Returned fever since coming back from Asia

[Anonymous]

I recently came back from India. I had a fever there and muscle pain. The doctor diagnosed me with traveler's fever. I have had an on and off fever, headache, sweating for a fever days now. We returned last Monday. We haven't chosen an insurance company yet but they will reimburse us. My husband started a new job this week. Where should I go to get tested? Would CVS minute clinic be ok? I can ask around for a doctor recommendation but it's already Friday and I don't know anyone in the new city we're in now.

[Anonymous]

I would not go to minute clinic. They treat routine ear infections, strep throat, etc. I wouldn’t trust them to navigate a potentially rarer international illness. I would go to a larger walk in urgent care. They will have doctors versus just a nurse practitioner at minute clinic.

As far as insurance, if you don’t have a plan yet be prepared to pay out of pocket. Mention this to the doctor you see so they can let you know if any of the tests they want to run are very expensive.

[Anonymous]

A minute clinic cannot diagnose malaria or dengue. If it is serious you need to go to a hospital. If it isn’t serious, wait till Monday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A minute clinic cannot diagnose malaria or dengue. If it is serious you need to go to a hospital. If it isn’t serious, wait till Monday.

Bad advice. Go to urgent care ASAP OP.

[Anonymous]

You need to get insurance and find an internal medicine doctor as soon as you can. At urgent care you will likely see a physician's assistant which is great for mundane conditions such as ear infections and flu. But you need to be checked for things that urgent care won't know about. If you can't get in to see a general physician in the next week, go to the emergency room.

[Anonymous]

So you have no medical coverage right now? Not even COBRA?

Did the doc in India give you an antibiotic? I'm confused by your title if the post. So did you feel better once you went to the doctor upon arriving in India? And now you are still sick or you got sick again now that you're back state-side?

[Anonymous]

Find a primary care physician or go to urgent care and have them refer you to john Hopkins tropical medicine infectious diseases center. They treat ill travelers who have recently from the tropics. Most PCP do not know what malaria or dengue fever looks like and have never treated it.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/infectious-diseases/Patient_Care/outpatient/tropical_medicine.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Find a primary care physician or go to urgent care and have them refer you to john Hopkins tropical medicine infectious diseases center. They treat ill travelers who have recently from the tropics. Most PCP do not know what malaria or dengue fever looks like and have never treated it.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/infectious-diseases/Patient_Care/outpatient/tropical_medicine.html

Op here. I no longer live in the DC area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you have no medical coverage right now? Not even COBRA?

Did the doc in India give you an antibiotic? I'm confused by your title if the post. So did you feel better once you went to the doctor upon arriving in India? And now you are still sick or you got sick again now that you're back state-side?

I am not sure. Dh says we do and they will reimburse us for the doctor visit. He hasn't selected the insurance company yet. Insurance is supposed to start the day he started work which was this week. I found an urgent care nearby and the reviews say they we're seen by a doctor. I got sick towards the end of my visit. My fever went away a few days before I left but the stomach pain was still present even when I returned to the US. A few days ago ( 9 days after returning) I started getting fever, headaches and chills. I no longer have stomach pain. The fever comes and goes but the headache is always there.

[Anonymous]

Without an insurance card, some places will ask for payment up front before you're even seen by a doctor.

Urgent care is better than nobody and they may be able to refer you to a specific medical office if they think you have something tropical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Without an insurance card, some places will ask for payment up front before you're even seen by a doctor.

Urgent care is better than nobody and they may be able to refer you to a specific medical office if they think you have something tropical.

Op here. I understand this. I thought that I would have to pay out of pocket and see if we can get reimbursed later. Is there a specific form or document I should ask for so I can submit it to the health insurance company later? I have never had to do this before.

[Anonymous]

Op here. Urgent care said they're limited to the testing they do and the doctor would most likely refer me to the ER. He said he could test me for the flu.

[Anonymous]

OP, just ask the Urgent Care (or where ever) for a detailed bill you can mail to your insurance company for reimbursement.

The insurance company will have a form you need to fill out requesting reimbursement and you will need to attach the bill to the completed form.

[Anonymous]

What are do you live in now? People here might have referrals for wherever you live. You might need to find a tropical medicine specialist? Or call the public health department in your city. They might have info on clinics that treat malaria, dengue, etc. If you do have malaria they are going to want you to get treated ASAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are do you live in now? People here might have referrals for wherever you live. You might need to find a tropical medicine specialist? Or call the public health department in your city. They might have info on clinics that treat malaria, dengue, etc. If you do have malaria they are going to want you to get treated ASAP.

I am in Miami. I am calling the health department now.