I-693A OUTRAGE

[selly 0]

Over the last couple of years I have looked at the US medical facilities and set up through rose tinted spectacles when compaired to the mess of the UK National Health Service. I listened to the complaints about the medical insurance requirements and thought that if it produces good service then hey, it's clearly working. Having now become a resident and just gone through the turmoil of finding a Civil Surgeon that will just do the I-693A, my outlook is changing rapidly. The list of approved civil surgeons is full of greed merchants that refuse to just complete the suppliment purely because they cannot get the full physical fee! In my opinion they should be struck off the approved list if they are not prepared to provide the service mandated by the appropriate authority ie USCIS.

We are so annoyed by this attitude we are going to write to my wife's senator to urge him to take some action and we would urge all others who have found the same poison to do similar.

Too many of these people have abused their position for too long at our expense and it should be stopped!

Thankfully I have found one surgeon on my 'local' (50 mile round trip) list that is willing to follow the guidelines.

Good Luck to all from annoyed in Tampa.

[Ban Hammer 13,336]

even more annoying is we got nessa's i-693a done and sent off the aos package and got a rfe for the medical, so we had to get her a medical too (although it was not needed - her previous medical was still valid - i figured $150 was better than fighting the bureaucracy)

Edited October 4, 2007 by charlesandnessa

[LaL 418]

That's too bad. We went to Dr. Karen Juarez but it seems she has moved her office since then to Safety Harbor. It is an inconvenience, yes, but not one I would battle. (Just think of the members who have to drive 4 hours just to get to their local office!)

[Kameron 0]

Over the last couple of years I have looked at the US medical facilities and set up through rose tinted spectacles when compaired to the mess of the UK National Health Service. I listened to the complaints about the medical insurance requirements and thought that if it produces good service then hey, it's clearly working. Having now become a resident and just gone through the turmoil of finding a Civil Surgeon that will just do the I-693A, my outlook is changing rapidly. The list of approved civil surgeons is full of greed merchants that refuse to just complete the suppliment purely because they cannot get the full physical fee! In my opinion they should be struck off the approved list if they are not prepared to provide the service mandated by the appropriate authority ie USCIS.

We are so annoyed by this attitude we are going to write to my wife's senator to urge him to take some action and we would urge all others who have found the same poison to do similar.

Too many of these people have abused their position for too long at our expense and it should be stopped!

Thankfully I have found one surgeon on my 'local' (50 mile round trip) list that is willing to follow the guidelines.

Good Luck to all from annoyed in Tampa.

The only thing our medical facilities are better at is taking money from our pockets (along with the insurance companies), I hate to say. Best of luck to you.

[payxibka 10,045]

Do a search here on VJ (or maybe someone will post) ... there is one CS that will do the vacc supplement for $10 and will do it via the mail...

[Jasman0717 9]

I don't know how these people get the 'civil surgeon' status but have always believed that they think it is a license from the government to STEAL! I looked at several in my area and they all were in a kind of seedy office in a kind of seedy area of the county. I would be very hard pressed to seek medical attention from some of these so-called civil surgeons

[reeses16 8]

This civil surgeon business is unfair and ridiculous at times. Here is the contact info for Dr. Arnold. He/she will do your worksheet for $10 by mail (maybe fax too?). Make sure to call first. I didn't use this CS (We were trying to beat the July fee increases and wanted to security of walking in an office getting everything done and mailing the packet immediately ). Other VJers have been satisfied with this CS.

Dr. L.E. Arnold

4534 Westgate Boulevard, Suite 106

Austin, TX 78745

Tel: (512)444-3131

Fax: (512)447-4699

[GabachaYucateca 0]

Many of the civil surgeons in my area are in low-income parts of the city and often work for health clinics for the uninsured. While calling around to find a civil surgeon, I found that most of them have never even come across someone who only needs the supplement, as they do mostly refugees (free medical) and people adjusting their status from within the country.

This is their market, and it's not their fault that the number of K1s who need only the supplement is just a drop in the bucket compared to the number of people who need the full medical.

I actually found two civil surgeons with a couple of blocks of my house who would do only the supplement. The third insisted that a full medical be done, and I would have pushed it further had I had the energy, because it was the receptionist who was so sure about doing the full medical.

The woman who actually ended up doing it was more nervous than pushy...she was wary of only filling out that form because, again, she had only come across those who absolutely needed the full medical.

I'd be interested in knowing how one becomes a civil surgeon.

[BishopMnA 0]

As mentioned above, I used Doctor Arnold. I just called them and left a message on their voicemail. They called me back about 20 minutes later and told me how to proceed. It was incredibly simple and only cost $10. They had the I-693A completed and mailed back to me within a week or so.

Dr. L.E. Arnold

4534 Westgate Boulevard, Suite 106

Austin, TX 78745

Tel: (512)444-3131

Fax: (512)447-4699

Peace to you!

Mark-N-AAm

[Ta Ta 1]

I believe the CS are confused and badly informed by the USCIS rather than greedy. I think they feel they are going against regulation without doing the full medical. So the USCIS needs to clarify that to the CS.

[reeses16 8]

I agree. I think a lot of people in the USCIS chain, don't really understand how the fit into the bigger process. And the people that are just affliated with USCIS (not actual direct employees) like CS, don't understand the difference between the visa classes.

[vnoe 0]

I had the same runaround. I ended up paying a huge fee for my supplement because the doctor was a jerk and also insisted i get another shot of MMR....not sure why cause I had them done in Canada just prior to moving cause they could not find my records (eek...they were old )..lol. Anyways I had my 2 daughters done by a different CS and he only charged me a small amount of 68.00 total. So of course even in smaller areas like I live there is always someone who wants to take as much cashola as they can!!!

good luck and I have also heard that the Dr. L.E. Arnold is awesome. I just wanted to get my AOS in before the fee increase at the end of July.....

[athena_ny 1]

We went to somewhere near the DHS building in Tampa, on Cypress I think - M needed the full medical and various vaccines though, so the 280.00 seemed fair.

If he'd come on a K1 though, maybe not so much..

[LaL 418]

We went to somewhere near the DHS building in Tampa, on Cypress I think - M needed the full medical and various vaccines though, so the 280.00 seemed fair.

If he'd come on a K1 though, maybe not so much..

That is where we went - but I did not see that doctor (or office) listed on the civil surgeon finder at that location anymore.

Edited October 4, 2007 by LaL

[athena_ny 1]

We went to somewhere near the DHS building in Tampa, on Cypress I think - M needed the full medical and various vaccines though, so the 280.00 seemed fair.

If he'd come on a K1 though, maybe not so much..

That is where we went - but I did not see that doctor (or office) listed on the civil surgeon finder at that location anymore.

Hrrm...we heard about them from a friend, not USCIS so I can't say I know if they were still listed back in Feb.