Administrative backlash

Yesterday we took Keenan to the hospital to have his infant screening tests done. The tests are required by law and are usually done before an infant is discharged from the hospital. Well, because we didn't deliver in a hospital, Keenan hadn't had the test done yet and we didn't fit cleanly into "the system".

Still, things seemed to be going alright -- our doctor had written us a prescription for the test and we had called the hospital lab to ensure that we could just show up and have it done anytime. So we arrived at the hospital yesterday and were directed to the registration desk. I handed over the prescription and our insurance card, so far so good. I started to get a little worried when the girl at the desk got up and took the prescription over to her supervisor and started asking questions about it. She came back a few minutes later and we had a conversation that went something like this:

Desk girl: "We can't use this prescription because it doesn't have a diagnosis on it."
Me: "Well, it's a screening test required for all infants so there really isn't a diagnosis. He was just born."
Desk girl: "Well, the law requires that we have something in writing explaining why the test is necessary."
Me: "Um, well, the test is required by law. That's why he's having it done. He was just born, that's all."
Desk girl: "I'm sorry, you'll have to take this back to your doctor and get a new prescription with a diagnosis on it."
Me: sigh "Okay... we'll be back tomorrow..."

So - now we're off to the doctor's (fortunately we had appointments anyway, which is probably why I wasn't more upset about the insanity of the requirements) and we will be sure to have the baby diagnosed as "born".