Surgeon Shares Shocking Story of Insurance Provider Interrupting Surgery for a Call
A Texas surgeon’s viral video has shed light on an unsettling experience: being interrupted during surgery by a phone call from the patient’s insurance provider. Dr. Elisabeth Potter, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Austin, Texas, shared her story of receiving a call from UnitedHealthcare while performing a complex procedure.
Dr. Potter specializes in breast reconstruction surgery for cancer patients, performing hundreds of surgeries annually. In the video, she recounts performing two bilateral DIEP flap surgeries—procedures that use tissue from the patient’s abdomen to reconstruct the breast—when the phone call from the insurance provider came through.
The Unbelievable Interruption
While her patient was under anesthesia, Dr. Potter was interrupted by a nurse supervisor who informed her that UnitedHealthcare had called about the patient. The nurse took the call and explained that the insurance company needed to communicate with Dr. Potter about the patient’s case. Despite the critical nature of the surgery, the nurse brought a note into the operating room with the details.
“The nurse at the front desk of the OR who took the call and wrote this note said that the person on the phone first asked for the patient and then for me,” Dr. Potter shared. “I made that judgment call and I stand by it—I think it was the right thing to do for the patient.”
The note, which included the name and contact information of the UnitedHealthcare representative, did not specify an urgent need for an immediate response.
A Questionable Decision from UnitedHealthcare
What struck Dr. Potter as odd was that UnitedHealthcare had called the hospital’s front desk rather than her office or personal contact information. “They didn’t call my office, they didn’t call my cell phone, and they didn’t email me. This wasn’t the billing department of the hospital,” she said.
The situation escalated to the point where Dr. Potter made the difficult decision to scrub out of surgery to return the call. Fearing the insurance provider might deny coverage for the procedure, she felt it was necessary to address the issue immediately.
“The nurse manager said she had never in her career received a call like that before,” Dr. Potter added. “She thought it must be important and brought the message to the OR.”
A Growing Concern Over Healthcare Interruptions
This incident raises serious questions about how insurance companies handle communication with medical professionals during critical procedures. Dr. Potter’s experience highlights the disconnect between healthcare providers and insurance companies and the potential risks it poses to patient care.
Such interruptions could lead to delays in treatment or, worse, compromise patient safety. Healthcare professionals, especially surgeons, typically focus entirely on their patients during operations, and interruptions for non-urgent matters can create unnecessary stress and distractions.
A Call for Better Communication
The incident also points to the need for improved communication channels between healthcare providers and insurance companies. Hospitals and medical offices should be the primary points of contact for urgent matters, rather than relying on hospital front desks or other less direct methods.
Dr. Potter’s story has resonated with many in the medical field, raising concerns about the broader impact of insurance practices on patient care and medical professionals’ ability to focus on their work without unnecessary distractions.
Source : Swifteradio.com
