I'm having some big problems but no answers. Help?

[G_G]

I have gotten sinus infections or colds that normally should last 3-7 days, I suffer with them for three weeks or more at a time.
My hands and feet are almost always cold and my hands shake and tremble.
I fell and cut myself skating in August, I have still had the scab/ wound until now, and it didn't finally stop splitting open again until about a month ago.

I also have severe acne, and I have not gotten a period since March. They skipped before this time, too, but never for this long.


I could not stand it anymore and went to a doctor, telling them these symptoms.

I SPECIFICALLY asked for my hormones to be tested because of the acne and lack of periods, and to check for reasons why I would be staying sick so long and not healing normally.

I told her I knew for absolute fact I was not pregnant, have never EVER been with a male, have never been in any possible situation where I could get pregnant.

She had a nurse come in and give me a blood test that day, and told me to come back later in the week for some type of ultrasound.

Well, I went in for the ultrasound at the appointed time, and the technician claimed she could not see what she was supposed to. Then she stuck a camera in my vagina. She apologized and said "sorry, I don't really know what I'm doing." I was in pain from this procedure for a week. A week later, I was called back and informed I had to come BACK in because the nurse ordered the wrong blood test, and I had to be stuck again.
I went back in, had the blood test done. I was told they were going to call my house with results. They never did.

[1jitterbug]

G_G,

"Collect venous blood venipuncture", is not a test...it just means they took your blood to run a test.  Many providers or labs charge just to collect the blood specimen. They had to have run a test with that blood that you are not aware of. Did this physican know you didn't have insurance to cover these tests?  You might call her office & ask to speak with her & tell her your concerns she could possibly get these tests charged off as a professional courtesy. Also you have the right to copies of every test result she ran. It's the law in the US.  You need them if you see another physican.

Good Luck.
TJ

[Jeffrey S Guy, M.D., M. Sc.]

Boy.  It sure sounds like you’ve had a rough go of it.   To answer your question, is getting a urine pregnancy test on you illegal?  I don’t think so.   It would depend in some degree on the consent for treatment that you signed.   Often, patients may not know that they are pregnant, but as you said you have not had intercourse for a period of time.  In other cases, some patients do not accurately provide information to their providers, therefore, the safest course of action is to do the pregnancy.   Can a urine pregnancy test cause harm to the patient? No.  

[G_G]

I waited two weeks with no call from them at all. I had to call them myself and the receptionist claimed she called and talked to me already. she did not. She was very vague with my ultrasound results and told me I should consult a gynecologist. When I questioned her she finally said "The ultrasound was essentially normal." Then she said the ultrasound would be sent to my home. It never was. She said the blood results were not in yet, and they would call back again when they got them, which would be by the 24th.

It's been another week, no call at all. I left a message on their answering service and they haven't even replied/called back to that.
Then, today, I open up my mail, and there's a bill from this medical center charging me $101.42 for tests that I did NOT ask for.


They tested me for: "Collect venous blood venipuncture", "Urinalysis Non automated W/scope", "URINE PREGNANCY TEST".
Those are the only tests they ran, and I did not authorize or ask for a pregnancy test.
I'm wondering, is this illegal? I didn't give them any permission to check for pregnancy.