[paulat585]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

I'm confused. I read this post at least 5 times and I still don't know what happened. If you need blood work, the blood can be drawn at any lab and most doctor's offices, and the results are available online to both the patient and the doctor who wrote the order. The doctor or nurse should explain the results to the patient either by phone on in person. But, in my experience the patient is rarely charged for more then one office visit copay unless the doctor needs to see the patient more than once. And, why would any office tell a patient to come in to "pick up the results", when they can be faxed to the PCP in a minute? If your PCP felt the need for "stat" blood work, he/she should have been available to receive the results and explain them to you immediately at least with a phone call. It sounds like the PCP wanted to pass the OP off onto the urgent care office because it was a weekend. So, the urgent care office told the OP to come pick up the results, and then refused to provide them without seeing a doctor and paying. If so, I think they should have told you that on the phone before you went there. Also, the PCP should have told you how and when you would be receiving the results. I am continually disappointed by the way patients are treated with disrespect and a lack of communication by medical offices.

This is an appropriate interpretation of what happened. I wouldn't have complained had the original Urgent Care person told me the "pick up" would be charged as an office visit. The PCP wanted me seen--did not issue any orders.