my uninsured visit to my doctor yesterday......freeked me out

[amerikat]

I have to see my Doctor every six months because I take medication to be able to sleep which is a
considered a controlled substance, and can't get a refill unless I see the doctor twice a year.
It's a state law.

I've had this doctor for about 4 years. When i first saw the doctor I had a respiratory infection
that went on for a month. I couldn't shake it. I figured I needed to see a doctor. I called the
local medical office that was attached to a local hospital and they told me Dr.X had an opening for
a new patient. I said I would be happy to take that spot.

So i go to the appointment and they do a full medical history background. I get a chest xray,
and a full checkup that any new patient would get. They also gave me a sample package of Leviguin(true cost $270,)
an inhaler and told me to get some Musinix(sp?) from the drug store. My condition improved in a few days.
The doctor knew that I had no insurance coverage and wrote my bill for $65. yA have to love that, I did.

So yesterday I needed a dr. appointment to get my sleep aids.


The nurse came in and took my viatal's. Blood pressure, hearts beats. listens to my breathing etc.
We talked her about her child with leukemia(she is fine due to uses of stem cells).

At this point my Dr came in. We discussed my history and she read my charts.

I'm not quite sure when we started to dicuss the health bill in congress but at some point it happened.


I was blown away by her republican talking pints. My Doctor who has treated all my maladies made a POINT
OF SAYING THAT i WAS NEVER WITHOUT heaLTH CARE, i COULD always go to the emergency room and all my debt ther would be forgiven.

She said that all my debts to the medical Establishment were not worth keeping on the books.
I told her that the emergency room was not the way to get health care. We left it at that.

To be continued I guess.

[Mari333]

1. depends on the doctor I guess

I see a physicians asst. as my doc to check my thyroid, I pay out of pocket. I do not have coverage for doctors visits or pharma.
she is pretty cool, like Dr`Dean. she helped me find a free place for mammograms. I havent had a pap smear in 20 yrs. she said she would help me find that.
Some of them are good, some are evil bastards.

[amerikat]

3. mine is good but fails the get the facts

she gets the medical facts buts misses the human interest facts
.

[nightrain]

2. sorry to hear about that encounter. I hope you eventually find more compassionate and comprehensive

care. We all need it.

[amerikat]

4. My doc is care orientend

that is why i don't understand her tilt to the right.

[Ms. Toad]

6. For good, or for bad, that kind of attitude and compassionate and comprehensive care

are not mutually exclusive.

Our current doc is a conservative Christian Republican. I know, because my same gender spouse and I talk politics and religion with him at almost every visit. He hates the proposed health care reform for pretty much same reasons I don't think the current bill goes far enough.

That said, he sees us quickly, gives us referrals to specialists when we need them, will run most any test requested (although I do not, in general, think doctors should be taking their direction from patients, it is good for our family because we tend to have strange maladies which even specialists are not always up on, and sometimes won't run tests for until they are convinced it really is a strange malady - which, unfortunately requires the results of the tests they refuse to run - we go see our GP, he runs the test, we take the test to the specialist, and he suddenly becomes convinced we really do have the strange malady), and he fights for our right to see out of network specialists for those same strange maladies. My daughter is seeing a specialist in a practice our insurer refused pay for another employee to see - primarily because our doc was willing to play the insurance game to get the referral approved and the other employee's (and several others at work) were not.

Extremely refreshing, given our last two GPs, one of whom was incompetent and the other was a jerk who refused to lift a finger she wasn't paid expressly to lift (which meant that she was unwilling to advocate for our behalf with insurance companies when there were battles which required a physician's input). I'll live with the politics and religion. He doesn't try to impose either on us - and who knows having a left-wing lesbian couple as patients may actually change his mind.

[nightrain]

9. yep. Not mutually exclusive, but the OP didn't have a positive experience

by his own description. She apparently didn't quite hear him.

Glad you're having a more positive experience.

[Ms. Toad]

10. I read the OP as describing a positive experience

as far as medical care was concerned, but being freaked out by the doc's position on health care reform.

[nightrain]

11. yep. He was "freeked out". I don't consider that a positive experience on the whole.

[gimama]

5. Wow, I know that's unsettling

'Specially since up till NOW, You felt YOU were *simpatico* with the doc, & have received efficient, effective, COMPASSIONATE CARE. You may want to look into an alternative doc/clinic situation, now, before You REALLY need 1.

Today, I also had an unexpected shift in perspectives... A local shopkeeper, I have had great rapport with, & enJoyed our talks so much, for months..
Today he was talking about the "good ole days, when the kkk kept people in line",& "today, we're just like nazi Germany" & quoting fox news .. I was completely freaked OUT. Still am.. I have no problem telling a bizness to change the channel, if fox is on in their bizness..I have no trouble ~usually!~ rebutting racist bs.. but this, TODAY, has totally thrown ME for a loop. :(
SO.. I sure do understand some of what YOU are feeling...
:hug:

[cliffordu]

7. The hospitals here turn you over to a collection agency...they do not write it

off anymore.

[crispini]

13. Same thing happens here.

Go to the ER and get a major large bill in your mailbox.

[lib2DaBone]

8. What country in the WORLD uses illness for profit?

Only in America. No money (even if you have insurance and can not pay the deductible) you will die.

[NNN0LHI]

12. I would have fired that quack right on the spot

And never looked back.

Don

[kctim]

14. "yA have to love that"

Good doctor, good nurse and good treatment, but you are "freeked out" because her views are not exactly as yours? How silly. How childish.
My mechanic is awesome and is a Ron Paul chick, no way in hell that I'm going to hold that against her and let some hack work on my car simply because their views are in lockstep with mine.

[jotsy]

15. Some doctors are outspoken about removing profit from the practice of medicine in a good way.

Check out Physicians for a National Health Plan, supporters of HR 676, single payer universal coverage that waits for a CBO score now. The group sent an open letter to both presidential candidates during the election cycle last year.

With the current package looking like a major pilfering of the people, this may be a good time to get a group like this some attention and turn the whole discussion of options in a more public friendly direction.

I'm sorry for your experience with someone who should have taken a professional stance with regard to her oath and leave talking politics for more personal settings.

[OnionPatch]

16. They've been given their talking points.

I've had two of them bringing up Republican talking points. I think they were given their marching orders. Since I'm insured, the take was a little different.....they kept going on about how wonderful my insurance was and how I'd never have to worry with insurance like this and how awful it would be if they took it away and gave us government care. I said "yeah, I'm glad I have good insurance, but what about all those people who don't?" Both of them looked at me like they were thinking. "Whaaaat? Caring what happens to others? What the hell is wrong with you? You got yours!?"

I am now looking for two new doctors to take their places. Wish there was some way to find a liberal doctor, but I'm glad to have had these signs so I can at least chuck these two.

About that emergency room thing.....sure, if you get a cut or broken arm, you can go to the emergency room. Try going there for chemotherapy when you have cancer or going there for the medicines you need to keep you alive.