She was seen in the ER for a minor illness the day before and was told she was pregnant. She told the scheduling people that she was high risk and needed to be seen within 24 hours. They double booked her into my schedule. She was an hour late for her appointment. After screaming at my front desk receptionist and my medical assistant that she was a "high risk pregnancy" and must be seen today, she was ushered back to an exam room.
She told me about her ER visit and gave me a copy of the ultrasound report. She is 5 WEEKS pregnant. (that means she missed her period a week ago) She then presented me with disability paperwork. She had been given a work release from the ER for a few days off to recuperate from her minor illness. She stated that wasn't enough time off. She had to be off for at least a week to claim disability. She demanded that I fill out the paperwork saying she couldn't work for the entire pregnancy because she was sure she wouldn't feel well on some days and wouldn't want to go to work.
I told her to leave the paperwork and I would fill it out for normal pregnancy (13 office visits, 6 weeks off after delivery) and she could pick it up next week. She threw a fit because this had to be turned in today or she would lose her job. I decided to be nice, filled it out, and handed it to her before she walked out the door.
She was back 30 minutes later screaming at everyone again that I had not filled it out correctly. She needed me to fill it out giving her the 12 weeks disability she was entitled to by FMLA. We tried again to let her know that pregnancy is NOT a disability. FMLA does not mean you are entitled to 12 weeks paid disability just because you are pregnant. They do not have to pay her salary, or or pay for disability during that time if there is no medical reason why she can't work.
She left threatening to sue and that she was going to write me up for not taking care of her properly. You know this wouldn't be so bad if this wasn't the fourth patient in two weeks to give me the same song and dance.....I hate FMLA paperwork.
9 comments:
Sheesh it sounds like some people need brains before they get pregnant and harass you.
Totally floored.
At the risk of sending you off the deep end. What is FMLA stand for? I've been playing around with what I think it stands for, but I'd like the 'official version' if you are so inclined wihtout shuddering.
Frenzied Mother Leave Application just doesn't seem like a suitable title... tee hee.
lol I like the Frenzied Mother Leave Application - that is much more fitting then Family Leave And Medical Act - Which is what it stands for. It is interesting that today in our present day Pregnancy has become a disease process. You need to have 12 weeks off because you may or may not feel good?! It is amazing and you were very nice to have her paperwork filled out right then. One thing I will not have to deal with in the Hospital - pissed off pregnant women screaming about their FMLA paperwork!!!
OMG you have to be kidding. There is no way I could work in healthcare when people have a sense of entitlement. Both times I was a high risk pregnancy. First - severe pe with partial HELLP syndrome. Delivered at 36 weeks on the nose. The second chronic htn with severe superimposed PIH. Delivered at 35 weeks 5 days. Both times the physicians had to BEG me to take off. First baby, I got a severe scolding by the military dr. I have women coming in here every day begging me to take them out of work. They are having a NORMAL pregnancy. YOU are high risk and are NOT having a normal pregnancy. You need to be in bed. Now why won't you do it. She even turned me in to occupational health and said my job was a hazzard to me health. I have to give her credit she tried and I was very stupid. The second pregnancy, the peri at 26 weeks said I had no business working. I told her it was easy for her to say that as she is a dr. At 30 weeks, I finally asked my ob to take me out of work because the 2000mg of Aldomet was making me too tired to work. He said I wondered when you would give in. I gave in and went out on strict bedrest. He just upped the meds till I couldn't handle it any longer. The next baby, I will go out when I need to. I just can't believe people act that way. Well I know they do. It's just amazes me. Ya'll are right. FMLA does not entitle them to paid disability. It only entitles them to keep their jobs. Most of the time it is unpaid. Amazing.
It stands for Family Medical Leave Act, (although I love the Frenzied mother title better!) it is a Federal law that requires certain employers (those with more than 50 employees I think) to grant employees up to 12 weeks time off, during a 12 month period, for medical care for themselves or a family member. The employee must have worked for the employer for at least one year, and they must provide documentation of the medical condition. The employer is only required to hold the employees job and not replace them. They do not have to pay them during the time off. It guarantees that someone will not get fired from their job because they have a medical reason to miss work.
FMLA requires a medical provider document a verifiable medical reason why the patient can not work. In the instance of a normal, uncomplicated pregnancy, it allows the patient to take time off to come to her prenatal appointments and not be penalized for doing so. It also allows for time off after delivery. Of course, if there are medical complications, they are guaranteed up to 12 weeks of time off if they need it.
It is a federal law that many patient advocate groups fought long and hard for. The sad part is now people think it means they are entitled to take time off for any and all illnesses or "just not feeling well." They also assume it means they are guaranteed 12 weeks of paid vacation time.
PE Mommy: I'm glad that you have realized that a healthy baby trumps loyalty to a job anytime. :-)
Ewwww I once had a patient admit to being drunk basically all the time, then we wouldn't sign a paper that she needed that she was fit to work unsupervised with preschool children, which she needed for some misguided welfare-to-work program. She went totally nuts on us (was drunk at the time too), and it was rather scary.
Here Here!!!!
I understand. I often say Pregnancy is not an illness unless you delevop another problem you have no disablility.
If only we could care for the patients without the paper work.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and journeys
Thank you for the clarification...
I figured it was something perfectly reasonable, being used perfectly unreasonably.
sigh...
It thoroughly irritated me to be labeled 'moderate risk'... just because I refused to subject myself to repeat caesareans.
Because we all know we c/s mama are just a scar waiting to explode... snicker.
I wonder if she will have a textbook 'high risk' pregnancy? Sadly, as we have seen in the other comments... there are people who legitimately need to be classified as 'high risk' for FMLA paperwork.
There are more and more days I think to myself we haven't learned anything, we aren't evolving to the better!
It's amazing how one rotten person can make for everyone having a measurable day. Fortunately there are people like you who make the world a better place. A little kindness and compassion can make a huge difference in a person’s life. You will soon forget this patient and her tirade. But the patients that you show a little extra kindness to, when they’ve lost a baby, have cancer or some other problem, will always remember you.
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