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Getting a Diagnosis for Chronic Pain
I have a dear friend with undiagnosed chronic pain. She lives in WI. She has seen many different specialists in the area, however there is no continuity or coordination across the Drs. I am wondering if a trip or two to Mayo Clinic in MN with the sole purpose of finding a diagnosis and identifying treatment options is possible. How does someone make this happen? Who coordinates the overall visit and diagnosis? I would imagine someone decides which specialists and/or tests will begin narrowing the list of potential diagnosis.
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I trìed to get a. appointment through Mayo Connect. I did get a return phone call with some disturbing news. Since I'm on Medicare and I have a PPO supplement, I was told the Mayo does not accept "new government-paid patients" if they haven't been to the Mayo in 3 years. So much for the Mayo slogan about the patient coming first and all that. My husband is a Mayo patient and he's been with the Mayo for over 20 years now. At one point he received a letter stating he couldn't see a regular PCP unless he would forego his Medicare benefits and become a self-pay for the PCP portion of his care. What do you bet that Mayo receives government funding for their projects yet won't help patients on Medicare. If someone finds this incorrect, try and make my appointment. Thanks.
@blueeyez I had a similar experience a few years ago when I tried to make an appointment at the Mayo Clinic. I called in December and was told that there was only a two week wait for an appointment with a neurologist. In January my insurance changed to Medicare. I called Mayo on January 2nd to make an appointment with a neurologist and was told, “The schedule is full.” I was encouraged to see my own doctor or doctors in my area who were affiliated with Mayo. No thanks.
I googled to see if the Mayo Clinic was for profit and this is from their website:
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to clinical practice, education and research, providing expert, whole-person care to everyone who needs healing.
Hi @blueeyez, I can certainly understand your frustration at not being able to get an appointment.
Mayo Clinic accepts new Medicare patients. Mayo Clinic is one of the largest Medicare providers in the country. Unfortunately, Mayo Clinic can’t honor all requests they receive from Medicare patients who want to come to Mayo Clinic. Medicare patients are accepted in all practice areas where there is capacity (appointments available) to accommodate them and most importantly, as the medical needs of these patients require. The only exception is the small family medicine facility in Glendale, Ariz.
Since you are a returning Mayo Clinic patient, it is likely that the department where you wish to get an appointment is fully booked and is not taking any new patients at the moment.
Mayo Clinic is a non-participating provider under Medicare Part B. This means that we see Medicare patients, but do not always accept assignment for payment. In these cases, Medicare pays the patient who is then responsible for reimbursing Mayo Clinic for the services provided. I wonder if this is the situation for your husband.
Further details about Medicare and Mayo Clinic can be found on the Mayo Clinic website here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/billing-insurance/insurance/accepted-insurance/medicare
Blueeyez and @patrick17, I realize that my responses fall short of getting you an answer specific to your situations. To get help investigating the reasons relevant to each of your cases, I recommend calling the Office of Patient Experience. They can investigate further and perhaps help navigate the system with you. Here is their contact information:
Mayo Clinic Office of Patient Experience
Phone: 844-544-0036 (toll free)
Email: opx@mayo.edu
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3 ReactionsThis is usually the problem with the Medicare Advantage plans. They really aren't Medicare anymore, you have the HMO plans that make you stay in your home district, It honestly stops the Patients from getting their advised second opinion. The price is usually good, but very poor coverage, Barbara
@blueeyez
I have no understanding of insurance.. from the Mayo website:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/billing-insurance/insurance/accepted-insurance/medicare/more-on-medicare
@colleenyoung Hi, Colleen, thank you for your response. It’s been over two years since I tried to make an appointment at Mayo Clinic so it’s water under the bridge now. It was upsetting to me at the time because I found it a little hard to believe that it went from being a two week wait to see a neurologist in mid-December to the schedule being full on January 2nd.
A few months later I was seen by an excellent neurologist at a nearby teaching hospital so all ended well.
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1 ReactionI have a question. I will have to go on Medicare at age sixty because I am on SSD. My husband’s union offered United Health Care Medicare Advantage at no cost to me. It’s a PPO plan and you can go out of network to any doctor who accepts Medicare and they will pay the same if they are in network. Are the PPO plans any good? The union plan sounds great but I have no idea what they pay doctors. I was originally go to get regular Medicare with a part G plan supplement.
I have a PPO and am quite satisfied. I went from an HMO to a PPO so that I could go out-of-state. I would check with a reputable insurance person who deals with Medicare and supplemental plans.
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2 ReactionsThank you
Does the Mayo Clinic treat VA referrals as Medicare? I am disabled and had over 10 back and neck surgeries and still live in pain (average 5 on the pain scale). I have a Metronic drug and new stimulator and still have pain. My daughter lives in Jacksonville where there is a Mayo Clinic I would like to try to get in.