A TikToker is gaining attention after sharing the unreasonably long wait time their insurance provider had for booking a new patient appointment.
In the video, @faeriefella shares that they recently aged out of their parent’s health insurance— since insurance providers in the United States only allow dependants to be under 26 years old—and had to sign up for their own medical plan.
They did just that, but when they called their insurance provider to schedule an appointment, they were told the earliest appointment for a new patient like themselves wouldn’t be until Sept. 6, 2024—about 15 months away. The TikToker said in the comments that they pay $400 a month for the coverage, “and that’s shit tier.”
The content creator also notes that they needed an appointment sooner because they were running out of prescription medication and needed a refill soon.
Despite the circumstances, the healthcare representative said there was no way to book an emergency appointment and that they could get on the waitlist for an appointment, but those spots rarely open up.
“I was just told no over and over again,” @faeriefella says in the clip.
@faeriefella Thank god for zocdoc or else i couldve died lol #healthinsurance ♬ original sound – a fairy fella
“So I got this health insurance, started paying for it last month, May, and I can’t see anyone until 2024,” the TikToker continues.
They went on to share that Zocdoc ended up being the solution and specified that they weren’t doing a paid advertisement or anything of the sort. Through Zocdoc, a “digital healthcare marketplace” helps patients book doctor’s appointments, they were able to book an appointment with a doctor within the next couple of weeks.
The clip was filmed the same day as their appointment, and @faeriefella says they were able to get all of their medication “straightened away,” as well as a physical and referrals to other specialists.
“Maybe the internet is good,” @faeriefella says. “…I got a lot of sass from everyone that I needed help from, except for a quick little internet button.”
@faeriefella concludes the video by saying that doing things the “right way” through health insurance isn’t always the “best way.”
The video has more than 10,000 views and dozens of comments. TikToker creates content about food, travel, and the detailed press on nails they create and sell.
“Thank god for zocdoc or else i couldve died,” they wrote in the caption.
Several commenters shared that they’ve been in similar situations.
“Did something similar. Was impossible to get an appointment at planned parenthood for my birth control pills. Got an instant appointment with goodrx,” one user said.
“This literally exactly word for word happened to me too. Wish I knew abt the internet doc thing,” another wrote.
The Daily Dot reached out to @faeriefella via TikTok comment and to Zocdoc via email.
Update 2:28pm CT July 13: In an email to the Daily Dot, a representative for Zocdoc shared the following:
“This patient’s frustrating, disempowering experience is unfortunately all too common in healthcare — and it’s completely unacceptable. Patients deserve fast access to quality, in-network care, and that’s exactly what Zocdoc was created to do. Zocdoc was founded with a mission to give power to the patient, and we help millions of patients nationwide easily find and instantly book in-network care. We are proud that the typical appointment made through Zocdoc happens within just 24-72 hours of booking,” said Jessica Aptman, Chief Communications Officer at Zocdoc.”
