The annual "check-up" call. Really?

[Dave Baird]

Being on SS and Medicare, the phone never stops ringing. Besides everyone wanting my money, it's usually connected to healthcare in our house. This morning the phone rang and it was some young woman talking a mile a minute who said she was calling me for the insurance company. It's not a scam, they do it every year, and the questions are meaningless.
Do you smoke?
Do you drink alcohol?
Are you mad at anyone?
Is anyone mad at you?
Are you afraid of anyone?
Do you get out of the house?
Can you afford to pay your utilities?
Do you forget to take your meds?
It goes on for several minutes. I'm sure many of you may experience the same thing. I appreciate the concern, but mostly it's just another invasion of my privacy. It won't be long before we are asked if we own GUNS! How many? Do you have ammunition in the house? Is the gun locked? Have you ever dreamt of shooting anyone? Has anyone ever shot at you? Did you fill your pants? Are you buying new pants? Haha!!! Sometimes this world just goes off the deep end.

 

[g-dad]

I get them also. I tell them I'm not interested in doing this, politely say good bye and hang up.

They're really pushing to do an in home assessment. Not gonna happen!

 

[ACORN]

I recently had an in home visit. Checked my blood pressure, weight, height. Then a bunch of questions. I was ready for the gun question, but it never came up.
My wife made the appointment when they told her I'd get a $25 gift card.
It's been a couple weeks, still no card

 

[alwslate]

I used to get these offers for an in home checkup. After refusing for several years they finally gave up and quit bugging me.

 

[Rpg]

I guess I'm either lucky or ignored: I've never gotten a call like that.

 

[Rustyt1953]

The only medical texts and emails I receive are from AETNA, my two MyChart accounts and my pharmacy. All are noninvasive.

A few years back I asked my PCP "Jim, I have been under your watchful eye for many years. In all that time you have never queried me about firearms ownership".

Jim: "It is none of the government's damned business, it is none of the hospital's damned business and it sure as hell is none of my business."

At that moment we cemented our bond.

 

[twodog max]

I went for the annual wellness visit a couple months ago. The ARPN asked me a long list of questions like those you mentioned, no gun question, about everything.
Last week I had a psych exam required for possible SCS implant for pain. Again the questions asked by the psychologist we a lot of rerun but not as many. Again no gun question.

 

[MTC(SS)Ret]

I've been getting robocalls for a few months, they ask for me by name, then go into their routine, and it's either "our records indicate you are diabetic" or "we see you suffer from chronic back pain" (both true).

I usually just hang up but one day I was in an unusually foul mood so I kept asking the guy how he knew about my back problems and then he stuttered and starting reading his script again. I did that several times and then just hung up.
How are these companies getting this kind of personal health information that is supposedly protected by federal law?

 

[pawngal]

Hmmm, I never get phone calls like that. I do the Medicare "wellness check" every year at my doctors office. I sure won't respond to a call of that nasture.

 

[rwsmith]

I think they

I've been getting robocalls for a few months, they ask for me by name, then go into their routine, and it's either "our records indicate you are diabetic" or "we see you suffer from chronic back pain" (both true).....

I think they just know that a high percentage of people will have one or both of these, they if you agree to whatever it is that they give 'free', your insurance will pay for. I got the back pain thing and they wanted to send me a 'free' back brace.

 

[SMSgt]

If you complete the VA survey and tell them that waiting 45 minutes for the 4-minute wait time to be help, and listening to the VA's PTSD and Suicide Hotline continuous spiel for that entire time is enough to make someone call the suicide hotline--it will call you within 15 minutes to see if you're all right.

Fact.

I no longer respond to any doctors' questions other than those dealing directly with the condition for which I am seeing them.

 

[CajunBass]

I get them all the time. Twice over, since my wife is on everything too. I just don't answer the phone when they call. It usually shows up on the caller ID, but in case one does get through, I just hang up and don't even engage them in a conversation.

Note: "Hanging up" on a modern phone is nowhere near as satisfying as slamming down an old fashioned receiver was. I know...it does the same thing, but still.

 

[shovelhead]

Last one of these calls I bluntly told them I consider this an invasion of privacy to allow a stranger into my home first thing. And second thing, I don't need one of their "professional staff" aka a PA or retired First Responder (which I was a long time ago) to evaluate my prescriptions and take my vitals and "advise" my Cardiologist how he should treat me considering he has been seeing me over twenty five years now.

Despite my telling Aetna several times "no" and to remove us both from the call list they would constantly badger me and my wife. To the tune of calling back multiple times, I finally blocked the numbers they called from

. We changed to United Healthcare this year. I received a single call last spring. I politely told them "thanks but no thanks" and they actually listened.

 

[Dave Baird]

Thanks fellas! Yeah, I'm not mad at all, just believe I'm seeing the tip of the oncoming iceberg when it comes to losing our privacy. With digital currency on the way, Social Credit Scores that will soon be attached to our income as it's starting in Canada and Indonesia now, to take funds from us if we don't toe the line, these calls are just the beginning. It's not going to be pretty. In the meantime though, I try to joke with the callers a bit to get them to laugh without them marking me as a nutcase!!

 

[Krogen]

I get a number of calls a United Healthcare affiliate pushing a in-home "checkup." These are nothing more than telemarketers trying to make a buck. I've told them to take me off their list, but the calls don't stop. Probably because I'm a UHC customer and the Federal Do Not Call list doesn't apply.

Thankfully, the calls aren't all that frequent. Since my phone announces caller ID information verbally, I entered a contact named "UHC Junk" and set the ringtone to silent. It's amusing to see other folks' reactions when the phone in my pocket squawks "UHC JUNK." I don't even have to look at it to ignore the call.

 

[llowry61]

I do not answer any questions over the phone unless I made the call to a verified number.

I get a kick out of the questions my PCP's nurse has to ask about ever feeling like I want to hurt myself etc.

I have been going to the same PCP since the 90's and they always tell me look we have to ask. I told her that every day was Christmas and every night new years eve to me. She chuckled and moved on.

 

[Ματθιας]

My mom is 91 so I handle all of this stuff. When, BCBS called and asked for an in home visit I asked if it was a local person. Turns out the lady that came by was someone who is a friend of a friend, lives in the neighborhood and is a PA. She does this as a side job We also found out she works at an urgent care as her day job.

When they call, I ask for this specific person can come by, and if not they can contact my mom's PCP if they have any questions.

 

[cballman]

I went for a physical earlier this year. I was asked if i thought I would be better off dead!! I told both the nurse and the DR that no I didnt there were people out there that I havent met yet that I could piss them off . Both the Nurse and DR looked at me like I was crazy. But still there are people to piss off out there. Gots to have some goals in life!!

 

[glenwolde]

I always thought they were trying to see if they could qualify you for more services, that they then get to bill Medicare for. Squeeze every dime out of every patient. When I had a United Healthcare plan they were relentless. With my current Cigna, not a single call.

 

[Old Arkansawyer]

Hmmm, I never get phone calls like that. I do the Medicare "wellness check" every year at my doctors office. I sure won't respond to a call of that nasture.

Pawngal, they know you are just a young filly and they have
no need to ask those questions.