Phone person #1: "Thank you for calling Low-Cost Radiology, where our prices reflect our quality every day! Can I help you?"
Annie: "Hi, this is Annie, at Dr. Grumpy's office. I'm trying to get
insurance approval for a patient to have an MRI there, and to submit the
form I need your facility's tax ID number."
Phone person #1: "What's a tax ID number? Is it how much we paid in taxes? Last year I paid..."
Annie:
"No, it's the number your facility is assigned for tax and business purposes. The insurance companies need it so they can pay you for the MRI."
Phone person #1: "Is that the same as my social security number? I can give you that. It's 738..."
Annie:
"No. It's the assigned..."
Phone person #1: "Let me transfer you."
On hold with a subdued piano & cello version of "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
Phone person #2: "Thank you for holding. Can I help you?"
Annie: "Hi, this is Annie, at Dr. Grumpy's office. I'm trying to get
insurance approval for a patient to have an MRI there, and to submit the
form I need your facility's tax ID number."
Phone person #2: "Hmmm... Is that the number you just called to reach us?"
Annie:
"No, that's your phone number. It's..."
Phone person #2: "Oh, is that like a special number the IRS calls us on?"
Annie: "No it's..."
Phone person #2: "Let me transfer you."
On hold with a subdued piano & cello version of "Safety Dance."
Phone person #3: "Thank you for holding. Can I help you?"
Annie:
"Hi, this is Annie, at Dr. Grumpy's office. I'm trying to get insurance
approval for a patient to have an MRI there, and to submit the form I
need your facility's tax ID number."
Phone person #3: "I don't think we have one."
Annie: "No, you do, every business has one, it's assigned to you before you open by the..."
Phone person #3: "Let me transfer you."
On hold with a subdued piano & cello version of "Paint It Black."
Phone person #4: "Thank you for holding. Can I help you?"
Annie:
"Hi, this is Annie, at Dr. Grumpy's office. I'm trying to get insurance
approval for a patient to have an MRI there, and to submit the form I
need your facility's tax ID number."
Phone person #4: "Oh, hang
on. Let me look that up for you. Hmmm. I thought I had it on a Post-It
note somewhere... maybe it's behind the take-out menu for Blumenthal's
Chinese... no, maybe it got stuck to the menu for the place we ordered
lunch from on Monday, I can't remember the name though... that may be over by the fax machine with the Chipotle forms, hang on... you know, I may have
accidentally thrown it out because a bunch of stuff got marinara sauce on it when I was eating yesterday... let me transfer you."
On hold with a subdued piano & cello version of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."
Phone person #5: "Thank you for holding. Can I help you?"
Annie:
"Hi, this is Annie, at Dr. Grumpy's office. I'm trying to get insurance
approval for a patient to have an MRI there, and to submit the form I
need your facility's tax ID number."
Phone person #5: "I hate you phishing scams. Fuck off."
click