As someone who needs expensive medication, thank you. I appreciate it.

2 questions:

    * This time, is it paid? Is it billable? Is it part of the visit I pay for? 
    * What can I - as a patient - do to make this process easier?

It's unpaid time, but that'll just get factored into the rates charged for billable things like appointments and procedures.

It's like any time spend on billing or administrative work, it's baked into the costs. (Administrative costs is a big component of rising healthcare costs.)

Depending on the issue, the patient may be needed to provide supporting paperwork, like previous diagnoses or treatment for providers. Other than that, not really, short of taking legal action.