Rant: Doctors' Offices and Faxes

MrsL2B · May 2014

Why do my doctors always want me to fax them things? I offer to scan and email my info, but they all just want it faxed. Who has a fax machine anymore besides doctors' offices?

Jennifer18131 · May 2014

A lot of offices are claiming that it violates HIPPA laws because emails can be intercepted/hacked easier than a fax machine in the building. I don't agree, especially when the same office sends me medical records electronically.

MrsL2B · May 2014

@dorothyzbornak97 Maybe I could send a telegram?

Justabean3 · May 2014

City offices use fax machines also

wildflower75 · May 2014

The phelmbotomist that pricked my arm 3 times in order to draw my blood on Friday expected me to know my doctor's fax number so they could send him the results from my NST... really?... reaaally????

lrobi13 · May 2014

I prefer messenger pigeon. His name is Floyd and he come through 20% of the time.

bennikki · May 2014

I'm an accountant, and we've started to charge our clients to fax their tax returns to places like banks, lending companies, mortgage companies, city/county/state/federal offices (for assistance programs). NONE of these places accept electronic copies of tax returns. Plus, they often want the full return and supporting documentation, which adds up to dozens of pages sometimes, and yes, fax machines work maybe 75% of the time. You finally get the fax to scan through the final page of a 39 page return, it dials, DIALS!, the phone, and the line's busy! I lose my shit!

It's so annoying for a couple of reasons, one, every client receives a paper copy of their return along with all their original supporting documentation, so they can make their own copies and send them off like they should, and two, we're about as paperless as an accounting firm can be, so no, we don't keep thousands of returns for dozens of years packed away in boxes just waiting for you to call, so I can go climb some imaginary ladder up in some stacks to pull out your W-2 from 1998. If you didn't keep track of your shit, what makes you think the small fee you paid to have your taxes prepared and filed would make us in charge of it?!

BabyBsOven · May 2014

I actually have to fax things all the time for my job at home. I use a website called trustfax that is great! You upload your scanned doc and put in the fax number, you can even add a cover sheet, then you pay per fax so it's fairly cheap...no need to head to a fedex store or anything! If your having to fax results or something a lot, this might be a good option.