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trystinn"I try very hard to be grateful for having health insurance at all, especially these days. That said, I hate Tricare. I can handle that they are busy, I really can. But I'm also of the mindset that if you're going to be *that* busy its probably in everyone's best interest to follow a level of professional at *least* as good as the private sector. Case in point: Last time I went for a pre-natal appt, the gal who signed me into my appt somehow managed to not do it correctly - so I missed half my appt sitting in the waiting room. Once I got in to see the FNP, she didn't have either my chart or know the reason I was coming in - which was to go over my medications to see if any of them were inappropriate for pregnancy, as well as refill them. A timely process, which is why I'd called in the request a week earlier.
Needless to say, she didn't manage to refill them either. I've got 200 glucose strips that have expired (and for the non-medical folks on my Flist, they won't work at all in the glucometer, hence the problem). Trying to get these refilled has now taken almost two months because technically its too early for a refill - even though the strips have expired. You'd think logic would dictate if I show a pharmacist a box of unopened expired strips they would replace them. But not at Tricare. I can't get a "refill" until the doctor allows it and there's no procedure to do so except getting an appt. Fast forward three weeks of being told there's no appointments available. I have an appt on Friday and have requested that my last 18 months worth of test results be printed out. I haven't gone so far as to tell them I'm doing so because I'm looking for a civilian doctor, but I'm strongly considering it."
There are days where I forget how alien my accent sounds around here, then someone reminds me. Watching "MyCousin Vinny" this morning I have to admit I must sound a lot like Marissa Tormei to folks here. The nuances I hear that designate me as being a Jewish New Yorker (think a slightly toned down Barbara Streisand) aren't as obvious to folks outside of NY. And while I can pretty much orient a New Yorker's neighborhood by listening to them speak, as would a Londoner in the UK, its only when I exaggerate it do folks hear the difference. Unless I'm tipsy, angry or tired that is - then I fall back into Jewish New Yorker with a side of matzo. And nobody mistakes it then.
The gal on Tricare, btw, brought this forward in my mind. She'd placed me on hold to find the clinic number and when she came back wasn't sure if it was me or another call and asked "Mrs. Cook, are you there?". When I said, "I'm here" she laughed and said "that's certainly you!" Two words, that's all she needed. Oy.
At the adoption, someone who knew me only online was looking for me and asked one of the covenor's who I was. To which the response was "you'll know Trista when you hear her!" To which I turned at the sound of my voice and asked "What!?!?" in Brooklynese to everyone's delight.
Some days you gotta play the game or it'll play you.
Needless to say, she didn't manage to refill them either. I've got 200 glucose strips that have expired (and for the non-medical folks on my Flist, they won't work at all in the glucometer, hence the problem). Trying to get these refilled has now taken almost two months because technically its too early for a refill - even though the strips have expired. You'd think logic would dictate if I show a pharmacist a box of unopened expired strips they would replace them. But not at Tricare. I can't get a "refill" until the doctor allows it and there's no procedure to do so except getting an appt. Fast forward three weeks of being told there's no appointments available. I have an appt on Friday and have requested that my last 18 months worth of test results be printed out. I haven't gone so far as to tell them I'm doing so because I'm looking for a civilian doctor, but I'm strongly considering it."
There are days where I forget how alien my accent sounds around here, then someone reminds me. Watching "MyCousin Vinny" this morning I have to admit I must sound a lot like Marissa Tormei to folks here. The nuances I hear that designate me as being a Jewish New Yorker (think a slightly toned down Barbara Streisand) aren't as obvious to folks outside of NY. And while I can pretty much orient a New Yorker's neighborhood by listening to them speak, as would a Londoner in the UK, its only when I exaggerate it do folks hear the difference. Unless I'm tipsy, angry or tired that is - then I fall back into Jewish New Yorker with a side of matzo. And nobody mistakes it then.
The gal on Tricare, btw, brought this forward in my mind. She'd placed me on hold to find the clinic number and when she came back wasn't sure if it was me or another call and asked "Mrs. Cook, are you there?". When I said, "I'm here" she laughed and said "that's certainly you!" Two words, that's all she needed. Oy.
At the adoption, someone who knew me only online was looking for me and asked one of the covenor's who I was. To which the response was "you'll know Trista when you hear her!" To which I turned at the sound of my voice and asked "What!?!?" in Brooklynese to everyone's delight.
Some days you gotta play the game or it'll play you.
