<p>Hi, Arrow, I join the chorus suggesting you seek out your local Planned Parenthood. If there is not one nearby, you can also use this family planning clinic finder: <a href=“Reproductive Health | HHS Office of Population Affairs”>Reproductive Health | HHS Office of Population Affairs; Best wishes to you as you sort all this out!</p>
<p>Our insurance sends and EOB (explanation of benefits) for each visit. It contains a CPT (current procedural technology) code. Anyone can google this code and get a full description of whatever procedure was performed (an office visit is a ‘procedure’, any tests, additional services etc. will be coded. Getting a prescription will not be coded but will obviously appear on the prescription plan). </p>
<p>And, as the primary subscriber I validate any and all EOB that come across my desk, including verification of any and all CPT - you’d be surprised how many billing errors (and consequent invalid costs) creep into the system. So, OP no, you will have no way to hide the the reason for your visit.</p>
<p>On a lighter note. …DD reports that her student health services has exactly two diagnosis’ - mono and strep!</p>
<p>Our kids’ eobs come to our address, but addressed to them. So, legally are we not supposed to open them? As someone else suggested, I wonder if a dependent can contact the insurance company and request the eobs sent to her address.
I think, depending on where Arrow03 goes to school, she may be more comfortable going to Planned Parenthood. We live in a rural, mostly conservative area and my daughter recently had to see someone other than her usual P.A. for her annual checkup. She felt that some of the discussion in the area of contraception was unnecessary and judgmental, but not anything that she couldn’t handle. For someone less confident or experienced, it may have been more upsetting.</p>
<p>…and FYI, Planned Parenthood clinics are not limited to treating “female” issues. When my older son wanted privacy regarding a sexually-related health issue he went to a local PP clinic instead of using his regular doctor and parents’ health insurance.</p>
<p>Of course then he stupidly left the receipt on the kitchen counter :rolleyes:</p>
<p>
Although addressed to the dependent (which is strange because ours are always addressed to the primary holder of the policy) it is the primary policy holder who is responsible for payment. The whole thing gets even stranger since ‘kids’ get to stay on a parents policy until they are 26. So unless another ‘fix it law’ goes into place, parents will have access to ‘kids’ billing records until that age.</p>
<p>Since it’s the parents paying for the insurance then it only makes sense that statements come to the individual who’s actually paying for the insurance. The adult ‘kid’ always has the option to not use it if they don’t want to.</p>
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Funny one!</p>
<p>Our EOB also is addressed to primary insured & comes to our household, itemizing which people under the policy received which services, for what amounts, performed by which providers. We just look at it to be sure things look as we expect. If we saw one of our kids receiving medical services, we’d call to be sure kiddo was OK & that the bill was really incurred. Neither kiddo has wanted EOBs to be sent to them. Don’t know if they could block our accessing their medical records–can block us seeing their student health records for sure but signed HIPPA release forms.</p>
<p>OP, even if you did use your parent’s ins. to go to an OB/GYN, at this point you could just say that you were having painful periods, or long, or whatever, and you needed the visit. Most reg. docs these days will refer you to one anyway, rather than helping your themselves. Your parents have to expect that as you get older, you may need that type of specialist. It isn’t a screaming “red flag” that you are having sex. There are lots of reasons to see the gynocologist. I would handle it maturely, use the insurance so that you can go to an established practioner, develop a relationship with that pract. by going for the yearly visits starting now, and that way if you develop a problem, you will have a doc you like and trust to help you. What goes on during the visit will not be disclosed.</p>
<p>Good advice here. I commend you for being responsible. Regardless of what you decide, please do see a health professional. I generally vote for total honesty, but I do like teach’s idea above (“bad cramps”).</p>
<p>I am not sure if subscriber could be easily kept in dark. They and their employers are paying premium. I would feel 100% sure only if I paid cash.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot! This so embarrassing. So glad there is this anonymous forum with actual parents answering.</p>
<p>Arrow, if it’s an ob/gyn you want to see (assuming you are female?), you really should see one every year anyway for a pap test and exam. Abstinent or not, every woman can get cervical cancer. This is a great reason to go. Or say you think you have a yest infection or bad cramps or whatever. </p>
<p>While you’re there, get a prescription for birth control, get tested for STDs, ask whatever questions you want to ask - the doctor can’t tell anyone. </p>
<p>Also, as of August 1 of this year birth control has no co-payment, by law - Affordable Care Act.</p>
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Piling on … I totally agree with this. </p>
<p>FYI - my girlfriend and I went to a PP clinic when we were in college … they were great dealing with nervous first time visitors … in addition, they had student rates which were much cheaper than their regular rates.</p>
<p>This thread tells me why i should increase my annual donation to Planned Parenthood</p>
<p>A lot of abstinent young women have an annual exam with an ob/gyn. There should be an annual breast exam, for one thing. Some women use that as their overall annual well visit, for annual well person maintenance such as urinalysis, height and weight, blood pressure, etc. Then there are minor gyn matters that even abstinent young women encounter, such as yeast infections and cramps. I would want my daughter to have this care, just as I want her to have regular dental care. And I personally would want her to establish as a patient of an experienced doc, with admitting privileges at a good hospital, that we had chosen for his or her good credentials and manner. But a reputable clinic might be fine.</p>
<p>Your health insurance company’s member service line should be able to tell you what information is available to whom, when a young adult member has an office visit on the parents’ policy. The federal HIPAA law has made things much more private. The student health service is also governed by HIPAA, so you might have more medical privacy right on campus than you may think. I don’t know your school.</p>
<p>From an identity fraud perspective, it is the policyholder’s obligation and responsibility to check what visits have been billed to the plan and make sure they did take place as listed. There can be impostors out there who get your health insurance info and then go to a doctor, using your name and a copy of your card – potentially gobbling up your coverage and causing you many problems. There could also be health care providers who submit bills to insurance companies for care that did not happen. You don’t want that on your account. So your parents probably are looking at the EOBs (explanations of benefits) that come from the health insurer, and confirming to themselves whether the visits listed were truly visits that family members had.</p>
<p>I would understand my kids having a visit, but I’d rather not be surprised and confused when I opened the EOB. And I’d rather not be put in the position of being uninformed, assuming there was a mistake, maybe calling the health insurance company to report the mistake on the EOB, only to find out that it was an actual visit. That type of situation might engender more parental worry and followup than a simple heads-up that an annual exam would be taking place in the near future.</p>
<p>As the mother of 2 girls, it is perfectly reasonable to see an Ob/Gyn as it is listed as an annual routine service on insurance plans for someone your age - abstinent or otherwise for the reasons stated above. I believe the better plan would be to talk to your mother about scheduling a visit for that very reason. You do not need to tell her the exact reason for your visit and at least with our own insurance very little information, including birth control shows up on the bill. The pharmacy has the information, however, and we have had several calls from them regarding the prescription (although they won’t state the reason). Even if you have to stretch the truth as to the nature of your visit and the “reason” they may suggest birth control, it would be far better than finding yourself with an unintended pregnancy.</p>
<p>My daughters have had several friends that have tried to go the Planned Parenthood route recently and it did not work out at all and they all ended up talking to their mother. If you have insurance, they will not really help you and in addition, there is a lot of paperwork involved. They will tell you that you need to talk to your parents first, at least that is what happened to several girls at our local office. This actually this turned out to be the best advice they gave.</p>
<p>This can be an uncomfortable conversation for you and your mother, but it is one that must take place. Good luck to you.</p>
<p>If you are going to talk to your mom, don’t do it while she is driving. My kid dropped it on me while I was driving, as open as I was on the whole issue, it took me by surprise and I had to pull off the road. Once I regained my composure, we had a nice chat about it. We went together on her first appointment. It turned out to be disaster because the doctor was such B*, then we found a very nice male doctor for her whom she felt more comfortable with.</p>
<p>OP–again, contact your doctor, ask them that they rescind any agreements to allow your parents access to your medical records. Call or go online with you insurance carrier and ask that the explanation of benefits for your visits be sent to you at your school address. Your parents can’t and won’t see anything since you are over 14. All of the posters that are getting information from their “adult” children are getting it because somewhere along the way a form was signed to allow that.</p>
<p>SteveMA, on line, I can see the medical visits of my entire family and can click on any one at anytime. Her doctor visits and dates will be accessible by the primary insured because they are the primary insured.</p>
<p>I would never trust an insurance company to reliably change the mailing address of just one member of a household. I can’t even get BC/BS to correct the spelling of my first name.</p>
<p>Lakemom-that is because somewhere along the way you signed a form allowing that—or you signed up your kids online. I can get on to my kids’ online records because I know their user names and passwords otherwise I wouldn’t be able to see anything. If the OP does change that so her parents don’t have access and they still send information to them they are in violation of HIPAA laws and subject to huge fines.</p>