Healthcare Catch-22

[Rexedgar]

At a certain age the healthcare system becomes more prevalent in your life. I had been seeing a certain physician in one practice for about 20 years. My doctor retired and I was assigned another doctor in that practice. We seemed to hit it off. Before my next appointment, the practice dissolved and the announcement was clunky, at best. The replacement that I was assigned before, left the practice and I had to track him down on social media. He said that he was bound by an NDA, so he couldn’t talk about the break-up of the practice.

Fast forward to today. The doctor has emerged in a new office and is accepting new patients. I contacted the old office, seeking to have my records forwarded to the new office. There is a form that I had to fill out and hand deliver or fax to the records office. Who uses a fax anymore? I don’t have fax capabilities, so I imported the form to PDF, filled out and signed it. Trying to make an end run, i called the receiving practice to see if I sent them the document in an email, could they forward it via fax. I was informed that since the document included my name and birth date, they couldn’t receive it because HIPPA. Email isn’t “secure” but a fax that is printed on paper and will be lying around an office somewhere, is a secure communication. The missus took the document to the local library and faxed it………..

 

[mrjurrs]

At a certain age the healthcare system becomes more prevalent in your life. I had been seeing a certain physician in one practice for about 20 years. My doctor retired and I was assigned another doctor in that practice. We seemed to hit it off. Before my next appointment, the practice dissolved and the announcement was clunky, at best. The replacement that I was assigned before, left the practice and I had to track him down on social media. He said that he was bound by an NDA, so he couldn’t talk about the break-up of the practice.

Fast forward to today. The doctor has emerged in a new office and is accepting new patients. I contacted the old office, seeking to have my records forwarded to the new office. There is a form that I had to fill out and hand deliver or fax to the records office. Who uses a fax anymore? I don’t have fax capabilities, so I imported the form to PDF, filled out and signed it. Trying to make an end run, i called the receiving practice to see if I sent them the document in an email, could they forward it via fax. I was informed that since the document included my name and birth date, they couldn’t receive it because HIPPA. Email isn’t “secure” but a fax that is printed on paper and will be lying around an office somewhere, is a secure communication. The missus took the document to the local library and faxed it………..

tff

Except when you have to deal with it...

Good luck

 

[Emily L]

I've sent and received legal things through e-mail, but I guess HIPPA is a different animal. Bummer.

 

[Manc Skipper]

I vaguely remember being able to email to a fax machine, but that was years ago, on gmail, I think.