If you’re getting an MRI, read this (rant)

Browndoesntfrown

Active Member
To start off, I am a full time driver in NC. I recently fell outside of work and possibly injured my shoulder. I went to an urgent care clinic where they took an X-ray and found nothing to be broken so they sent me on my way and wrote me out for one day of work to ’recover’. Something in my shoulder locked up again the following day so I decided to see an orthopedic doctor for further examination. I made sure I went on the BCBS website and found an in-network provider. The doctor wanted me to get an MRI and so they scheduled it for me while I was there for the next day with the same medical agency. I had no idea that I was supposed to call a number on my insurance card to ‘pre-schedule’ an MRI with the USIN (United States Imaging Network) to be covered at 100%. I called the number while I was at my MRI appointment and the representative told me that I was supposed to ‘pre-schedule’ it with them before I came to the appointment and that the medical agency I was with was not covered for the MRI portion. I proceeded with the MRI appointment anyways as I am trying to get to the bottom of my injury as quick and prompt as possible but ended up having to pay hundreds of dollars for the MRI because I didn’t know the correct ‘method’ of the insurance. I am posting this as a warning to anybody that gets injured off the clock to make sure you call that number on your TeamCare card before you throw away a lot of your hard earned money because you weren’t aware of the correct procedure for MRI scan coverage with our insurance. I’m not sure that the insurance is the same for every state so maybe I sound crazy but I needed to get that off my chest. I just paid a lot of money for no reason. Thank you and have a good weekend lol.

TLDR: I got an MRI as my in-network medical provider suggested and I was not covered by insurance at full cost. Make sure you call the telephone number on your insurance card to schedule an MRI before you do so or you will waste a lot of money like I did.
 

MisplacedRailWorker

an absolute *ing disgrace of a human being.
To start off, I am a full time driver in NC. I recently fell outside of work and possibly injured my shoulder. I went to an urgent care clinic where they took an X-ray and found nothing to be broken so they sent me on my way and wrote me out for one day of work to ’recover’. Something in my shoulder locked up again the following day so I decided to see an orthopedic doctor for further examination. I made sure I went on the BCBS website and found an in-network provider. The doctor wanted me to get an MRI and so they scheduled it for me while I was there for the next day with the same medical agency. I had no idea that I was supposed to call a number on my insurance card to ‘pre-schedule’ an MRI with the USIN (United States Imaging Network) to be covered at 100%. I called the number while I was at my MRI appointment and the representative told me that I was supposed to ‘pre-schedule’ it with them before I came to the appointment and that the medical agency I was with was not covered for the MRI portion. I proceeded with the MRI appointment anyways as I am trying to get to the bottom of my injury as quick and prompt as possible but ended up having to pay hundreds of dollars for the MRI because I didn’t know the correct ‘method’ of the insurance. I am posting this as a warning to anybody that gets injured off the clock to make sure you call that number on your TeamCare card before you throw away a lot of your hard earned money because you weren’t aware of the correct procedure for MRI scan coverage with our insurance. I’m not sure that the insurance is the same for every state so maybe I sound crazy but I needed to get that off my chest. I just paid a lot of money for no reason. Thank you and have a good weekend lol.

TLDR: I got an MRI as my in-network medical provider suggested and I was not covered by insurance at full cost. Make sure you call the telephone number on your insurance card to schedule an MRI before you do so or you will waste a lot of money like I did.
I’m not a doctor, nor do I frequent them outside of FRA scheduled/preventative exams,

But I would imagine that fraudulently advertising that you accept an insurance when you in fact do not is a very large felony… even hinting at it or being misleading. My guess.
 

burrheadd

KING Of GIFS
To start off, I am a full time driver in NC. I recently fell outside of work and possibly injured my shoulder. I went to an urgent care clinic where they took an X-ray and found nothing to be broken so they sent me on my way and wrote me out for one day of work to ’recover’. Something in my shoulder locked up again the following day so I decided to see an orthopedic doctor for further examination. I made sure I went on the BCBS website and found an in-network provider. The doctor wanted me to get an MRI and so they scheduled it for me while I was there for the next day with the same medical agency. I had no idea that I was supposed to call a number on my insurance card to ‘pre-schedule’ an MRI with the USIN (United States Imaging Network) to be covered at 100%. I called the number while I was at my MRI appointment and the representative told me that I was supposed to ‘pre-schedule’ it with them before I came to the appointment and that the medical agency I was with was not covered for the MRI portion. I proceeded with the MRI appointment anyways as I am trying to get to the bottom of my injury as quick and prompt as possible but ended up having to pay hundreds of dollars for the MRI because I didn’t know the correct ‘method’ of the insurance. I am posting this as a warning to anybody that gets injured off the clock to make sure you call that number on your TeamCare card before you throw away a lot of your hard earned money because you weren’t aware of the correct procedure for MRI scan coverage with our insurance. I’m not sure that the insurance is the same for every state so maybe I sound crazy but I needed to get that off my chest. I just paid a lot of money for no reason. Thank you and have a good weekend lol.

TLDR: I got an MRI as my in-network medical provider suggested and I was not covered by insurance at full cost. Make sure you call the telephone number on your insurance card to schedule an MRI before you do so or you will waste a lot of money like I did.
Sounds like you should have read the fine print
 

scratch

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
We use the imaging and labwork providers on the Teamcare card. I've also started using GoodRX to save money on prescriptions, it's cheaper than using Teamcare to get my drugs at CVS.
 

ManInBrown

Well-Known Member
To start off, I am a full time driver in NC. I recently fell outside of work and possibly injured my shoulder. I went to an urgent care clinic where they took an X-ray and found nothing to be broken so they sent me on my way and wrote me out for one day of work to ’recover’. Something in my shoulder locked up again the following day so I decided to see an orthopedic doctor for further examination. I made sure I went on the BCBS website and found an in-network provider. The doctor wanted me to get an MRI and so they scheduled it for me while I was there for the next day with the same medical agency. I had no idea that I was supposed to call a number on my insurance card to ‘pre-schedule’ an MRI with the USIN (United States Imaging Network) to be covered at 100%. I called the number while I was at my MRI appointment and the representative told me that I was supposed to ‘pre-schedule’ it with them before I came to the appointment and that the medical agency I was with was not covered for the MRI portion. I proceeded with the MRI appointment anyways as I am trying to get to the bottom of my injury as quick and prompt as possible but ended up having to pay hundreds of dollars for the MRI because I didn’t know the correct ‘method’ of the insurance. I am posting this as a warning to anybody that gets injured off the clock to make sure you call that number on your TeamCare card before you throw away a lot of your hard earned money because you weren’t aware of the correct procedure for MRI scan coverage with our insurance. I’m not sure that the insurance is the same for every state so maybe I sound crazy but I needed to get that off my chest. I just paid a lot of money for no reason. Thank you and have a good weekend lol.

TLDR: I got an MRI as my in-network medical provider suggested and I was not covered by insurance at full cost. Make sure you call the telephone number on your insurance card to schedule an MRI before you do so or you will waste a lot of money like I did.
That’s some horrible insurance. Have the Western Region/177 carve out. No referral needed, nothing. As long as you go to an in network facility, 100% covered.
 

takesteady

Well-Known Member
I've talked about this before on here, but it's worth mentioning again that your insurance WILL lapse if you don't have at least one punch for the week. I found this out the hard way when I took the week off to be with my wife after the birth of our first child which was particularly difficult. Cleared it with my sup beforehand who then apparently entered the wrong leave code or something. Then got stuck with an almost 50 grand medical bill.

Teamcare was super unhelpful and suggested I just pay the COBRA. Eventually got a shop steward to pressure my full time sup to back date a punch for the week I missed. It worked out eventually, but it was a huge head ache and extremely stressful.

For any future fathers out there, either punch in at least once a week for the duration of your paternity leave or use your vacation time.
 

Brownslave688

You want a toe? I can get you a toe.
To start off, I am a full time driver in NC. I recently fell outside of work and possibly injured my shoulder. I went to an urgent care clinic where they took an X-ray and found nothing to be broken so they sent me on my way and wrote me out for one day of work to ’recover’. Something in my shoulder locked up again the following day so I decided to see an orthopedic doctor for further examination. I made sure I went on the BCBS website and found an in-network provider. The doctor wanted me to get an MRI and so they scheduled it for me while I was there for the next day with the same medical agency. I had no idea that I was supposed to call a number on my insurance card to ‘pre-schedule’ an MRI with the USIN (United States Imaging Network) to be covered at 100%. I called the number while I was at my MRI appointment and the representative told me that I was supposed to ‘pre-schedule’ it with them before I came to the appointment and that the medical agency I was with was not covered for the MRI portion. I proceeded with the MRI appointment anyways as I am trying to get to the bottom of my injury as quick and prompt as possible but ended up having to pay hundreds of dollars for the MRI because I didn’t know the correct ‘method’ of the insurance. I am posting this as a warning to anybody that gets injured off the clock to make sure you call that number on your TeamCare card before you throw away a lot of your hard earned money because you weren’t aware of the correct procedure for MRI scan coverage with our insurance. I’m not sure that the insurance is the same for every state so maybe I sound crazy but I needed to get that off my chest. I just paid a lot of money for no reason. Thank you and have a good weekend lol.

TLDR: I got an MRI as my in-network medical provider suggested and I was not covered by insurance at full cost. Make sure you call the telephone number on your insurance card to schedule an MRI before you do so or you will waste a lot of money like I did.
They wouldn’t have covered it until months of PT and further testing.
 

Brownslave688

You want a toe? I can get you a toe.
I've talked about this before on here, but it's worth mentioning again that your insurance WILL lapse if you don't have at least one punch for the week. I found this out the hard way when I took the week off to be with my wife after the birth of our first child which was particularly difficult. Cleared it with my sup beforehand who then apparently entered the wrong leave code or something. Then got stuck with an almost 50 grand medical bill.

Teamcare was super unhelpful and suggested I just pay the COBRA. Eventually got a shop steward to pressure my full time sup to back date a punch for the week I missed. It worked out eventually, but it was a huge head ache and extremely stressful.

For any future fathers out there, either punch in at least once a week for the duration of your paternity leave or use your vacation time.
FMLA
 
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