The Mayo Clinic: Getting on the VIP List

May we please give you all our money?

Understanding the Importance of Specialized Care

Thoracic aortic aneurysms are particularly complex. We did as much research as we could online before Shawn’s follow-up (non-Mayo) cardiologist appointment. We looked at everything we could find from the top 2 hospitals in the country that treat this condition - Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic. Even the small amount of knowledge we had gained by reviewing their articles and videos seemed to be far more than the Dr. we met with had. He didn’t fill us with confidence in his Jurassic Park decorated office as he hemmed and hawed at our long list of questions, seeming unsure of his own answers. We walked out frustrated and disappointed that we had wasted time waiting to get in to see him. We looked at each other in the elevator as we left his office and agreed - we’ve got to try to get into Mayo.

Mayo Clinic has a hospital here in Arizona and we are lucky enough that it’s only about a 20 minute drive from our house. They have an extensive history with this type of surgery, which is not very common. What you want, as a patient with this condition, is a surgical team who have done this thousands of times, not once or twice in their career. Mayo is one of the few hospitals that have high volume and a cutting-edge surgical approach for this procedure. The volume is particularly high at their Rochester, MN, hospital, which we may be able to travel to for the surgery. All this coupled with Mayo’s multidisciplinary approach helped us feel confident that Shawn would be in the best hands possible. The problem is access…

Getting into Mayo isn't as simple as picking up the phone and scheduling an appointment. They’re an elite medical institution with elite outcomes - you have to be approved first to become a patient. It’s a bit like the private school model; they tout their great results, like how many graduates go on to ivy league universities, but they also chose who gets admitted in the first place.

Here’s what the initial process looked like, from contacting scheduling to getting accepted:

Getting Interviewed to be a Patient

Mayo Clinic doesn't take just anyone on as a patient, and in cases of complex conditions like Shawn’s, it’s necessary to go through multiple consultation interviews in addition to providing all relevant medical records.

I initially filled out a web form on their scheduling site, where I entered his medical and insurance information. Several days later he got a call from them to set up some interviews.

Shawn spoke to two intake specialists for over an hour and sent over all the necessary information, including the initial diagnosis, images from his CT scan, and a summary of his medical history. Mayo is very thorough and wanted every piece of relevant information and documentation, as this helps their team assess the urgency and complexity of your condition.

The Waiting Game

After his intake interviews were complete and all records were submitted, he was informed that there would be a waiting period before he would hear back from the clinic. This part of the process can be anxiety-inducing because, as a patient dealing with something critical, time feels like it’s of the essence.

He spent the next few days refreshing email and waiting for the phone to ring. Thankfully, he received a call sooner than expected. The clinic’s intake team informed him that they had scheduled an appointment for him with one of their award winning cardiologists on November 5th. A series of tests was also scheduled in the first few days of November, leading up to that appointment. They want to re-do all tests he has previously had done, but with their equipment and specialists, in addition to some others.

Can You Pay?

Unless you qualify for charitable care or financial assistance for a medically necessary procedure, you are either an insured patient or a cash patient at Mayo. Many insurance plans do not cover them as “in-network”, in which case you will be a cash patient and have to put down a significant advance as a retainer before you are seen, as well as pay up front for any tests scheduled. We are incredibly thankful that my insurance is one of the few that covers Mayo as in-network.

The journey to specialized care, especially for something as complex as a thoracic aortic aneurysm, is not without its challenges. Knowing that Shawn will be in the best hands possible has given us so much piece of mind.

Up Next - The Meantime: How Life Has Changed (a post from Shawn!)