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Ellie

“So if I understand this correctly, your insurance won’t cover the appointments and you want to argue the bill,” I repeated back to the woman.

“Yes, it doesn’t make any sense why they won’t, and I won’t pay when—”

I swallowed a sigh and kept professional. “You agreed at the time of the appointment that you would cover any balance left over that insurance didn’t cover. That’s standard of any hospital or doctor’s office. It’s not suddenly free because insurance doesn’t cover it, ma’am, and you know this.”

“Fine, but—”

“But I understand insurance and the process can be confusing,” I continued deciding to nip this situation in the bud and handle it all another way… Namely, with the source.

Again.

“And since you came in with a medical issue your children couldn’t possibly havehad,” I told her, giving her the look she deserved as I said it. “I will adjust the claim and make it clear it was a general wellness check as you thought something was wrong with your children but aren’t a doctor to have diagnosed it.”

“Yes, of course, and that makes more sense,” she said sheepishly, knowing she was at least partially busted.

“But you are over your allotted wellness visits for your children for the year, so you still have to partially pay for the visit,” I told her firmly. “In the future, I suggest you only use them when needed and for emergencies.”

She bristled at what I was saying. “I wasn’t doing—”

“Dr. Hastings is a great pediatrician, fantastic with kids, attentive to the parents, funny, handsome—I get it,” I said gently, softening my gaze so the single mother in front of me understood that I wasn’t judging her. “It’s why he is so very,verypopular with many mothers, and I’ve seen this situation before.”

She did a double take, losing her insulted edge and switching to a different emotion… One that should have been embarrassed but was still at least productive for my purposes. “You have?”

“Yes, I have,” I answered. “Dr. Hastings is doing his job to be there for you and your kids. I can understand how easily things can be misconstrued when someone is that friendly and charismatic. You’re not the first person to—”

She got defensive again. “Well, if I’m not the first then clearly it’s not us, and he needs to be—”

“Yes, except there are hundreds of others who understand the roles and have never misconstrued his behavior,” I reminded her a bit more firmly. “So let’s take this as a needed lesson learned and be glad it was one done quietly and with a woman who understands the situation so it’s not something embarrassing for you.”

Since you should be embarrassed.

I desperately wanted to add that and hoped she understood that part, but she seemed a bit full of herself and maybe not the sharpest, so… I didn’t think she did.

But at least she understood there was no further to go with me and she was getting the best deal she could. I told her howmuch of the balance she needed to pay with what her insurance wouldn’t cover and made it clear to pay now since that was the only way I would waive the late fees. She did and then left.

Which left me to handle the other part of this equation.

The true root of the problem and one on very thin ice with me even if his ego was too inflated to understand that.

I found him at one of the nurse’s stations leaning over and giving a smile that most women loved, but I knew him well enough to want to gag. “Dr. Hastings, your office or mine?”

“Mine is fine,” he said easily before leaning into the people around him. “Oh no, Auntie Ellie is mad.”

A few tried to squash snickers, but the smart ones looked at him like he was nuts to mess with me.

I led the way and sighed when I not only reached his office first, but then had to wait about three minutes for him to catch up. The balls on this man were astounding.

“What’s up, Ellie?” he asked cheerily as he strolled in.

“This is the last warning, Dr. Hastings, and if it happens again, it’s your last day,” I said evenly.

“Is it Ellie with an ‘ie’ or ‘y?’” he pushed before I could finish.

“It’s Ms. Reed, and if you call me Ellie or Auntie Ellie again, you’re fired, Dr. Hastings,” I said firmly. “You’ve had enough warnings and—”