About a week ago, I did my 12-hour fasting so that I could go to Quest Diagnostics for a blood test. I needed the results for my regular doctor appointment early this week. I got to the place at about 7:05, 5 minutes after it opened. Ahead of me were two other patients who had lined up appointments. The guy just before me went in to the little room for his blood test and said he didn’t care whether the nurse closed the door. So it remained open and I heard the whole conversation.
The nurse pointed out that his doctor’s order for his blood test had failed to include his name at the top of the order. For that reason, she said, she couldn’t do the test. The guy objected and said that the form was clearly for him; who else would it be for? The nurse was unmoved. The guy offered to fill in his name. The nurse said that that was unacceptable.
I don’t question the nurse’s judgement. (I quickly checked my own form, and, thank goodness, my doctor had filled in my name.) I’m virtually certain that she feared, probably correctly, that she would be breaking some law or regulation.
But think about that. This guy wanted a blood test. What was he going to do with it that some government official was afraid of? He probably had to fast the same way I did. I get up early and have real trouble holding off on coffee and breakfast while I wait until I leave for the blood test. He was dressed blue-collar style and probably had tougher time constraints than I had. So he would have to go to his doctor to get his form filled out correctly and fast yet again.
When I go to buy a hamburger, I don’t need a special form filled out. A blood test is not a drug. (I don’t think the government should stop us from getting drugs either, but that’s a longer discussion.) Even if you think the government has some interest in our not having access to certain drugs, it’s wrong for the government to stop us from getting blood tests.
READER COMMENTS
gmm
Sep 27 2018 at 1:27pm
What’s the evidence that this is the government’s fault?
Alternate theory: insurance company won’t pay for the blood test without proper documentation. Therefore nurse has been told by the hospital to require the documentation.
I hope you are healthy.
David Henderson
Sep 27 2018 at 2:27pm
What’s the evidence that this is the government’s fault?
Zero.
Alternate theory: insurance company won’t pay for the blood test without proper documentation. Therefore nurse has been told by the hospital to require the documentation.
Ah. Good point.
I hope you are healthy.
Thanks. Pretty good for a 67-year old. 🙂
Phil
Sep 27 2018 at 2:50pm
Alternative theory #2. A medical lab, for obvious reasons, needs to maintain as close to 100% accuracy as possible in its records to ensure the blood draw from the man ahead of you is not confused with yours. Similarly, the lab needs to ensure that they run the proper tests on the specimen as ordered by the doctor. Thus, requiring the doctor to provide the proper, full name of the patient at the top of the form seems like a very reasonable step in a control system that needs to maintain high accuracy.
TMC
Sep 27 2018 at 4:37pm
The nurse filling in the name would take care of either of those issues.
David Henderson
Sep 27 2018 at 4:54pm
What TMC said. Also, when my turn came, she had me show her both my health insurance card and my driver’s license.
Lenny
Sep 27 2018 at 9:00pm
I’m with Phil on this – the market will punish them if seemingly insignificant cracks in data integrity protection systems are exploited by someone committing fraud. Many corporations rely on them to do all kinds of screenings.
Allowing front line people to decide whether to correct a mistake would improve efficiency but would also introduce a small crack.
Joseph Pascavage
Sep 27 2018 at 2:55pm
Does the Government require insurance companies to require identification documents to have a blood test?
Is it required to prevent fraud that could endanger the population subject to possible health failures of the recipient?
LAG
Sep 27 2018 at 3:54pm
What good is power if you can’t wield it? A rational requirement to do so is not required.
David Mohler
Sep 27 2018 at 4:09pm
I recently went to the Costco vision center to have my lenses changed from progressives to bifocals. My prescription was more than a year old so they refused to fill it, citing state regulations. I want glasses made with my current prescription. Costco wants to make them. What public service is the government providing by preventing this transaction?
David Henderson
Sep 27 2018 at 11:25pm
Thanks for the info. So your case was a clearcut case of government regulation.
Alan Goldhammer
Sep 27 2018 at 4:43pm
I had a couple of blood draws several months ago to check on some things. Not only did one have to have the complete order but also a picture ID to confirm identity. There are HIPPA privacy and record keeping regulations that have to be adhered to and the problem could have been easily addressed by a call to the doctor’s office and requested a fax form with the patient’s name. Problem is that very few doctors offices are open at 7AM.
Robert EV
Sep 27 2018 at 10:58pm
No name on the blood test means that anyone’s name could be filled in.
There are plenty of stories of people using bogus IDs to take the SATs for other people.
And then the testing clinic is on the hook for negligence when the drugged out or medically unfit person kills someone.
It’s still easy enough for someone to fake it with the name filled in, but at least that absolves Quest from the potential negligence claim.
David Henderson
Sep 27 2018 at 11:23pm
And then the testing clinic is on the hook for negligence when the drugged out or medically unfit person kills someone.
I’m not sure if you understand that blood tests don’t involve giving someone drugs.
Alan Goldhammer
Sep 28 2018 at 7:47am
David, I think the point Robert EV was making is that this particular blood test could have been for drug use which is a significant part of Quest and other diagnostic labs work. Having a “clean” person take the blood test is fraud clear and simple and one of the reasons whey identification and a completed form is required.
David Henderson
Sep 28 2018 at 11:57am
You wrote:
David, I think the point Robert EV was making is that this particular blood test could have been for drug use which is a significant part of Quest and other diagnostic labs work.
Ah, thanks.
Having a “clean” person take the blood test is fraud clear and simple and one of the reasons whey identification and a completed form is required.
True, but there’s an easy way to check. See which items are checked off to be tested for. If none of them involves a drug test, then that problem doesn’t apply.
In other words, some people are smart enough and trained enough to use their judgment. I would bet that the nurse is one of them.
Floccina
Sep 28 2018 at 3:25pm
I have been wondering if loss of trust is a significant driver of our rapidly increasing spending for schooling and medical care. Spending is increasing rapidly and yet the teachers and MD’s are less happy with their jobs and the patients are not happier with the service. See here.
We do not trust the teachers as much as we used to and so we test more and regiment them more. We don’t trust MD’s and so we build rules and bureaucracy to regiment them. Part of that is inevitable in a 3rd party payer system but it might be increased by this international competition. All the stories that tell us how poorly the USA does on PISA and life expectancy as compared to the other developed countries when there are many non schooling non health care things that effect PISA scores and life expectancy.
Robert EV
Sep 30 2018 at 11:49am
From Quest Diagnostics’ website:
Okay, you have convinced me. This is ridiculous (except Arizona).
It’s also incredibly harmful to those who can’t afford regular doctor visits.
Comments are closed.