United HealthCare Services

I've had an issue with my left leg for weeks now. It finally got to the point where I could not put ANY pressure on it at all and went to urgent care on 3/17 and was diagnosed with sciatica and was given muscle relaxers and anti-inflamatories and told to stay off it for 3 days. I went back to urgent care on the 23rd, I went back to urgent care because my symptoms had gotten progressively worse. (the symptoms were severe pain in the knee, back of calf, radiating pain from thigh to ankle, numbness in foot, and a stabbing pain in the back of my knee if I put any pressure on it, like trying to WALK) so they sent me to the ER, thinking it could be a blood clot. The ER took an Xray, said it looked "hinky" gave me 12 pain pills and told me to get an MRI, which had to be referred by my doctor. So the next day, the 24th, I saw my doc and he agreed and ordered an MRI, which apparently has to be approved by my insurance, UNITED HEALTHCARE. (as an aside, the anti-imflamatories are somewhat helpful. The pain meds are not. I still have those because they don't work so it's useless to take them. I am a legal assistant and need my wits about me to work.

In TYPICAL fashion, rather than simply approving the MRI so I can get a diagnosis and be able to WALK again, they decided it required a peer review. You know, because MRI's are expensive and you can't just cover a procedure that would pinpoint my problem immediately so that I can WALK. These things have to be discussed with other doctors who know absolutely nothing about my situation. These decisions take time. Meanwhile, I CAN'T WALK! So it's been a week of HOBBLING 3 blocks to work and 4 blocks back. While they are screwing around with their decision, because they have NO IDEA what the problem is. Makes perfect sense right? ? For all they know, I could very well be doing irreparable damage to my left leg by hobbling around on it, which could end up costing them MUCH MUCH MORE! If it were any of THEM or their MOTHER or their DAUGHTER who was hobbling around in pain for weeks, I can ASSURE you that ANY procedure requested would immediately be AUTHORIZED! This is blatant BAD FAITH! A monetary complaint will follow if I to suffer like this much longer and particularly if it turns out to have caused MORE damage than if it had been handled expeditiously in the first place.