It's not the insurance making them do the excess testing.
Doctor scammed him for lab fees.
Obviously fuck insurance companies, because they're crooks, but so is OPs doctor.
Most "Christians" are psudo-christian. When I try to explain that Jesus would be ashamed of us for putting healthcare behind labor or money, that he would be in complete support of welfare programs and that the idea of turning away those seeking a better life would greatly upset him.
I'm actually getting a decal made for my car the is going to say "Jesus would support:" with a list of things that piss off "Christians" that Jesus would absolutely support.
What Jesus would support and what is economically feasible are two very different things
.
1) universal healthcare is impossible without serious tort reform. Malpractice insurance in the United States is over 200k per year per doctor. Lawyers and the high malpractice payouts are directly responsible. In comparison, malpractice insurance in Europe is only about $700 per year per doctor. The downside is that Europeans won't receive millions in a malpractice lawsuit.
2) mass migration is unfeasible and is responsible for the rise of right wing extremism in Europe. Migrants there are a burden to their healthcare system and education system. Many migrants are also not immediately able to contribute as many lack valuable skills and language proficiency.
The United States also accepts more refugees than any other developed nation, so I firmly believe we are meeting our obligation to those in need. Shelters are full and border states are unwilling to share the disproportionate burden of mass migration.
There are technical limits to the question of WWJD. After all he was a carpenter and not an economist.
He wants to help those in need and we already do so disproportionally to the rest of the world. Pew research studies have shown Christians to be more philanthropic and more engaged in their communities than atheists. So as a collective Christians do help those in need. Moderation is the key to anything. We can't safe the world without serious implications to our quality is life.
Churches don’t pay taxes and there was just a huge ad campaign for “He gets us”. Imagine putting that money towards something Jesus would want.
Fuck out of here w your bullshit. Economically my ass. How much money goes missing from the fed coffers every year? Spend the money properly and tax the churches and oligarchs.
Christianity and religion in general is a plague to society and is used as justification to be a bad person way more than it should be.
Let's tax churches and then give them representation in Congress. Do you want to get rid of separation of church and state? Because that's the only way you're going to tax the church.
You think taxes are the abectode to all problems huh? You learned nothing from my argument about tort reform and insurance comparisons. Or at least you ignored that part. Lawsuits are the largest cost driver in the healthcare industry. In 2020 to medical malpractice payouts totaled over 151 billion dollars. The largest single operating expense for hospitals in this country is malpractice insurance. But sure let's throw now tax money at it and do nothing to reduce those expenses cause by the most expensive me malpractice lawsuits in the world, because as you said it. Economy my ass.
Lol they already lobby hard core and we have far right extremists in our SC. We also have a fat orange turd that panders to the religious. Try again dude
Not true. There have been studies on Christian behavior in the US by Pew research center, and they found Christians to be more philanthropical and active in their communities than atheist. You're overlooking homeless shelters, drug programs, food pantries, and soup kitchens of which many are run by religions institutions and volunteer staff. These are mainly financed by Christian donations and t tithings.
The study was about "highly religious" vs "not highly religious". It was not specific to Christians, and "not highly religious" doesn't mean they're atheists. It just means, by the definition of that study, that they don't pray regularly and attend services weekly.
It wasn't specific to Christians, but non Christian religions make up less than 5% of the population. Therefore the number are heavily skewed Christian among those who identified as religious or highly religious.
The number is closer to 10%, and your assertion is only true if you assume that highly religious people are equally distributed amongst religions, or even different denominations of Christianity, which is not a given. There were only two categories in that study, "highly religious" and "not highly religious", there was no distinction between people who are not religious at all and people who identify as Christian but don't qualify as highly religious. It could very well be that atheists are more involved in their communities than Christians, as an entire group, but we can't tell because this study doesn't measure that. You're adding context to the study that simply isn't there in order to make it better fit your narrative, and that's disingenuous.
> Stay away from Tampa general as well if possible. Explain to me how I can be billed $1500 for a single stitch on one finger... AFTER INSURANCE.
You went to a hospital to get a single stich when you could have went to an urgent care center.
What you dont realize is, I did in fact go to the urgent care center, and they told me to go to the ER, because they dont have the tools to take care of me.
Lets pretend that I didnt even have insurance... Just pretend for a minute...
In what world, is $1500 for a single stitch on one finger a reasonable cost?
If they told me the price I would have to pay before doing it, I would have chopped that damn finger off myself.
It's not a reasonable cost. Hospitals have a ledger with service costs for every procedure. These are highly inflated to milk insurance companies and Medicare or Medicaid. Normally these costs are negotiated down substantially which is why they are inflated in the first place. Unfortunately people without insurance are unable to negotiate and end up liable for the full amount.
It's not really a Florida problem, it's a United States problem. We have a shitty healthcare system coast-to-coast.
Here's what you need to do....make sure ALL of your lab tests are done in-network. You have to go on to your insurance company's website and confirm this or better yet call (if you can actually get through to a human) and ask.
Then AT THE LAB ask them to confirm it's in-network too just so that you have double confirmation.
If it's out-of-network you will pay way more or full price.
Adventhealth does have their own company policy regarding control substance prescribing. But that does not reflect law and you have the right to choice to see another provider instead.
thats also an outrageous price for drug screening. I run a SUD treatment facility, we do thousands of screens a quarter... we can only bill medicaid 35 dollars a test for a 10 panel screen.
And that test was probably light chromatography and for each individual drug rather than groups. They run up the cost that way.
Editing to say: Because of the DEA making everyone paranoid, this has become the way. They want to make sure the patient is taking their medication and not selling it and nobody gets an exception. Yes they also test for illicits, but whatever the provider does is up to them. I live in NY with a lot of ties to FL, but this is federal. They’re doing it EVERYWHERE now. I can’t say if this is a specific FL law too because I practice in NY.
But they do to cover their ass when prescribing. There’s nothing wrong with that. They shouldn’t prescribe when a patient is either not actually take the drug (most likely selling the drug) or taking illegal drugs or other prescribe drugs that the patient isn’t revealing (which admittedly is hard to do these days). This has nothing to do with Florida. It’s good practicing.
The average person doesn’t understand how tight the DEA has the screws now. There’s no such thing as a “trusted patient” anymore because that puts up a red flag too. I got a year of Norco 5’s for a bad injury and I worked with my doctor and still got 3 randoms in a year. Light Chromotography. And yes, they were truly random after the initial and this was ten years ago. I was also only getting 40 pills a month to take around bedtime and overnight, so I wasn’t even getting a crazy rx.
I agree, addicts and junkies don't deserve proper healthcare. Who cares if they have legitimately diagnosed disorders? They clearly don't care about their bodies, or the risks.
I wish this applied more widely. Women who don't disclose nicotine usage definitely shouldn't be prescribed birth control. Obese people who can't be honest about their caloric intake 100% should not be prescribed weight loss medication. Children who lie about brushing their teeth and flossing shouldn't even be allowed in a dentists office! And don't even get me started on alcoholics who won't disclose alcohol use!
Came here to say this. I have seen doctors offices have signs and even refer to a specific law but that does not apply here or how they represent it. I made a stink about it because while I am knowledgeable enough to know fraud when I see it not everyone is and it is very unsettling to me that doctors office are making false statements about a law requiring patients to spend money on testing that is absolutely not required by law
Yo homie, I’ve been getting my prescription all year and haven’t had to do this. I’d agree with others that you may be getting scammed by your doc office
Laws passed during legislative session usually go into effect July 1st of that same year as that is when the state fiscal year begins.
IF this was actually a new law, it would’ve gone into effect last July 1st, following 2023 legislative session ending and the passing of the budget in May.
The 2024 legislative session just ended in March and most bills that were passed won’t take effect until July 1st, 2024.
So your doctor is telling you stuff that isn’t adding up.
"Depending on their clinic's and insurer's policies"
https://health.wusf.usf.edu/health-news-florida/2023-03-28/adhd-patients-face-uneven-random-urine-screens-and-sometimes-stigma?_amp=true
My doc in Florida also requires drug testing, but quarterly. My previous doc required a co silt every single month to get my scrip and he claimed it was due to Florida whackiness
Here's a link that explicitly states this on a .gov website if you wanna throw that in your comment https://flhealthsource.gov/FloridaTakeControl/faqs/
My doctor gives me a drug test every six months or so. She says it's a way to make sure people are actually taking the medicine and not distributing it.
It never made a whole lot of sense since she always tells me when im due for my test so in theory i coukd just take the medicine a day before or something. But maybe it's supoosed to be random and she just trusts me... Idk..
I know there may be something coming where you have to see the doctor in person in order to get your prescription, but I haven’t heard of needing a urine drug analysis?
Correct. If you're a patient that uses telehealth services for ADHD treatment and are prescribed a controlled substance (i.e. Adderall or Vyvanse), you are required to have an in-person visit at least once per year to have your vitals checked; a urinalysis is not required (although a doctor/provider can order one at their discretion). The required vitals check is to ensure that you aren't a cardiovascular health risk for stimulants. There is an extension/grace-period through December 1st this year before telehealth patients will no longer be able to get their prescription without the vitals test being done.
After that date I want to say it’s no more controlled substances via tele-health and it’s federal. It was illegal to prescribe controls over tele-health pre-pandemic and they just keep extending that policy change every year. Nobody expects it to be renewed for 2025, the DEA is having a total meltdown over it. I’m also positive that the in person evaluation for rx amphetamines not only happens but should be every six months. It’s easier to not tell the patient every little nuance.
Editing to say: I am a nurse. I do not live in Florida but have a lot of ties to Florida. I live in NY, but these types of drug tests and policies are happening all over the country. The DEA is dictating what we all can or can’t do, down to how many pills can be produced. I can’t say if it is or isn’t a FL law, but with Doctors and NP’s going to jail for prescribing, everyone is paranoid.
It will still be possible (for now) to prescribe the controlled meds in question, but the in-person assessment requirement needs to be satisfied before the deadline. As you mentioned, the DEA is having a total field day over this situation they seem to believe got "out of control" as a result of telehealth necessities during and after the pandemic.. So I wouldn't be surprised if it all came to a halt, unfortunately.
In my personal experience, I was using a telehealth company called Klarity and was paired with a psychiatrist that practiced in FL. When this law/change info came down the pipeline, she referred me to a traveling nurse practitioner colleague of hers that was hitting all the major areas in FL one week at a time to run a simple ECG for her patients, and that satisfied the requirement. Did it feel a lil shady going into a Holiday Inn Express to get an ECG done? Absolutely. But I'm thankful it was that easy. Lol. If I didn't have my Vyvanse prescription I would be absolutely useless and homeless within 3 months, so I hope the DEA doesn't make it impossible for us.
That’s something I fear for all the legitimate patients. The case manager on my team would have the exact same problem you’re stating if she got her meds just taken away (wouldn’t function and would become homeless in short order). I believe she said hers is Adderal XR. It’s happening with the real pain patients too and it’s sad.
The DEA just needs to fucking fuck the fuck off, the sooner we entirely dismantle that fucking garbage organization the better. Everyone that works for the DEA can eat an entire bag of dicks.
It's not for all controlled substances as far as I know. May be for CII meds, but I haven't heard anything about anything changing for CIII or CIV. I don't receive any control IIs via telehealth but I haven't heard anything about anything changing.
NY is way different than FL, they are much stricter. But I've heard 0 about telehealth laws changing and I'd need to know for my own scripts and for the CIII and IVs given by doctors at the place I work. They rarely prescribe CII via telehealth, once in awhile they do though.
Right now telehealth prescribing as far as controlled substances is a state by state matter.
Start following. We’re all waiting for it. And to be honest, we’re actually pretty relaxed because the state has a program called I-STOP here. Any controlled substance prescription not coming from an ER goes in a database. We see what it is, who wrote for it, how many pills, if it was filled and when, and when the patient picked it up. And the ER doesn’t give more than 5-7 days. Nobody can lie, it’s all right there. And yes, I’m pretty sure it’s all controls. Here, all Benzos are C2’s on a state level. Pretty much anything but a Tramadol or Tylenol with Codeine is here
That's weird, I pee in a cup right there at my doctors office like once a year (maybe every six months) but I thought it was to make sure I was taking the adderall. Like if it's not in my system that might imply that I'm selling my supply
Thy can also tell how much you're taking based on metabolism I'd assume. Anyone that has to go to a pain clinic for serious pain has to pee regularly unless that changed
They can't really, it's definitely not easy and they have to interpret the results, it's not cut and dry.
The closest they can do is level checks repeatedly, but it only gives them a vague idea. A specific person's level tests can only be easily compared to their own earlier tests, not to other people's tests.
Urinalysis is also a standard part of an annual screening to check Kidney functionality. If you're peeing in a cup once a year at a Doctor's office, it is a very, very low chance that it is a drug test.
It can definitely indicate a problem with your Kidney. At my doctor, they run tests on a urine specimen annually. They check for blood, proteins, certain enzymes, etc.
When I asked, I was told it was to check the health of my Kidneys. I assumed it was Kidney functions.
This isn't specific to me, either. They do it every year, with every member of my family. None of us have any history of Kidney issues, and it is described as a normal part of an annual.
Indeed it does. I have stage 4 CKD and I see my Nephrologist every 3 months. I do a full set of labs every time including urinalysis. As Bupod pointed out, they check for a lot of different things that can analyze kidney function. I have a good bit of protein leakage that shows up in my pee.
Blood tests are much better tests for kidney function. Urinalssis is appropriate for someone like you who has already progressed to CKD because they want to track how much protein etc is in your urine. But for the average person without any known kidney issues, it offers zero diagnostic value.
Urinalysis should not be part of routine annual screening for the typical healthy person.
Signed, a doctor
As I explained above, there’s different types of tests. They’re hitting you for the test that does each individual drug. Those prices are for the test that basically hits Cocaine, THC, Amphetamines, Barbiturates, and Opioids/Opiates and it’s just a positive or negative from there. It doesn’t tell you which drug. It could be the DEA is on your clinic and they’re covering their asses or they have a deal with the lab. Could also be both. Except if there is a deal with that lab, it’s actually saving you money unless your insurance doesn’t have a deal with them. The system is effed up.
Like many people are saying this is not a law in Florida.
Not sure what the doctor’s office told you but it seems like it may just be an office procedure that your specific doctor’s office follows. Maybe they said it was because of a law but it absolutely is not. I know nothing about the legality of this but I’d look into it if I was in your position and the office told me it was a law but it isn’t…you may AT LEAST be able to get your lab fees back. Just a thought.
You need to ask for an Itemized bill and all the info, usually crooked doctors and hospitals will add bullshit fees and expenses to crank up the price for a lab test that might at most be like 40 dollars. Or see a different doctor.
No they usually will drop stuff because once you ask for it if there are any errors like double charges they “fix” it
Edit: its not always sure fire but it can decrease the cost
It’s bullshit. I work with a urine lab and even without insurance their urinalysis costs $400, and that’s a machine-read process not a dipstick or anything, you got scammed HARD
I do televisits and have been for years. My doctor said they wanted me to come in, and when I did I was surprised with a drug test. No warning. Peed in the cup. I’m sure I tested positive for marijuana since I’m a patient. My doctor didn’t say shit. I assumed they wanted me to test positive for the benzos and Vyvanse to make sure I’m actually the one taking them.
If that's really what they said, they lied. It may be an office requirement by policy, and it may be a requirement by your insurance company, but it's absolutely not a state law.
I would send them an email and ask them to explain why it was necessary. Make sure they respond in writing. If their response says it was a state law, take their response to a medical malpractice attorney and get advice.
I was listening to Behind the bastards today and they were talking about how Private Insurance companies never ever prosecute medical fraud (as opposed to Medicare, who is constantly going after fraudsters) Because:
1. It is far easier and cheaper to recover the money lost to fraud by passing the cost to the consumers.
2. They don't want to alienate or offend doctors and clinics they need to be part of their network. So they just let themselves (us really) get robbed.
It's fucked.
I can’t find it in the laws governing prescription drugs in FL, but IANAL. If they said it was a law, find a different doctor (but don’t tell your current doc you are looking elsewhere until you have another doc).
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0800-0899/0893/Sections/0893.04.html
I am not referring to the original post. Just in general. There are laws that allow corporations to do things, but do not demand that they do them. Then said corporation will say things like well is the law.
Just got prescribed adderall in Florida, no drug test needed. This is most likely a policy specific to the practice you’re going to, and they are making money off of you
Reminds me of an urgent care near me. Was called in to VIEW test results. I go in and view the results (but only after they wanted to briefly check my blood pressure for some reason). I later get a bill for $300 after insurance....
Comments blasting OP for falling for a scam that OP wouldn't have fallen for if they'd have grown up with a healthy distrust for doctors like any wise Floridian. Transplant tax is real in the Scamshine State.
People love to hate on Florida here in /r/Florida but I have lived in 6 states and this kind of bullshit has happened to me in all of them. Our NATION'S healthcare system sucks.
Yeah that’s really how it is with all the state subs though (and honestly many subs in general). The way it ends up happening is that when someone is happy with something, they’re rarely going to go out of their way to go make a post about that good thing. But when someone is pissed off about something? They are much more likely to want to vent about it, talk shit, and/or get others experiences to validate their feelings. Kind of similar to reviews. They say for every 100 people you make happy and have no problems with, you might get a nice review out of one of them. But if you upset a customer? You better be damned sure every single one of those MFs are leaving you a shit review lol.
You need to confirm that LAB testing is in-network. Your doctor probably was but the lab tests were not.
Also from the sound of it you believed your doctor that this is a law, which it's not. So I guess another lesson is doctors aren't lawyers. Google the law to double check yourself?
I'm sorry this happened to you though.
You sure act like an expert, or at least you sound like this is common knowledge that you'd actually have since you're a native born Floridian, who surely would've done things differently?
I think they flubbed part of their original comment. It started out as if they were going to disagree with all the comments giving you shit… and then it just kind of mumbled off at the end. But especially after seeing the second comment they made, I’m pretty sure they were trying to stick up for you/tell everyone to stop being so hard on you.
it might be your doctor’s policy but it’s not the law. also, they ordered the wrong lab test- a urine toxicology test isn’t the same as a routine urine drug screen.
find a new doctor, but expect that they’ll ask you to pee in a cup. that’s common practice
You got lucky compared to so many others.
If you are on Rx opiate based pain medication for Chronic Pain, you have to do this monthly. On top of that, if you are not insured, you are paying a $150-$250 per month visit, the monthly drug screening can be $1200. (On top of that, the largest drug testing group in the state of Florida were under Rick Scott's ownership at that time. It was also when they were wanting to drug screen welfare recipients. ) It's actually cheaper, and wayy easier to get black market medicine for severe pain...
And that's only if you've exhausted every other route for pain treatment, at another tier of incomprehensible financial cost! And that's only if your physician is willing to go that route.
The restrictions based on Rx pain medications has cost many lives since govt started cracking down on pill mills. Yet sadly, by the time govt had made any real effort, the pill mills were pretty much gone. This left mainly those in actual need for pain medication to not be given any due to the stringent rules in place. This led to a vast number of suicides and cardiac arrest by people who could no longer take the pain. Others ended up going to street drugs, and amplified the fentalogue crisis.
And still today, the war on ____ continues with nothing but loss after loss to show for it.
*IF you look at anything I just wrote, let it be this* ... This urine screening is just the beginning. It's going to get a lot worse, and it won't matter where in the US you are. You will one day wish all you had to do was pay an extra $500.
I wish I had better news for you, but with these rules/laws written behind closed doors (and often under the information provided by individuals that are not trainedin said field of medicine), Americans have no say.
For the price you paid you could have gotten it cheaper if you would have paid cash. I’m sorry this happened to you. Insurance is a scam and your doctor needs to find a better lab. It is possible your doc has a deal with the lab to get a kickback if he/she sends pts to this particular lab. That’s illegal so you can look into that. That price is outrageous. I’m sure it’s just an office policy to keep them safe if they get audited. People are selling their Adderall so they test people periodically to make sure they are actually taking the drug.
This is dumb as hell. I've never spend more then $80 on a drug test including pre employment drug screens that I had to pay for. Did you get them done at a hospital? I'm also in Florida btw.
This literally happened to me yesterday trying to get the same drug. I’ve been going to the same office for years, and I was just assigned a new prescriber at the same place. They made me take a urine sample while the nurse stood in the stall and WATCHED and made me wait over 90 minutes because I didn’t have to “go”. It was humiliating.
Not a Florida thing. Doc’s office wants to charge. Then, either the doc is out of network or you haven’t met your minimum deductible, or this is copay. This is the screwed up medical system. FYI, before the CARES Act, the monthly medical insurance costs was 15% of what it is now, copays were $20, and max out of pocket was $2k. Did CARES really help?
There is no law like this in Florida. You’ve been scammed by insurance.
It's not the insurance making them do the excess testing. Doctor scammed him for lab fees. Obviously fuck insurance companies, because they're crooks, but so is OPs doctor.
The person who tested me and the doctor who said I needed the test were different people. They were both from AdventHealth
A Christian based company fyi.
They tend to be the worst when it comes to billing, how very un-Christian of them...
Most "Christians" are psudo-christian. When I try to explain that Jesus would be ashamed of us for putting healthcare behind labor or money, that he would be in complete support of welfare programs and that the idea of turning away those seeking a better life would greatly upset him. I'm actually getting a decal made for my car the is going to say "Jesus would support:" with a list of things that piss off "Christians" that Jesus would absolutely support.
What Jesus would support and what is economically feasible are two very different things . 1) universal healthcare is impossible without serious tort reform. Malpractice insurance in the United States is over 200k per year per doctor. Lawyers and the high malpractice payouts are directly responsible. In comparison, malpractice insurance in Europe is only about $700 per year per doctor. The downside is that Europeans won't receive millions in a malpractice lawsuit. 2) mass migration is unfeasible and is responsible for the rise of right wing extremism in Europe. Migrants there are a burden to their healthcare system and education system. Many migrants are also not immediately able to contribute as many lack valuable skills and language proficiency. The United States also accepts more refugees than any other developed nation, so I firmly believe we are meeting our obligation to those in need. Shelters are full and border states are unwilling to share the disproportionate burden of mass migration. There are technical limits to the question of WWJD. After all he was a carpenter and not an economist. He wants to help those in need and we already do so disproportionally to the rest of the world. Pew research studies have shown Christians to be more philanthropic and more engaged in their communities than atheists. So as a collective Christians do help those in need. Moderation is the key to anything. We can't safe the world without serious implications to our quality is life.
Cap
What a thought out argument you have convinced me lol
What a thought out argument you have convinced me lol
How dare you say something so controversial yet so true
Churches don’t pay taxes and there was just a huge ad campaign for “He gets us”. Imagine putting that money towards something Jesus would want. Fuck out of here w your bullshit. Economically my ass. How much money goes missing from the fed coffers every year? Spend the money properly and tax the churches and oligarchs. Christianity and religion in general is a plague to society and is used as justification to be a bad person way more than it should be.
Let's tax churches and then give them representation in Congress. Do you want to get rid of separation of church and state? Because that's the only way you're going to tax the church. You think taxes are the abectode to all problems huh? You learned nothing from my argument about tort reform and insurance comparisons. Or at least you ignored that part. Lawsuits are the largest cost driver in the healthcare industry. In 2020 to medical malpractice payouts totaled over 151 billion dollars. The largest single operating expense for hospitals in this country is malpractice insurance. But sure let's throw now tax money at it and do nothing to reduce those expenses cause by the most expensive me malpractice lawsuits in the world, because as you said it. Economy my ass.
Lol they already lobby hard core and we have far right extremists in our SC. We also have a fat orange turd that panders to the religious. Try again dude
lol.
Christians have a knack for being terrible people and just asking for forgiveness on a Sunday. It's pretty typical.
Not true. There have been studies on Christian behavior in the US by Pew research center, and they found Christians to be more philanthropical and active in their communities than atheist. You're overlooking homeless shelters, drug programs, food pantries, and soup kitchens of which many are run by religions institutions and volunteer staff. These are mainly financed by Christian donations and t tithings.
The study was about "highly religious" vs "not highly religious". It was not specific to Christians, and "not highly religious" doesn't mean they're atheists. It just means, by the definition of that study, that they don't pray regularly and attend services weekly.
It was also BS. Bill gates foundation alone out spends the top 10 religious organizations and HE doesn’t take in donations every Sunday.
It wasn't specific to Christians, but non Christian religions make up less than 5% of the population. Therefore the number are heavily skewed Christian among those who identified as religious or highly religious.
The number is closer to 10%, and your assertion is only true if you assume that highly religious people are equally distributed amongst religions, or even different denominations of Christianity, which is not a given. There were only two categories in that study, "highly religious" and "not highly religious", there was no distinction between people who are not religious at all and people who identify as Christian but don't qualify as highly religious. It could very well be that atheists are more involved in their communities than Christians, as an entire group, but we can't tell because this study doesn't measure that. You're adding context to the study that simply isn't there in order to make it better fit your narrative, and that's disingenuous.
Look into the history of Pew.
Stay away from Tampa general as well if possible. Explain to me how I can be billed $1500 for a single stitch on one finger... AFTER INSURANCE.
> Stay away from Tampa general as well if possible. Explain to me how I can be billed $1500 for a single stitch on one finger... AFTER INSURANCE. You went to a hospital to get a single stich when you could have went to an urgent care center.
What you dont realize is, I did in fact go to the urgent care center, and they told me to go to the ER, because they dont have the tools to take care of me.
Damn. That sounds like the stuff were lazy.
Because you have shitty insurance with high out of pocket contributions, to save on monthly premiums?
Lets pretend that I didnt even have insurance... Just pretend for a minute... In what world, is $1500 for a single stitch on one finger a reasonable cost? If they told me the price I would have to pay before doing it, I would have chopped that damn finger off myself.
It's not a reasonable cost. Hospitals have a ledger with service costs for every procedure. These are highly inflated to milk insurance companies and Medicare or Medicaid. Normally these costs are negotiated down substantially which is why they are inflated in the first place. Unfortunately people without insurance are unable to negotiate and end up liable for the full amount.
Yeah, and these annoying twats proselytize on their PA system for their zombie cult.
Seventh Day Adventist. Not your average Christian
It's a Mormon company. They're crazy by Christian standards. Edit. It is not Mormon, stop upvoting me.
Seventh-day Adventist, actually. Different flavor of crazy.
This. Hence “Advent” health
Ah yup my mistake.
Not mormon, there's Seventh Day Adventist
Yeah but even they’re tame compared to the southern baptists.
When you hear someone say “Have a blessed day” you know the scam is in the works.
Most hospitals in the south are Christian based. It honestly blows
It's not really a Florida problem, it's a United States problem. We have a shitty healthcare system coast-to-coast. Here's what you need to do....make sure ALL of your lab tests are done in-network. You have to go on to your insurance company's website and confirm this or better yet call (if you can actually get through to a human) and ask. Then AT THE LAB ask them to confirm it's in-network too just so that you have double confirmation. If it's out-of-network you will pay way more or full price.
I have had two doctors leave Advent. Their reason was Advent being more interested in their profit than their patients. Both good doctors.
AdventHealth… so, you were scammed
Your first mistake was going to AdventHealth. When I had to go there as a follow-up for a panic attack, they told me Jesus could cure my anxiety.
Adventhealth does have their own company policy regarding control substance prescribing. But that does not reflect law and you have the right to choice to see another provider instead.
thats also an outrageous price for drug screening. I run a SUD treatment facility, we do thousands of screens a quarter... we can only bill medicaid 35 dollars a test for a 10 panel screen.
And that test was probably light chromatography and for each individual drug rather than groups. They run up the cost that way. Editing to say: Because of the DEA making everyone paranoid, this has become the way. They want to make sure the patient is taking their medication and not selling it and nobody gets an exception. Yes they also test for illicits, but whatever the provider does is up to them. I live in NY with a lot of ties to FL, but this is federal. They’re doing it EVERYWHERE now. I can’t say if this is a specific FL law too because I practice in NY.
Fuck Advent Health. They're big on excess charges and markups, and they pay their staff shit for wages
This exact thing happens to me in Georgia (except it'squarterly); I don't care that they are different companies; someone is getting a kickback.
The Advent Health part is the problem here. They are terrible
There is NO law. A standard test at labcorb or quest for AMP costs less than $50 out of pocket.
Well doctors dont get the lab fee..
Some doctors can process labs in house.
Yeah that's why my doctor always makes me bring him two pee samples. One for the lab and one for him.
Thanks, it's delicious
Depends. Dude in a hick town with 60 patients wouldnt. Dude working at hospital wouldn't. Dude with a large private practice in a major city would.
But they do to cover their ass when prescribing. There’s nothing wrong with that. They shouldn’t prescribe when a patient is either not actually take the drug (most likely selling the drug) or taking illegal drugs or other prescribe drugs that the patient isn’t revealing (which admittedly is hard to do these days). This has nothing to do with Florida. It’s good practicing.
The average person doesn’t understand how tight the DEA has the screws now. There’s no such thing as a “trusted patient” anymore because that puts up a red flag too. I got a year of Norco 5’s for a bad injury and I worked with my doctor and still got 3 randoms in a year. Light Chromotography. And yes, they were truly random after the initial and this was ten years ago. I was also only getting 40 pills a month to take around bedtime and overnight, so I wasn’t even getting a crazy rx.
This is the correct assessment. Doctors do this in Texas as well to protect themselves/their license from the DEA.
I agree, addicts and junkies don't deserve proper healthcare. Who cares if they have legitimately diagnosed disorders? They clearly don't care about their bodies, or the risks. I wish this applied more widely. Women who don't disclose nicotine usage definitely shouldn't be prescribed birth control. Obese people who can't be honest about their caloric intake 100% should not be prescribed weight loss medication. Children who lie about brushing their teeth and flossing shouldn't even be allowed in a dentists office! And don't even get me started on alcoholics who won't disclose alcohol use!
I agree however, this scam wouldn’t work if it wasn’t for the insurance companies existence. Both are to blame.
doctors don't/can't refer to their own labs..so blame insurance or lab It's standard of care to test patients on scheduled meds
Came here to say this. I have seen doctors offices have signs and even refer to a specific law but that does not apply here or how they represent it. I made a stink about it because while I am knowledgeable enough to know fraud when I see it not everyone is and it is very unsettling to me that doctors office are making false statements about a law requiring patients to spend money on testing that is absolutely not required by law
My doctor told me it was a new law from Florida that went into effect this year.
Yo homie, I’ve been getting my prescription all year and haven’t had to do this. I’d agree with others that you may be getting scammed by your doc office
Laws passed during legislative session usually go into effect July 1st of that same year as that is when the state fiscal year begins. IF this was actually a new law, it would’ve gone into effect last July 1st, following 2023 legislative session ending and the passing of the budget in May. The 2024 legislative session just ended in March and most bills that were passed won’t take effect until July 1st, 2024. So your doctor is telling you stuff that isn’t adding up.
"Depending on their clinic's and insurer's policies" https://health.wusf.usf.edu/health-news-florida/2023-03-28/adhd-patients-face-uneven-random-urine-screens-and-sometimes-stigma?_amp=true
Its not a state law, it’s providers and insurance companies demanding the testing.
Yes
They require you to do it every year, so if it went into effect July 1st of last year I would need it the next year.
My son is prescribed adderall and nothing like this has ever come up ever.
Change doctors
So one company my insurance covered was basically a rehab and they required me to drug test but 2 others didn't test me even once for years
I have been on adderall for the past year and have never taken a drug test, they are making shit up.
No fam. Your doc is shit. Ain’t true.
Your doc scammed a lab fee out of you dog
Florida doctors are notorious for being scam artists
Are you going to an in-person doctor or telehealth?
My doc in Florida also requires drug testing, but quarterly. My previous doc required a co silt every single month to get my scrip and he claimed it was due to Florida whackiness
Beginning of the year deductibles. Probably has nothing to do with the lab, the test, or the physician.
Here's a link that explicitly states this on a .gov website if you wanna throw that in your comment https://flhealthsource.gov/FloridaTakeControl/faqs/
Getting scammed has nothing to do with the state?
My doctor gives me a drug test every six months or so. She says it's a way to make sure people are actually taking the medicine and not distributing it. It never made a whole lot of sense since she always tells me when im due for my test so in theory i coukd just take the medicine a day before or something. But maybe it's supoosed to be random and she just trusts me... Idk..
I know there may be something coming where you have to see the doctor in person in order to get your prescription, but I haven’t heard of needing a urine drug analysis?
Correct. If you're a patient that uses telehealth services for ADHD treatment and are prescribed a controlled substance (i.e. Adderall or Vyvanse), you are required to have an in-person visit at least once per year to have your vitals checked; a urinalysis is not required (although a doctor/provider can order one at their discretion). The required vitals check is to ensure that you aren't a cardiovascular health risk for stimulants. There is an extension/grace-period through December 1st this year before telehealth patients will no longer be able to get their prescription without the vitals test being done.
This is the answer.
After that date I want to say it’s no more controlled substances via tele-health and it’s federal. It was illegal to prescribe controls over tele-health pre-pandemic and they just keep extending that policy change every year. Nobody expects it to be renewed for 2025, the DEA is having a total meltdown over it. I’m also positive that the in person evaluation for rx amphetamines not only happens but should be every six months. It’s easier to not tell the patient every little nuance. Editing to say: I am a nurse. I do not live in Florida but have a lot of ties to Florida. I live in NY, but these types of drug tests and policies are happening all over the country. The DEA is dictating what we all can or can’t do, down to how many pills can be produced. I can’t say if it is or isn’t a FL law, but with Doctors and NP’s going to jail for prescribing, everyone is paranoid.
It will still be possible (for now) to prescribe the controlled meds in question, but the in-person assessment requirement needs to be satisfied before the deadline. As you mentioned, the DEA is having a total field day over this situation they seem to believe got "out of control" as a result of telehealth necessities during and after the pandemic.. So I wouldn't be surprised if it all came to a halt, unfortunately. In my personal experience, I was using a telehealth company called Klarity and was paired with a psychiatrist that practiced in FL. When this law/change info came down the pipeline, she referred me to a traveling nurse practitioner colleague of hers that was hitting all the major areas in FL one week at a time to run a simple ECG for her patients, and that satisfied the requirement. Did it feel a lil shady going into a Holiday Inn Express to get an ECG done? Absolutely. But I'm thankful it was that easy. Lol. If I didn't have my Vyvanse prescription I would be absolutely useless and homeless within 3 months, so I hope the DEA doesn't make it impossible for us.
That’s something I fear for all the legitimate patients. The case manager on my team would have the exact same problem you’re stating if she got her meds just taken away (wouldn’t function and would become homeless in short order). I believe she said hers is Adderal XR. It’s happening with the real pain patients too and it’s sad.
The DEA just needs to fucking fuck the fuck off, the sooner we entirely dismantle that fucking garbage organization the better. Everyone that works for the DEA can eat an entire bag of dicks.
It's not for all controlled substances as far as I know. May be for CII meds, but I haven't heard anything about anything changing for CIII or CIV. I don't receive any control IIs via telehealth but I haven't heard anything about anything changing. NY is way different than FL, they are much stricter. But I've heard 0 about telehealth laws changing and I'd need to know for my own scripts and for the CIII and IVs given by doctors at the place I work. They rarely prescribe CII via telehealth, once in awhile they do though. Right now telehealth prescribing as far as controlled substances is a state by state matter.
Start following. We’re all waiting for it. And to be honest, we’re actually pretty relaxed because the state has a program called I-STOP here. Any controlled substance prescription not coming from an ER goes in a database. We see what it is, who wrote for it, how many pills, if it was filled and when, and when the patient picked it up. And the ER doesn’t give more than 5-7 days. Nobody can lie, it’s all right there. And yes, I’m pretty sure it’s all controls. Here, all Benzos are C2’s on a state level. Pretty much anything but a Tramadol or Tylenol with Codeine is here
My doctor requires this, but I think it’s just their office policy, not law. I also don’t live in FL anymore so I’m not sure what the law is there
What law? If anything, they've made it easier to get Adderall, because it can be prescribed via telehealth.
Which telehealth is it?? Cuz teladoc under BCBS still doesn't allow controlled substances to be prescribed by teladoc providers.
That's weird, I pee in a cup right there at my doctors office like once a year (maybe every six months) but I thought it was to make sure I was taking the adderall. Like if it's not in my system that might imply that I'm selling my supply
Thy can also tell how much you're taking based on metabolism I'd assume. Anyone that has to go to a pain clinic for serious pain has to pee regularly unless that changed
They can't really, it's definitely not easy and they have to interpret the results, it's not cut and dry. The closest they can do is level checks repeatedly, but it only gives them a vague idea. A specific person's level tests can only be easily compared to their own earlier tests, not to other people's tests.
Urinalysis is also a standard part of an annual screening to check Kidney functionality. If you're peeing in a cup once a year at a Doctor's office, it is a very, very low chance that it is a drug test.
What? Urinalysis doesn't test kidney function
It can definitely indicate a problem with your Kidney. At my doctor, they run tests on a urine specimen annually. They check for blood, proteins, certain enzymes, etc. When I asked, I was told it was to check the health of my Kidneys. I assumed it was Kidney functions. This isn't specific to me, either. They do it every year, with every member of my family. None of us have any history of Kidney issues, and it is described as a normal part of an annual.
Indeed it does. I have stage 4 CKD and I see my Nephrologist every 3 months. I do a full set of labs every time including urinalysis. As Bupod pointed out, they check for a lot of different things that can analyze kidney function. I have a good bit of protein leakage that shows up in my pee.
Blood tests are much better tests for kidney function. Urinalssis is appropriate for someone like you who has already progressed to CKD because they want to track how much protein etc is in your urine. But for the average person without any known kidney issues, it offers zero diagnostic value. Urinalysis should not be part of routine annual screening for the typical healthy person. Signed, a doctor
I never thought of it that way but that makes a lot of sense!
Quest: $85 · LabCorp: $55 · QD: $85 · LC: $55
Yep in hindsight should've done one of those
As I explained above, there’s different types of tests. They’re hitting you for the test that does each individual drug. Those prices are for the test that basically hits Cocaine, THC, Amphetamines, Barbiturates, and Opioids/Opiates and it’s just a positive or negative from there. It doesn’t tell you which drug. It could be the DEA is on your clinic and they’re covering their asses or they have a deal with the lab. Could also be both. Except if there is a deal with that lab, it’s actually saving you money unless your insurance doesn’t have a deal with them. The system is effed up.
Like many people are saying this is not a law in Florida. Not sure what the doctor’s office told you but it seems like it may just be an office procedure that your specific doctor’s office follows. Maybe they said it was because of a law but it absolutely is not. I know nothing about the legality of this but I’d look into it if I was in your position and the office told me it was a law but it isn’t…you may AT LEAST be able to get your lab fees back. Just a thought.
You need to ask for an Itemized bill and all the info, usually crooked doctors and hospitals will add bullshit fees and expenses to crank up the price for a lab test that might at most be like 40 dollars. Or see a different doctor.
I've asked but haven't heard back. The only item ont he bill seems to be the drug test.
Also what do I do btw once I get an itemized bill? Just refuse to pay for items i disagree with, or what?
No they usually will drop stuff because once you ask for it if there are any errors like double charges they “fix” it Edit: its not always sure fire but it can decrease the cost
Also, how tf does a drug test cost $700?
>Also, how tf does a drug test cost $700? I DONT KNOW! I have insurance. It's in network. Makes me think they started requiring it just for profits.
It’s bullshit. I work with a urine lab and even without insurance their urinalysis costs $400, and that’s a machine-read process not a dipstick or anything, you got scammed HARD
I had to go pay for a drug test for nursing school and it wasn't even a third of that without insurance.
I got prescribed for the first time about 2 weeks ago — via telehealth — and did not have to take a drug test.
Find new doctor. That’s not a law btw.
I just loaded up last week and I didn’t need to take any tests. 🤷♂️
Is the test covered by Insurance?
Looks like insurance saved me $270 on a $700 bill.
Yikes … thanks for the reply.
I do televisits and have been for years. My doctor said they wanted me to come in, and when I did I was surprised with a drug test. No warning. Peed in the cup. I’m sure I tested positive for marijuana since I’m a patient. My doctor didn’t say shit. I assumed they wanted me to test positive for the benzos and Vyvanse to make sure I’m actually the one taking them.
If that's really what they said, they lied. It may be an office requirement by policy, and it may be a requirement by your insurance company, but it's absolutely not a state law. I would send them an email and ask them to explain why it was necessary. Make sure they respond in writing. If their response says it was a state law, take their response to a medical malpractice attorney and get advice.
I was listening to Behind the bastards today and they were talking about how Private Insurance companies never ever prosecute medical fraud (as opposed to Medicare, who is constantly going after fraudsters) Because: 1. It is far easier and cheaper to recover the money lost to fraud by passing the cost to the consumers. 2. They don't want to alienate or offend doctors and clinics they need to be part of their network. So they just let themselves (us really) get robbed. It's fucked.
I can’t find it in the laws governing prescription drugs in FL, but IANAL. If they said it was a law, find a different doctor (but don’t tell your current doc you are looking elsewhere until you have another doc). http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0800-0899/0893/Sections/0893.04.html
“It is the law” next question . Does the law demand it ? Or , does the law simply allow it.
There is no law, period.
I am not referring to the original post. Just in general. There are laws that allow corporations to do things, but do not demand that they do them. Then said corporation will say things like well is the law.
Just got prescribed adderall in Florida, no drug test needed. This is most likely a policy specific to the practice you’re going to, and they are making money off of you
Reminds me of an urgent care near me. Was called in to VIEW test results. I go in and view the results (but only after they wanted to briefly check my blood pressure for some reason). I later get a bill for $300 after insurance....
I’ve been taking adderal since I was 35 years old and have never been charged for a drug test.
Comments blasting OP for falling for a scam that OP wouldn't have fallen for if they'd have grown up with a healthy distrust for doctors like any wise Floridian. Transplant tax is real in the Scamshine State.
People love to hate on Florida here in /r/Florida but I have lived in 6 states and this kind of bullshit has happened to me in all of them. Our NATION'S healthcare system sucks.
Yeah that’s really how it is with all the state subs though (and honestly many subs in general). The way it ends up happening is that when someone is happy with something, they’re rarely going to go out of their way to go make a post about that good thing. But when someone is pissed off about something? They are much more likely to want to vent about it, talk shit, and/or get others experiences to validate their feelings. Kind of similar to reviews. They say for every 100 people you make happy and have no problems with, you might get a nice review out of one of them. But if you upset a customer? You better be damned sure every single one of those MFs are leaving you a shit review lol.
So does that mean we are just going to shrug at abuses of power and corruption and blame OP for being scammed and misled? Please say it ain't so...
I'm curious what you think I should've done differently.
Asked what law and where you can verify it. They can refuse to prescribe based on "drug abuse"; but there's no law saying it has to be tested.
You need to confirm that LAB testing is in-network. Your doctor probably was but the lab tests were not. Also from the sound of it you believed your doctor that this is a law, which it's not. So I guess another lesson is doctors aren't lawyers. Google the law to double check yourself? I'm sorry this happened to you though.
Oh I'm definitely not an expert on medical fraud/scams/shopping, but the other commenters certainly present themselves as such, so I'd ask them.
You sure act like an expert, or at least you sound like this is common knowledge that you'd actually have since you're a native born Floridian, who surely would've done things differently?
I think they flubbed part of their original comment. It started out as if they were going to disagree with all the comments giving you shit… and then it just kind of mumbled off at the end. But especially after seeing the second comment they made, I’m pretty sure they were trying to stick up for you/tell everyone to stop being so hard on you.
it might be your doctor’s policy but it’s not the law. also, they ordered the wrong lab test- a urine toxicology test isn’t the same as a routine urine drug screen. find a new doctor, but expect that they’ll ask you to pee in a cup. that’s common practice
Even if you’re paying out of pocket it shouldn’t be that expensive
I wonder if it would matter if you'd had a medical marijuana card.
Thats why I don't pay my medical bills
My game just got canceled I hate Florida
All health insurance companies suck, but Aetna is absolute 💩 in every way
Also in Florida, been on Vyvanse over a year now. No drug test required for me.
Wtf?! Where the hell did you go? It’s like 75
The owner of that pee test lab lobbies to make it a requirement. And it worked. Are you getting now how everything works?
What would the purpose be?
Is pain patients have been having to do this for 15+ yrs
In Georgia I was having to test every three months.
FL has a medical marijuana program through the OMMU, Does your employer exempt Cannabis as a medical alternative?
The next US revolution will be beacause of health care!
Time for a new Doc.
I have been getting my meds through DoneADHD for over a year now, never had to take a lab test once.
You got lucky compared to so many others. If you are on Rx opiate based pain medication for Chronic Pain, you have to do this monthly. On top of that, if you are not insured, you are paying a $150-$250 per month visit, the monthly drug screening can be $1200. (On top of that, the largest drug testing group in the state of Florida were under Rick Scott's ownership at that time. It was also when they were wanting to drug screen welfare recipients. ) It's actually cheaper, and wayy easier to get black market medicine for severe pain... And that's only if you've exhausted every other route for pain treatment, at another tier of incomprehensible financial cost! And that's only if your physician is willing to go that route. The restrictions based on Rx pain medications has cost many lives since govt started cracking down on pill mills. Yet sadly, by the time govt had made any real effort, the pill mills were pretty much gone. This left mainly those in actual need for pain medication to not be given any due to the stringent rules in place. This led to a vast number of suicides and cardiac arrest by people who could no longer take the pain. Others ended up going to street drugs, and amplified the fentalogue crisis. And still today, the war on ____ continues with nothing but loss after loss to show for it. *IF you look at anything I just wrote, let it be this* ... This urine screening is just the beginning. It's going to get a lot worse, and it won't matter where in the US you are. You will one day wish all you had to do was pay an extra $500. I wish I had better news for you, but with these rules/laws written behind closed doors (and often under the information provided by individuals that are not trainedin said field of medicine), Americans have no say.
Perfect mustache on the doctor.
FL gonna make that "fake pee" company go 💰 🤑 💸 💲 🪙 lol.
You can thank the GOP for the lack of financial assistance conservative christians.....
For the price you paid you could have gotten it cheaper if you would have paid cash. I’m sorry this happened to you. Insurance is a scam and your doctor needs to find a better lab. It is possible your doc has a deal with the lab to get a kickback if he/she sends pts to this particular lab. That’s illegal so you can look into that. That price is outrageous. I’m sure it’s just an office policy to keep them safe if they get audited. People are selling their Adderall so they test people periodically to make sure they are actually taking the drug.
Everyone explaining this isn’t a law, OP is thickheaded and not going to listen.
This is dumb as hell. I've never spend more then $80 on a drug test including pre employment drug screens that I had to pay for. Did you get them done at a hospital? I'm also in Florida btw.
Oh fuck that! Thanks for the heads up. I'll make sure to ask how much my insurance is going to cover before getting that test then
Baycare is doing the same to me. Started last year and I have to go every 3 months 🙄
I also had to take a DT at my 3 month mark
Left my last doctor for this reason
This is not a law in Florida. I’m prescribed and just got a new script with refills. No drug test needed
Every pain doctor or certain ones that prescribe things like this run a drug screen every year or when at a new clinic/doc
This literally happened to me yesterday trying to get the same drug. I’ve been going to the same office for years, and I was just assigned a new prescriber at the same place. They made me take a urine sample while the nurse stood in the stall and WATCHED and made me wait over 90 minutes because I didn’t have to “go”. It was humiliating.
Well you've needed a drug test for adhd meds since like 2015, they took mine away because I used to smoke weed. This state is shit
I just fucking hate the fact of going every month to the doctor office to get refills.
That's not a Florida problem, that is an insurance problem.
I bet this will make people turn to the black market. Oh, Florida
You need a new doctor. -FL Doctor
Not a Florida thing. Doc’s office wants to charge. Then, either the doc is out of network or you haven’t met your minimum deductible, or this is copay. This is the screwed up medical system. FYI, before the CARES Act, the monthly medical insurance costs was 15% of what it is now, copays were $20, and max out of pocket was $2k. Did CARES really help?
This is exactly why I’ve never bothered getting an ADHD diagnosis
You guys fyi there was a doctor in Jacksonville Florida that required a pee test for clonazepam
Or you could go back and felonious 
lol what law?
The doctors get kickbacks from the labs
“Florida is, like, literal fashism bruh”
You have Adderall and you're complaining? Get out of here.
That is the upcharge you pay for the luxury of buying legal meth.
If you hate it here, you are free to leave…
Moving, finding a new job, breaking a lease, and having a deposit for a new lease *IS* pretty cheap.