Bless your heart! Yes, they will know. ..the insurance sends the info about the visit and payments/ copays ect ect directly to them.

Thank you for the reply; it was as I feared. Is there any way that I can request they keep my information totally confidential? As I said, I am more than happy to cover the copay. I suppose I'm starting to sound desperate here.

Alternatively as long as they didn't have access to the diagnosis and procedure and whatever was prescribed to me, I could simply tell them my kidneys were paining me (I had a kidney stone last year -- I think it was from excessive protein intake since I used to lift weights a lot). As far as I know urologists deal with all sorts of kidney problems.

If this helps at all, I'm a mom to a now married 26 yr old male, so I'm very sympathetic to your "problem". I can also tell you that I would be personally very supportive of my son, had he had this problem, and very much want to do anything and everything to help him...I think most parents would, so I'm positive yours falls in that category...but you probably know this too. Anyway, My advice is to make an appt with a general practice doc as if it's a routine physical ...perhaps one is recommended to college students every year uhmm uhmm, OR yes, you suspected this kidney stone may become a problem due to slight pain (but not to cause worry of course). In the course of the appt, you will definitely confide in the doctor about why you are really there....trust me, they are used to this and will want to try to help you. Your general practice doc probably can treat you for this, and if they do refer you to a urologist, it is then because your general practice doc suggested due to your past kidney stone trouble that you see the urologist for follow up. The insurance company will not mention specifics in their paperwork to your folks, but if a general practice can help you, and I think they can, then it's less obvious. I applaud you for heading to the right place .... a physician... to get help for this. Good luck.