Dr. Keith’s Story
In February 2023 I saw an elderly patient with acute abdominal pain at our outpatient clinic. Their exam was concerning so I obtained a STAT same day outpatient CT abdomen/pelvis, which showed acute colitis, clearly explaining her pain. I then direct admitted her to our hospital, bypassing the ER and saving the system money and resources. She was admitted for several days of IV antibiotics then discharged without complication. After discharge her insurance company attempted to say that the CT of the abdomen/pelvis was not necessary and was not a covered expense….even though the CT led to an accurate diagnosis and timely intervention and care. It seemed like blatant harassment of this vulnerable, elderly person to contest what was an obviously appropriate imaging study.