My doctor put in an order for a CAT scan of my throat due to a strange irritation that has been going on for six months. I get a phone call from what seems to be my health insurance company. It is of course an Indian woman that is hard to understand. She wants to sell me cheaper CAT scans at different locations rather than the place my doctor has me scheduled. No lady I am not driving four hours to save my insurance company $200. It was clear when I asked that she was not from my insurance company but a different company. It kind of felt like a collections call when your credit card sells your debt. What a load of shit.

She was calling from India most likely

A lot of CAT scan and X-ray work IIRC has gone there. She probably wanted you to go to a place that would send the scan right to India to be analyzed.

Insurance companies have been doing this for sometime. For example in mental health they steer you to a low priced counselor rather than a trained psychologist. For medical needs you are seeing an NP or PA. Read your insurance contract carefully and see if this is allowed.
I remember a cartoon from 25 years ago. A guy is lying in a hospital bed and a nurse is standing there with the chart. The caption read, Good news Mr. Jones, your insurance company is sending you home. Today it is reality.

She gave me prices of all options. My deductible is 10%. I ain’t going to a shithole to save $20

Our insurance has an app where you can find the prices in your area for places that perform the test you need.
We found that the test may be cheaper but then you have to pay the doctor at that place to read your results and then send them to your doctor.

This wound costing more and taking a bunch of time in scheduling and getting my doctor to send them my information than just going down the hall in the hospital and having it done.

Yep. The bean counters are happy since you saved them money. Anytime an insurance company is involved it is probably not to help the patient.

If you have to drive four hours to get the work done, you aren’t even saving the $20. Tell them you’d be happy to do it if they agree to reimburse you 50 cents a mile and an $80 trip charge.

My insurance carrier sent me to a brand new, state of the art 70 cm diameter tube MRI facility.

It was the first MRI that was almost enjoyable. That slightly larger tube made all the difference. The images were incredibly detailed.

But the same insurance company said “No surgery until you lose weight.” In the meanwhile I have a left arm that is only 50% functional.

Rationing in here folks; they are being subtle about it.