I do, and sorry for the delay. - Edit 1
Before modification by Joel at 15/02/2010 02:13:12 PM
You're not bound by it if you don't trust their choice, after all, but they can tell you who's on their list (or vice versa, depending how you want to look at it) and also give you an idea of whom you should see based on what's happening. That's what I did when I needed my wisdom teeth out, though part of that was not wanting to pay a lot more accidentally going to an out of network dentist.
*nods* Fortunately most people do take BCBS, and I have found that there are useful sites (like yellow pages for doctors) where they list all forms of insurance accepted by a given office. Too bad I still haven't found anyone available yet...
I hope and pray you've been able to change that by now. *hugs* I've been a bit distracted by my own insurance crap; hopefully I'll still have a job when I show up tonight, but it's really up to the companys FMLA carrier and God at this point. Fortunately the latter actually cares about me; hopes and prayers it's enough.
Based on my limited experience with a different insurer tests themselves shouldn't be much more than the copay, if anything (but if you call Blue Cross they can almost certainly tell you that as well) and if they're covered they're covered; you don't have to "prove you're sick" to get medical care (that's more of an issue if you DON'T have insurance and HAVE to go the ER; they can't refuse to treat a sick patient, but they can decide you're not sick and send you on your way. ) With my insurance it's fractional: You pay x% and they pay y% up to a certain amount, and once that amount is reached in a given year they pay the rest. Again, if you call them they can tell you the specifics and probably put your mind at ease (at least some. ) Unless it's urgent you probably want to avoid the ER, because that's the most expensive route, and I believe some insurers will even deny claims if you go to an ER when you didn't have to do so.
Hm, I think ours is probably similar.
At this point, what confuses me more than anything else is the way my mother has always complained about medical bills... she'll talk about the total cost, which is weird, since I know insurance covers at least some. Oh well, she's not always that rational with money.
She may mean total cost to her, since you don't always get billed for everything at once, even if you get all the treatment at the same place. One nice thing about insurance is they'll usually send you a statement of what they did and didn't pay that summarizes your final cost, though you'll still usually have to contact multiple care providers (who'll send you actual bills) individually.
I'm sorry you're ill, and hope and pray it's nothing serious. Get well soon, and let me know how you're doing, please. Also: Scratch Pippins right on top where they meet his head for me. 
*hugs muchly*
*hugs muchly* Thank you, and will do.
*hugs back* (lol, I turned around to do so and he was totally nomming on my lacy underwear. Bad doggie!) No comment on that last part, however well you set me up for it.
*hugs more*