigma thing is so stupid ....

Firstly the worst possible case.. lets say you had cause to want to be tested because you had unprotected sex with a stranger .. Ok, a bit stupid in todays age but YOUR BUSINESS all the same... but this is just one reason for being tested!!!!

A perfectly valid reason is you are a nurse and prick yourself with a needle, a guy who someone stabs with a blade for no good reason... or like me just a dumb guy who's girlfriend was having multiple affairs!!! Why should I fel stigmatised by being tested whe she was the one sleeping about???

Does it make me mad too? Yes ... but who is more stupid? Someone who has been put at risk and then forgoes testing and risks infecting someone else or someone who takes responsibility and gets tested???

I recently had to get a full suite of STD and HIV tests because of my ex girlfriend cheating on me... I didn't try and hide it from friends or family.. what did I do wrong??? (We were together for 5 years) ... I doubt she has even considered it... so really who should be embarrassed?

So I just thought that might at least put it in a different light... Not everyone who gets tested has done anything wrong!! Indeed I bet its less than 50% since those stupid enough to take the risks are probably the last to take responsibility

The insurance might be a different matter though!

Yeah,

I'm sooo not upset about being tested. Like I said, I was more than happy to do it. I went through volunteer testing years ago because of the same type of reasons you were - it never really occurred to me that it would have been anyone else's problem, or to be embarrassed about it. I think the invasion of privacy was that my insurance and medical records will reflect this. I'm sure that when I get the results, all will be well. It just kind of burns me up that they tied the results to my medical records despite the fact that they told me that it wasn't going to be. I get your point though.

Take care, sir. I hope you're doing well.

the first thing done wrong here was with the whole needle prick.

I work in a hospital and for years worked in a lab processing blood work, when a nurse or employee gets a injury with a sharp or blood tube, both the employee and the patient are notified immediately. Both have the blood drawn, (2) 5ml red tubes, which are tested for HIV, HEP's etc. There is never any medication given to an employee until those results are back.

Why that nurse was given meds was wrong. You should have been told to go get that blood work ASAP. The nurse would have to have it drawn as well.

The tests them self are done within 3 days. You should have had those results.

If you need any other help, regarding this issue feel free to PM, I had any invasion of privacy happen to me last Spring and I will help you through it. It is just not something I want to post in public.

Amanda

Thanks Amanda,

They did call me when it happened, but didn't ask me to come in for testing until a week later. I thought that was careless. I thought it was pretty cruel to put the poor girl on these meds without any proof that anything was there.

Anyway, I appreciate your offer of help. Sometimes things happen that just make you feel violated. It's kind of unavoidable, I guess. I don't think I'll pursue this any further. Hopefully, they'll get my results & copies of the releases that I signed to me right away and I can file this one under - "LESSON LEARNED". That HMO is toast as far as I go - they'll miss my business - they've already probably funded a special wing with the dough i've thrown into that joint.

I suppose, in addition to that, No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. <_<

blueeyedmanda Community Regular
blueeyedmanda
Posted

fajitas I hope all works out for you. As much I as hated working in the lab I did learn some things on the inside and it helps me understand the whole medical world a little easier. I try to spread that wealth whenever I can :)

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. lizzie42
      - lizzie42 replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      3

      Son's legs shaking

      Thank you! That's helpful. My kids eat very little processed food. Tons of fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and occasional red meat. We do a lot of rice and bean bowls, stir fry, etc. Do you think with all the fruits and vegetables they need a vitamin supplement? I feel like their diet is pretty healthy and balanced with very limited processed food....
    2. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Russ H's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Anti-endomysial Antibody (EMA) Testing

      That is interesting, and it's the first time I heard about the umbilical cord beings used for that test. Thanks for sharing!
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      3

      Son's legs shaking

      @lizzie42, You're being a good mom, seeking answers for your son. Cheers! Subclinical thiamine deficiency commonly occurs with anemia. An outright Thiamine deficiency can be precipitated by the consumption of a high carbohydrate meal. Symptoms of Thiamine deficiency include feeling shakey or wobbly in the legs, muscle weakness or cramps...
    4. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Paulaannefthimiou's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      2

      Bob red mill gluten free oats

      Oats naturally contain a protein called avenin, which is similar to the gluten proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. While avenin is generally considered safe for most people with celiac disease, some individuals, around 5-10% of celiacs, may also have sensitivity to avenin, leading to symptoms similar to gluten exposure. You may fall into this...
    5. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to SamAlvi's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      6

      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      @SamAlvi, It's common with anemia to have a lower tTg IgA antibodies than DGP IgG ones, but your high DGP IgG scores still point to Celiac disease. Since a gluten challenge would pose further health damage, you may want to ask for a DNA test to see if you have any of the commonly known genes for Celiac disease. Though having the genes for Celiac...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,869
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    MaryannHall
    Newest Member
    MaryannHall
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • lizzie42
      Son's legs shaking

      By lizzie42 · Posted

      Thank you! That's helpful. My kids eat very little processed food. Tons of fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and occasional red meat. We do a lot of rice and bean bowls, stir fry, etc.  Do you think with all the fruits and vegetables they need a vitamin supplement? I feel like their diet is pretty healthy and balanced with very limited processed food. The only processed food they eat regularly is a bowl of Cheerios here and there.  Could shaking legs be a symptom of just a one-time gluten exposure? I guess there's no way to know for sure if they're getting absolutely zero exposure because they do go to school a couple times a week. We do homeschool but my son does a shared school 2x a week and my daughter does a morning Pre-K 3 x a week.  At home our entire house is strictly gluten free and it is extremely rare for us to eat out. If we eat at someone else's house I usually just bring their food. When we have play dates we bring all the snacks, etc. I try to be really careful since they're still growing. They also, of course, catch kids viruses all the time so I  want to make sure I know whether they're just sick or they've had gluten. It can be pretty confusing when they're pretty young to even be explaining their symptoms! 
    • Scott Adams
      Anti-endomysial Antibody (EMA) Testing

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      That is interesting, and it's the first time I heard about the umbilical cord beings used for that test. Thanks for sharing!
    • knitty kitty
      Son's legs shaking

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @lizzie42, You're being a good mom, seeking answers for your son.  Cheers! Subclinical thiamine deficiency commonly occurs with anemia.  An outright Thiamine deficiency can be precipitated by the consumption of a high carbohydrate meal.   Symptoms of Thiamine deficiency include feeling shakey or wobbly in the legs, muscle weakness or cramps, as well as aggression and irritability, confusion, mood swings and behavior changes.  Thiamine is essential to the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine which keep us calm and rational.   @Jsingh, histamine intolerance is also a symptom of Thiamine deficiency.  Thiamine is needed to prevent mast cells from releasing histamine at the slightest provocation as is seen in histamine intolerance.  Thiamine and the other B vitamins and Vitamin C are needed to clear histamine from the body.  Without sufficient thiamine and other B vitamins to clear it, the histamine builds up.  High histamine levels can change behavior, too.  High histamine levels are found in the brains of patients with schizophrenia.  Thiamine deficiency can also cause extreme hunger or conversely anorexia.   High carbohydrate meals can precipitate thiamine deficiency because additional thiamine is required to process carbohydrates for the body to use as fuel.  The more carbohydrates one eats daily, the more one needs additional thiamine above the RDA.  Thiamine is water soluble, safe and nontoxic even in high doses. Keep in mind that gluten-free processed foods like cookies and such are not required to be fortified and enriched with vitamins and minerals like their gluten containing counterparts are.  Limit processed gluten-free foods.  They are often full of empty calories and unhealthy saturated fats and additives, and are high in histamine or histamine release triggers.  It's time you bought your own vitamins to supplement what is not being absorbed due to malabsorption of Celiac disease.  Benfotiamine is a form of Thiamine that has been shown to improve intestinal health as well as brain function. Do talk to your doctors and dieticians about supplementing with the essential vitamins and minerals while your children are growing up gluten free.  Serve nutritionally dense foods.  Meats and liver are great sources of B vitamins and minerals. Hope this helps!  Keep us posted on your progress!
    • Scott Adams
      Bob red mill gluten free oats

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Oats naturally contain a protein called avenin, which is similar to the gluten proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. While avenin is generally considered safe for most people with celiac disease, some individuals, around 5-10% of celiacs, may also have sensitivity to avenin, leading to symptoms similar to gluten exposure. You may fall into this category, and eliminating them is the best way to figure this out. Some people substitute gluten-free quinoa flakes for oats if they want a hot cereal substitute. If you are interested in summaries of scientific publications on the topic of oats and celiac disease, we have an entire category dedicated to it which is here: https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/oats-and-celiac-disease-are-they-gluten-free/   
    • knitty kitty
      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @SamAlvi, It's common with anemia to have a lower tTg IgA antibodies than DGP IgG ones, but your high DGP IgG scores still point to Celiac disease.   Since a gluten challenge would pose further health damage, you may want to ask for a DNA test to see if you have any of the commonly known genes for Celiac disease.  Though having the genes for Celiac is not diagnostic in and of itself, taken with the antibody tests, the anemia and your reaction to gluten, it may be a confirmation you have Celiac disease.   Do discuss Gastrointestinal Beriberi with your doctors.  In Celiac disease, Gastrointestinal Beriberi is frequently overlooked by doctors.  The digestive system can be affected by localized Thiamine deficiency which causes symptoms consistent with yours.  Correction of nutritional deficiencies quickly is beneficial.  Benfotiamine, a form of thiamine, helps improve intestinal health.  All eight B vitamins, including Thiamine (Benfotiamine), should be supplemented because they all work together.   The B vitamins are needed in addition to iron to correct anemia.   Hope this helps!  Keep us posted on your progress!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.