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Getting in the door at Mayo - located 1,300 miles away
Does the group have tips about getting my PCa diagnosis (June, 2026 MRI, biopsy ARTERA and PET scan already done) reviewed at Mayo Clinic when a resident of a state 1,300 miles away? At present I am set up for a 15 minute "getting to know you" visit with an Urology PA next week. It has to be in person, so I have booked a flight and overnight accommodations. It can't be done via video. If I pass the audition I get paired up with a treatment team and take another flight to Rochester, MN. I'm OK with that procedure but wondered if I could be doing anything different to get paired up with a treatment team without two trips. Others may have walked this path before me! Thanks, Steve
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Have the records sent and they will get reviewed. I've seen it in MyChart test results where an outside MRI was reviewed by one of their radiologists.
A lot of what you will be experiencing will be based on your cancer case. If you have a very aggressive cancer, then you should be working with a Genito urinary oncologist at Rochester. If you can get an appointment with Dr. Heath, you will be extremely happy about the results. She’s one of the best GU oncologist in the country. If you have metastasis, you Have a very good chance of being able to get an appointment with her.
There are a number of organizations that will get you free lodging if you’re going for prostate cancer treatment. The visit you’re making is The same thing. The American Cancer Society has lodging options.
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1 ReactionGreetings,
I'm sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis, and I'm not sure that this next information is relevant to your situation at all, but I (myself) recently learned that the insistence on 'in-person' vs. 'tele-health' (or telephonic) consultations by certain treatment facilities (or their affiliated physicians), is often times the result of the health insurance provider, rather than the facility itself. For example, I was unable to get a recent tele-health visit with my original, out-of-state radiation oncologist approved by Blue Cross/Blue Shield (they insisted on 'in-person').
However, the Veterans Administration (i.e., VA Health), had no problem approving such a tele-health visit, and when asked why they would not approve tele-health visits (?), a BC/BS official subsequently explained (like it or not), that it was solely because my "out-of-state" doctor was not licensed to practice medicine specifically in my 'home' state.
That said, I realize that you may not be a veteran, or eligible for VA Health, but perhaps an alternative carrier might authorize it (?), because for me personally, as a similarly remote and recurrent patient, it does indeed seem a bit ridiculous to travel 2,600 miles roundtrip, for what is no more than an initial review and consultation, that may in-fact prove NOT to be your ultimate treatment location.
Steve, it seems insane to travel over a thousand miles to see a urology PA for fifteen minutes. If it were an oncologist, maybe. Do they understand your situation? Could you get in through oncology rather than urology.
I'm not much help.
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1 Reaction@gently
We all help each other. Don't downplay your contribution of helping.
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1 Reaction@jc76
Have you gotten an estimate in your patient portal. It may be cheaper to pay out of pocket for the video appt rather than fly there and back.