I moved recently with my husband to his newest duty station. I finished the PCM, tri-care didn’t get it yet when I mailed it in Friday. My husband and I think we have an oops baby and I may be pregnant. To prevent complications with current medication I am on and other factors, I need medical confirmation I am pregnant; the home tests registered positive, but I need blood test by a nurse or Doctor to confirm. So I contact the base hospital and they refuse to schedule me an appointment and say I must wait till the PCM has been submitted fully. I ask the woman on the phone why I can’t see anyone if I am a military dependent with have tri-care, and she wouldn’t exactly give me a straight answer. I understand base hospitals are full as it is, but this isn’t exactly something I can wait around for. I need to confirm that if I am pregnant or not. She then proceeds to tell me that I can call tri-care, but she doubts they will give me any approved doctor or base hospital for general care until they finish my PCM form. I called a few local practitioners and they even told me that they can’t see me since I have not be assigned to them yet.
Why will they refuse to schedule me an appointment even though I have full insurance? I am going to Planned Parenthood to get a blood test, since I can’t utilize my insurance right now apparently. Is this common? For them to deny an appointment just because my PCM has not been finished yet on their end? This isn’t a cough and cold; this is something important I need to know now, not a month or two from now.
Update:Yes, Leslie, we have Prime. I do find it ridiculous. What is the point of having insurance if they will not see me? I am trying to contact tri-care now. Unfortunately, I have been on hold for a while. I am glad I am not the only one who thinks this is rubbish.
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No, it's outrageous...do you have tricare prime? Regardless of weather or not they have assigned you a PCM or not, you should still be in the tricare system, and most of the time, if you are travelling or new to a base they will give you a waver to receive care until your medical records are switched to the hospital. I've never been in a base hospital that doesn't have a tricare office. I would go there and explain your situation, and let them know that it's an emergency and you need to be seen asap. Don't be a afraid to put your foot down. Sometimes in the military, nobody can give you a straight answer, and then you find out down the line that you were given the wrong one!
Remember that the military is a very strict and orderly organization, everything must be documented. Government "red tape" always holds people up, regardless of being military or any government office, they're all like that. I doubt they will 'bend' any rules for you just because that is how they operate, always have. Until your papers are stamped and approved, you will wait. BUT if you can get another opportunity for healthcare until then use it!!! Nothing is wrong with Planned Parenthood, just be glad you can get the test without paying from your wallet. Be thankful you are in luck here. Use what is available till then. Lots of people don't even have that, imagine. And, if for any reason you need to pay, keep the bill and submit for reimbursement when you're approved. Too bad you hadn't been able to get these papers in before arriving at your new location ... I expect a total of 4-6 weeks in total is a normal wait time for anyone. Anyone.
Unfortunately the army has to do everything the hard way. When I got pregnant last year, I was seeing an off post doctor, but they didn't have a gyn doctor that was under tricare. Needless to say they had to switch me to an on post doctor, and it took a couple weeks before they could get me in. When my husband was in the process of PCSing I moved home to stay with my parents till everything was settled and just told the doctors there that tricare was my insurance and really had no problem, except for some reason they won't pay for one bill and we are still trying to get that taken care of.
It's all bureaucratic nonsense, unfortunately. Although your paperwork has been put in, they won't do anything until they get explicit permission. Heaven forbid they have to hold off on billing your insurance for a couple of weeks!
That being said, if you have taken home pregnancy tests and they have come back positive, then you're pregnant. It is INCREDIBLY rare to get a false positive and a lot of those HPTs are very sensitive.
You should go on the assumption that you ARE pregnant right now and determine everything from that point on.
Good luck!
The military is just like any government office: All organized and formal documentation a.k.a. "red tape" must be completed before anything can move ahead. It isn't you they are trying to annoy; it's just their old fashioned, military ways ... They never change or bend for anything. Until approval is made of your papers, you will be waiting. Fortunately, if you can use other facilities in the meantime, that's great. Nothing wrong with Planned Parenthood, if they can help you until your papers are done. Likely 4-6 weeks in total, common for military or government processing.