Needles and vampires.

OK fans, here's the latest!
As some of you may remember, we have to get a doctor to fill out and sign a medical certificate saying we don't have various diseases and we are healthy enough to adopt. This form seems to require, when you look at it, going to 8 different doctors to get the diagnosis of several things, including mental health, skin diseases, STD's, a narcologist, and a general physician, as well as a TB, HIV and Syphilis test. However what is actually required is to just go to the family doctor, have everything written as "healthy", pending only TB, HIV and Syphilis tests. We didn't have a family doctor, and we weren't sure if there was an easy procedure to find a doctor who would be patient enough to hear all of the requirements in filling out this form (including the various options for notarizing, stamping, certifying, copying, and attaching). So I called some of the doctors in our network for our insurance. Several weren't available for new patient appointments until DECEMBER! Finally, one I called said late November/early December, but in my frustration of hearing that all day I told her why we needed the appointment. She spoke softly, asking me if we could come in October 24th. I did a silent victory dance and gladly accepted the appointment.
So yesterday we went. I knew that the insurance wasn't going to cover the test because that is "preventative care" and they only want to pay for you AFTER you're sick, not before. So the receptionist told me that the visit and tests would probably run us a hundred or two each. Fine, whatever, as long as the stupid form gets filled out!
SO fortunately, the doctor was not only patient, but seemed willing to go above and beyond to make sure she completely understood how to fill out the form, and offered extra steps she could do to make sure Ukraine didn't reject anything (attaching a notarized copy of her medical license, even though that wouldn't be required since the paper would be stamped with the official office stamp and seal, and be notarized itself).
While she was doing this, the nurse came in to tell us that the insurance definitely wouldn't cover the tests, and that in addition to an extra "draw fee" they'd have to charge us to take the blood and send it to the lab, the test through them and their lab for HIV was like $378!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EACH!!! I told her I was glad she'd already taken my BP because I was sure it just went up.
The doctor was even shocked. So they though we could go directly to the lab instead of having them draw it in the doctor's office, and that would be cheaper. They gave us phone numbers of literally 20 or more labs we could call. They were going to call for us, and I offered to do it later that day.
Then, with the nurse and doctor brainstorming on our behalf, they decided we should just go to the Allentown Health Bureau, since we all (including the doctor) were demanding that $378 for an HIV test was insane, especially considering that it ought to be easy to get since the general population with a fear of infection won't spend that kind of money.
The doctor said she didn't care how we got proof of not being infected, as long as there was a print out to look at she didn't care if we went to a free clinic and got the stupid test.
So we went to Allentown Health Bureau today and after answering questions about our "preferences" and "history" with drugs and private life that could potentially indicate likelihood of infection, we paid exactly $0 for us both to have our blood drawn, by a nurse lady who was nicknamed "the Vampire". (Jason didn't nearly faint this time like he did the last time he had blood drawn. Don't tell him I told you.)
We have to wait till next Thursday to get the results, but it's not like we're worried about them! So we'll gladly wait an extra week to save more than $700.
In the meantime, my first TB test (that I remember) appears to be negative. So that's good. Jay's too, but he's been tested several times before.
Both tests - no fun. But they're done. :)
All for now!
Love,
Molly