I had great health insurance coverage through my previous employer(s) – United Health Care for 11+ years. I’ll be 57 soon and with the exception of CH’s I am in good shape.

Lost my job and started my own business so I had to get an individual policy. I put applications in with United Health Care, Blue Shield/Blue Cross and Aetna. My wife was immediately accepted by all of them at very attractive rates, BUT.......after getting my medical records, here is what I heard back from all of them (and more):
- Oh, you’ve been prescribed oxygen, sorry that’s an automatic denial.
- What was the psych evaluation that caused you to take Lithium and Topamax?
- What emotional problems triggered the use of Depakote?
The list went on and on because being chronic for so many years causes you try a lot of stuff!

Fortunately, the medication experiments were awhile back and because I've been using welding O2 exclusively for about 2 years, there is no record of O2 being "refilled" - so apparently I'm not using it anymore.

Very long uphill battle required just to try to get them to understand that these things are/were tried for CH’s. With record numbers of people losing jobs and looking for individual policies, they are overloaded.......

Just something to think about if you find yourself trying to get an individual policy in today's insurance marketplace.

Very scary, sure hope I do not have to change jobs and find out I am denied insurance, wow. :-/

That is screwed up, Marc....another example of some uninformed clerk making decisions that greatly impact a persons life.   It's bullshit ridiculous.

Similar, Marc.  Refused an individual policy by Aetna due to CH after they covered me for seven years in my former company's policy.

It's not just CH meds either.  Because I once had seen a Dr. for a broken ankle, when I changed Ins. Co's I was refused ANY Orthopedic care in the future. 
We call what we have,  "dancing with the devil/demon",    but I swear the Ins. Co's and pharmaceuiical Co's are AS evil, if not more.

Sure, you try to do the responsible thing and get health insurance and take care of yourself and you get that...

That stinks, man...

How ironic that the ads by google at the bottom of this post are for individual health plans. (Keep refreshing, they rotate) I clicked it and they will quote you rates of the companies you specifically mentioned.  (I realize it's random advertising, but cruel no less to put it on a CH website if that's what they consider a pre-existing condition subject to disqualification) >:(

Nice that we have to prove we're sick all over again and that it's okay for drug and insurance companies to effectively "line item veto" our coverage.

Charlie

That is one of the bright spots in this new health bill, they will no longer be able to deny you for pre existing.

Joe

Unfortunatly, that pre-existing condition clause won't go away until 2014.

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That pre-existing clause as written will also bankrupt the Ins companies forcing all of us to go on the Government plan.  It's not workable.

Jerry

Naw, they'll just raise premium rates to cover the cost.  Some companies rates go up 13% this year to cover the "free" wellness screenings.
Affordable health care!  How can anyone ever think the Federal Govt. can do something better than private industry can!

The way the law is written it is already going to be cheaper for companies to pay the fine than the insurance.  Why would they pay the additional rates required for those who wait until they get sick to buy coverage?  As the law is written now there is no way an insurance company is going to be able to write a policy within 5 years of Obamacare taking effect.


Jerry

There are numerous problems with the new plan (hasn't that been discussed to the nth degree?).  However, there is actually one thing that I agree with and it's in Bob's post.  Wellness screenings should be free (or at least very low cost) and that should include mammograms and other *wellness* screenings.  These screenings could very well head off problems down the road.

Also, not everybody is waiting to get sick to get coverage.   You have people like Marc (and others on here) and my daughter who lose coverage through no fault of their own and then can't get coverage or must pay such high premiums that it's cost prohibitive to even try.

Carolyn,

I agree with what you said.  It is just that under the provisions of the Obama health plan, when it goes in effect, there will be no reason to buy insurance before you get sick.  If you cannot be held up for pre-existing conditions why carry it until you need it?

As it stands now there needs to be some common sense in determining actual pre-existing conditions that would preclude one from purchasing insurance.  Marc obviously should not fit that category, but because it is easier for a clerk sitting at a desk, with no knowledge of the actual person, to say no than to have to justify a yes.

Jerry

And my daughter should be precluded from getting health care?

It's worth noting who are the biggest complainers about Obama care.

Charlie

Charlie wrote on Sep 19^th, 2010 at 9:27pm:

It's worth noting who are the biggest complainers about Obama care. Charlie

And those people would be?

Uh, yeah, Charlie.

Just who might those people be?  Care to expound on that one a bit?

Sandy

I don't know how capable the government is of handling national health care.  The VA doesn't have a great track record. 

But when you hear about health insurance CEO's who make billions upon billions for something they more or less have a monopoly in many areas, that's not right either.

Quote:

And those people would be?

Corporate Medicine, Insurance Companies, Evil Drug Companies, U. S. Chamber Of Commerce, and a lot of the AMA. In short, those that treat sick people as sources of income and little else.

The level of lobbying was stunning.

Charlie

Charlie wrote on Sep 21^st, 2010 at 3:18pm:

Corporate Medicine, Insurance Companies, Evil Drug Companies, U. S. Chamber Of Commerce, and a lot of the AMA. In short, those that treat sick people as sources of income and little else. The level of lobbying was stunning. Charlie

And even though an individual may agree with these entities, albeit for different reasons, that would make them ________.

(Think "Gene Rayburn, Match Game")

I have no idea what that means. I don't remember anything about Match Game by now.
Charlie

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Charlie, my friend, you and I are from opposite sides of the aisle, but I love ya anyway!

I'm one of the biggest complainers about Obamacare, because I've experienced what it will be like.  I've had to use Public Aid because of my financial circumstances due to a business failure that took my business down with it.  Because of CH and a back injury I worked on and off for a few years doing as much as I could, but unable to get insurance.  During that time my wife was diagnosed with diabetes by a Dr that took Public Aid patients only (because she wasn't qualified enough to get paying patients).  Linda's blood sugar was on the low end of normal, and has never been high, but it's on her record.  She also was fitting my wife for an internal appliance and threw it in the lab sink where she had just poured out a urine sample.  We have had to wait three hours in the ER for a Dr to see a child who had a broken arm and was bleeding from a broken tooth.  We have been denied medication because they thought we took to much. I was denied oxygen, although it was prescribed by a neuro that I used grocery money to pay for because the clinic Dr wouldn't even acknowledge my CH, although I had a prior diagnosis from both an MD and a Neuro.  I could go on and on about the filth on the floors of the clinic examining rooms, but I hope you've gotten the picture by now.

I don't want to see anyone go without good medical care, but if you are looking for the government to provide it you would be better off in Haiti.  I know a good clinic (free) that is there partially sponsored by my church and a group of others.  They give more and better care with a much smaller budget than the government run clinic here in the states.

Jerry

A terrible story I am sorry.

I spent 2 years getting the government to handle my health care and no matter what people think, I hate having to do it but it pays everything no matter what or where I go. Some doctors don't like Medicare however. Living in New York State, the land of taxes, Medicaid even pays my Medicare, which I think is weird but then that's classic abuse of the system.

The medical profession loves this direct pay system no end though. I fight all the time with them about unnecessary appointments. There is no reason I need to see a dermatologist more than once a year for a minor problem I have and my neurologist doesn't like that I won't see him 4 times a year.

I'm old and told him that I've had seizures for 51 years and will let him know if something changes....this is how we did it 40 years ago but now doctors use system as a cash cow. Come to think of it a neurologist in 1974 told me that as far as clusters were concerned, I need not make appointments concerning it at all unless something changed or a new drug became available. Try that one today. I tell them that just because I have Medicaid/Medicare doesn't mean they has to use it. You'd think I was from the moon.

I see him twice a year so he can blackmail me into writing a prescription. I know a helluva lot of people use it for hangnails at the ER and it is terribly abused. However, for me government care is as good as Svenn's. It would be nice if we all had the system available here. It would also be nice if I didn't have need for something like it.

Charlie

Quote:

I spent 2 years getting the government to handle my health care...

This should tell you everything you need to know about what life will be like when they handle ALL of it.

We'll start dropping like snowflakes.

That's the way it is because it's that way now.

One has to be on disability or something to get it. With universal pay, no one would have to wait. It's illegal here to be turned away in an ER anyway. You'll probably get a bill but you won't be dead. Disability for epileptics can take time. It's not a very "visible" thing.

I don't see a lot of people dropping dead on Yong St. in Toronto.

Charlie

Whatever you've got to tell yourself, my friend.

Works on both sides:

"Everybody's entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts."

That said, here, unlike what's developed in politics, when we pull back our own hands, it isn't a bloody stump.

Charlie (sweetness and light)

For those who didn't get to view the link above, it is a clip of Ms. Velma Hart — middle class, a wife and the mother of two, a veteran, and an African-American Obama supporter. She posed the following question to President Obama at a CNBC town hall gathering on Monday.


Quote:

Quite frankly, I'm exhausted – I'm exhausted of defending you, defending your administration, defending the mantle of change that I voted for, and deeply disappointed with where we are right now. I have been told that I voted for a man who said [he] was going to change things in a meaningful way for the middle class. I'm one of those people and I'm waiting, sir. I'm waiting. I don't feel it yet. And I thought while it wouldn't be in great measure, I'd feel it in some small measure. I have two children in private school and the financial recession has taken an enormous toll on my family. My husband and I have joked for years that we thought we were well beyond the hot dogs and beans era of our lives, but, quite frankly, it's starting to knock on our door and ring true that that might be where we're headed again, and, quite frankly, Mr. President, I need you to answer this honestly. Is this my new reality?

Brew wrote on Sep 22^nd, 2010 at 3:02pm:

For those who didn't get to view the link above, it is a clip of Ms. Velma Hart — middle class, a wife and the mother of two, a veteran, and an African-American Obama supporter. She posed the following question to President Obama at a CNBC town hall gathering on Monday. Quote: Quite frankly, I'm exhausted – I'm exhausted of defending you, defending your administration, defending the mantle of change that I voted for, and deeply disappointed with where we are right now. I have been told that I voted for a man who said [he] was going to change things in a meaningful way for the middle class. I'm one of those people and I'm waiting, sir. I'm waiting. I don't feel it yet. And I thought while it wouldn't be in great measure, I'd feel it in some small measure. I have two children in private school and the financial recession has taken an enormous toll on my family. My husband and I have joked for years that we thought we were well beyond the hot dogs and beans era of our lives, but, quite frankly, it's starting to knock on our door and ring true that that might be where we're headed again, and, quite frankly, Mr. President, I need you to answer this honestly. Is this my new reality?

Wow.  What was his answer?

-Dennis-

Obama's answer. Draw your own conclusions:

Quote:

PRESIDENT OBAMA: First of all, I think you describe exactly what is the bedrock of America. A veteran who is working for veterans, somebody who is a CFO, and I am sure knows how to manage their money, has made good decisions. I'm not saying once in a while you don't want to get a new pair of shoes. [LAUGHTER] So the life you describe, one of responsibility, looking after your family, contributing back to your community, that's what we want to reward. Now, as I said before, times are tough for everybody right now. So I understand your frustration. But I would just -- when you say there are things that you would like to see happen or you're hoping to see happen that haven't happened yet, let me give you a couple of examples. I, right now, have two children -- sounds like you've got kids as well. AUDIENCE MEMBER: Two girls. PRESIDENT OBAMA: Two girls. You're going to be thinking about college soon. AUDIENCE MEMBER: Next year. PRESIDENT OBAMA: Part of what we did over the last year and a half is make sure that billions of dollars that were going to subsidize financial service industries under the federal student loan programs are now going to be going directly to students so that millions more students are going to be able to get loans and grants and similar scholarships to go to college. Now that's going to have an impact on a whole bunch of kids out there, including maybe yours. If you have a credit card, which I assume you do. AUDIENCE MEMBER: No. PRESIDENT OBAMA: See, now you're showing how responsible you are. But if you have a mortgage or a credit card or any kind of financial dealings out there, as a consequence of the changes we made, the credit card companies can't increase your interest rate without notifying you and they can't increase your interest rate on your previous balances. In terms of getting a mortgage, you can't have a mortgage broker steer you to a mortgage that ultimately is going to cost you more money because maybe they're getting a financial incentive to do so. Those things are now against the law. So there are a whole host of protections in there. You are a parent who has children. If your child, heaven forbid, had a pre-existing condition, before I took office you were out of luck in terms of being able to get health insurance for that child. Now insurance companies have to give you health insurance for that child. And by the way, that health insurance company can't drop you if you get sick. So there are a whole host of things that we've put in place that do make your life better. But, the bottom line is, if your 401(k) is still down substantially from where it was a while back, if you haven't seen a raise in a long time, if your home value went down, depending on where you live, all those things still make you feel like, gosh, I'm treading water. And so my goal here is not to try to convince you that everything's where it needs to be. It's not. That's why I ran for president. But what I am saying is that we're moving in the right direction. And if we are able to keep our eye on our long-term goal, which is making sure that every family out there, if they're middle class, that they can, you know, pay their bills, have the security of health insurance, retire with dignity and respect, send their kids to college, if they're not yet in the middle class, but there are ladders there to get into the middle class if people work hard, get an education and apply their selves, that's our goal, that's the America we believe in, and I believe we are on track to do that.

I still haven't fixed my sound here I saw most of the thing the other day.

Anyway, not to worry. The GOP has sworn to block all the funding for health care it can and since the House in big on that, it should be a lovely sight.

Of course today we are learning that big insurance companies are solving the problem of having to deal with pre-existing conditions in children, by no longer selling them policies. No matter your politics, good will is a thing of the past. Insurance companies are approaching evil drug companies in disgusting behavior.

God forbid you are a ten year old needing a transplant. Death is better for their balance sheet though.

Charlie

Bush & Drugs. There's a sweet story. Bush's friend, John Ashcroft and drug companies spent their time thinking of ways to prevent seniors from getting drugs from Canada or telling them drugs from there weren't safe. A couple of senior drug excursion buses were "inspected" specifically to scare seniors.

The current Administration is the one that is trying to repair the shambles made of the system. The Bush Medicare drug benefit was for the drug companies more than seniors. They made a bloody fortune making things even harder and they are still at it. I got drugs from "Canada" a couple of times. It was such fun because of drug company lobbying. To curtail Canadian drug buying these drugs are not allowed to be shipped from there. Mine came more than one month later from Calcutta.

Love the GOP

Don't go tea party on me.

Charlie

Brew wrote on Sep 22^nd, 2010 at 3:57pm:

Obama's answer. Draw your own conclusions: Quote: PRESIDENT OBAMA: First of all, I think you describe exactly what is the bedrock of America. A veteran who is working for veterans, somebody who is a CFO, and I am sure knows how to manage their money, has made good decisions. I'm not saying once in a while you don't want to get a new pair of shoes. [LAUGHTER] So the life you describe, one of responsibility, looking after your family, contributing back to your community, that's what we want to reward. Now, as I said before, times are tough for everybody right now. So I understand your frustration. But I would just -- when you say there are things that you would like to see happen or you're hoping to see happen that haven't happened yet, let me give you a couple of examples. I, right now, have two children -- sounds like you've got kids as well. AUDIENCE MEMBER: Two girls. PRESIDENT OBAMA: Two girls. You're going to be thinking about college soon. AUDIENCE MEMBER: Next year. PRESIDENT OBAMA: Part of what we did over the last year and a half is make sure that billions of dollars that were going to subsidize financial service industries under the federal student loan programs are now going to be going directly to students so that millions more students are going to be able to get loans and grants and similar scholarships to go to college. Now that's going to have an impact on a whole bunch of kids out there, including maybe yours. If you have a credit card, which I assume you do. AUDIENCE MEMBER: No. PRESIDENT OBAMA: See, now you're showing how responsible you are. But if you have a mortgage or a credit card or any kind of financial dealings out there, as a consequence of the changes we made, the credit card companies can't increase your interest rate without notifying you and they can't increase your interest rate on your previous balances. In terms of getting a mortgage, you can't have a mortgage broker steer you to a mortgage that ultimately is going to cost you more money because maybe they're getting a financial incentive to do so. Those things are now against the law. So there are a whole host of protections in there. You are a parent who has children. If your child, heaven forbid, had a pre-existing condition, before I took office you were out of luck in terms of being able to get health insurance for that child. Now insurance companies have to give you health insurance for that child. And by the way, that health insurance company can't drop you if you get sick. So there are a whole host of things that we've put in place that do make your life better. But, the bottom line is, if your 401(k) is still down substantially from where it was a while back, if you haven't seen a raise in a long time, if your home value went down, depending on where you live, all those things still make you feel like, gosh, I'm treading water. And so my goal here is not to try to convince you that everything's where it needs to be. It's not. That's why I ran for president. But what I am saying is that we're moving in the right direction. And if we are able to keep our eye on our long-term goal, which is making sure that every family out there, if they're middle class, that they can, you know, pay their bills, have the security of health insurance, retire with dignity and respect, send their kids to college, if they're not yet in the middle class, but there are ladders there to get into the middle class if people work hard, get an education and apply their selves, that's our goal, that's the America we believe in, and I believe we are on track to do that.

Funny how not one part of his response offered a solution that would help fix the economy. 

It's about the econmy stupid!!!

-Dennis-

DennisM1045 wrote on Sep 23^rd, 2010 at 10:04am:

Funny how not one part of his response offered a solution that would help fix the economy.  It's about the econmy stupid!!! -Dennis-

What I found most disturbing about his answer was something that doesn't come across in the transcript. When he first suspected that he was about to be taken behind the woodshed by one of his own supporters, he sort of giggled, laughed it off.

He can't answer these questions, and so he snickers when confronted. It's like he's totally disconnected: His giggling while being asked about the economy; his continuing a shout-out rather than announcing the Ft. Hood shootings; or his vacations, golfing, partying and fundraising during the oil spill.

What's most worrisome is that he doesn't even realize that his behavior is inappropriate.

There's something deeply wrong with this guy - both conservatives and liberals are starting to say it. And it's my belief that the kool-aid drinkers need to spit it out and start admitting some serious truths.

Quote:

What's most worrisome is that he doesn't even realize that his behavior is inappropriate.

I have a dumb question.  More Rhetorical than anything else, I suppose.   The President of the United States is surrounded by a bevy of advisors, senior staff, etc.  Why aren't they telling him his behavior is inappropriate???  Especially the giggleing part.

Maybe they do tell him. But when personality flaws/neuroses/psychoses start to rear their ugly heads, all the "advisoring" in the world is pretty much for naught. They reveal who a person really is.

Mind you, I don't have enough evidence to "blame" him, per se. I think his problems may be very deeply seated, originating in his childhood.

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A good time was had by all.

Charlie

Linda_Howell wrote on Sep 23^rd, 2010 at 2:32pm:

Quote: What's most worrisome is that he doesn't even realize that his behavior is inappropriate. I have a dumb question.  More Rhetorical than anything else, I suppose.   The President of the United States is surrounded by a bevy of advisors, senior staff, etc.  Why aren't they telling him his behavior is inappropriate???  Especially the giggleing part.

It is because he has not surrounded himself with advisers, just sycophants, yes men, and fellow travelers.  JMHO

Jerry

Callico wrote on Sep 24^th, 2010 at 4:35pm:

It is because he has not surrounded himself with advisers, just sycophants, yes men, and fellow travelers.  JMHO

A truly strong leader is someone who can and wants to have people around who don't always agree with everything they say.

It's interesting that Obama giggling and similar behaviour never seems to be shown over here (NZ) on TV, so we only get him when he is doing the "great statesman" act.

Technology is wonderful, but it empowers the obnoxious who amplify ideas without depth. Once, it took more time to present ideas that might by then, become well-considered proposals presented by able spokesmen, to rock the boat. Now they have cellphones, into which they bark. BlackBerrys empower the obsessed. Getting even is the thing.

History is full of dangerous people that took advantage of anger to the detriment of their own people. What's missing with tea partiers, the far right and religious fundamentists, is a sense of humor. The best example of what can happen with government and religion without humor is Muslim terrorisim. 

Take heart, Tea Parties, the big winners in the midterm elections are likely to be the very people who first got us into this mess, then did everything in their power to block action to get us out.

Charlie

Tea Partiers clean up after themselves. That says a lot.

Charlie, I have to be honest when I say I'm getting sick of you lumping in the Tea Party MOVEMENT with the religious right and the GOP.  :P


Quote:

"The tea party movement has therefore sought to stay free of the Republican head. It's the GOP establishment that has attempted to wrap itself around the tea parties." ~David Paul Kuhn

;)

It's understandable - it's an exact parroting of what the leftist media (but I repeat myself) wants people to believe.

God willing and the creek don't rise, we'll have a little bit more reality to sink our teeth into after this November's elections.

Quote:

I'm getting sick of you lumping in the Tea Party MOVEMENT with the religious right and the GOP.

Point taken Mel. Actually, What I see of the Christian right lately has been pretty thoughtful.

Brew wrote on Sep 24^th, 2010 at 7:47pm:

Tea Partiers clean up after themselves. That says a lot.

Hmm, didn't the tea party thing all start with people boarding three ships and throwing overboard their cargo of tea? I'm sure that doesn't count as cleaning up!

In fact it caused that much trouble for the owners that they gave up trading in that corner of the world and changed from trading tea to whale hunting around New Zealand.

I saw recently (START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE) that there are plans for a new museum, with replicas of the ships, where tourists can "throw boxes of tea into Fort Point Channel".

Actually, does anyone know a good lawyer as I'm sure that that would be an insult to the original owners of the ships and their ancestors are bound to suffer great distress at this act being not just repeated once but repeatedly so and in celebration of a criminal act.

Quote:

... and throwing overboard their cargo of tea?  I'm sure that doesn't count as cleaning up!

Done in silence and order it took three hours. No damage to the ships, the decks were swept clean.


Maybe Mr. Enderby didn't get to finish the story, he had to go deal with the other monopoly the East India Company had - fishing.


Churchill called the act of Parliament that had given the East India Company a monopoly on tea. "a stupid blunder."


;)

Quote:

Tea Partiers clean up after themselves. That says a lot.

They are a bit messy. Good work.

Charlie

Charlie wrote on Sep 21^st, 2010 at 3:18pm:

Quote: And those people would be? Corporate Medicine, Insurance Companies, Evil Drug Companies, U. S. Chamber Of Commerce, and a lot of the AMA. In short, those that treat sick people as sources of income and little else. The level of lobbying was stunning. Charlie

man you got that shit right.

in response to marcs original post this is another reason why i dont go the doc for CH. theres really no point in it once you know you dont have a tumor or something else. welders o2 is affordable and i dont have to beg and plead to get it and as we all know i dont put any stock in all those fancy expencive drugs many of us take.

as far as obamacare i disagree with it. the past year i had my insurance paid for. next year it goes up to $75 a week. they cut out our pension plan (non union) so theres really no incentive for me to hang out to put up with being micro managed by some young college educated bean counters.

one thing i will say about obama is that more freight is moving around now than there was 2 years ago and a few trucking companies that were on the verge of bankruptcy are now thriving again.

Are those imports from China that they're hauling.

Ah, free care, sounds wonderful until you actually have to deal with the system that provides it.

This was written by my daughter.  She is now getting that free care that some people thinks will be so wonderful (don't get me wrong, she's had some wonderful doctors, but there is a lot of incompetency in the *free* care system).  Plus, one doesn't realize the *wait* that you will probably have with the free system (three hours for her on this last visit and I have seen much longer waits in a general clinic).

The (in)Competence of Doctors

     I’ve spent quite a bit of time in hospitals and doctors’ offices.  I have health problems and have had nine surgeries, so it isn’t really much of a surprise that so much has been spent in these places.  Over the years, so many different doctors have seen me that I’ve lost count.  Some of them are good, some of them are downright horrible, and some are just there.
     I recently had major surgery, a laparotomy, in which my remaining ovary was removed, as was my appendix; my intestines were also unstuck and untwisted from the large amount of scar tissue that was in my lower abdomen.  My doctors and my nurses were wonderful, even the poor medical students that had to face the wrath of an angsty girl with a nasogastric tube down her throat.
     As with any major surgery, I’ve had multiple post-operative visits with my doctors so that they can check up on me and make sure that my medication is working properly.  I recently had my third post-op visit with the ob-gyn clinic at my hospital.  Unfortunately, I saw neither my specialist nor the doctor that I usually see.  Instead I saw a male student who deemed it necessary to tell me that I should wear dresses because it would be better than pants rubbing on my incision.  I have no problem with this, but when I asked if I looked like I wore dresses, I got the reply, “Well, you ARE a girl.”  Since when did it become acceptable for a doctor to be so idiotic?
     It gets worse, however.  Another doctor came in after he did to check on me.  I ended up asking her to write a letter to the company that produces my HRT (hormone replacement therapy) to see if they could send samples or help with the cost of the medication.  She ended up scribbling a small note on her prescription pad, which went as follows:
     
“Patient is a 21 yo whose pain symptoms are relieved with Viveele. Patient is not wanting birth control.  Patient is unable to pay for meds.”

Now, I’m not sure about anyone else, but doesn’t it seem like it would be necessary to consult either the patient or the patient’s chart before writing something like this?  There are so many errors in such a small note that it’s inconceivable that the doctor could be so incompetent. 
The first error is the age.  I’m 26, not 21; five years can make a big difference in some cases.  The second error is the misspelling of Vivlle Dot, which had already spelled out for the doctor. The third error is that of “not wanting birth control” and stating that “Viveele” relieves my pain symptoms.  Vivelle Dot, for those who have no knowledge of it, is a transdermal patch used as hormone replacement therapy and does not help relieve any sort of pain.  Now, I’ll be the first admit that if I were a doctor looking at a 26 year old female patient, I’d probably assume that she was on birth control too.  The point of the matter, though, is that she should have consulted me, or even my chart, which states that I had my “remaining ovary” removed, which is indicative of the fact that I no longer have the organs that would necessitate being on birth control. 
What’s worse is I have proof of the incompetence.  Is this how we want our doctors to be?  So incompetent that they know nothing about the patient that they’re seeing?  How often is this scenario repeated in different cases with different doctors and patients, all over the world? You know the adage of “the customer is always right”?  I don’t necessarily agree with this, but in this case, it is; just replace the word “customer” with “patient” and you have this scenario perfectly.

Bob P wrote on Sep 26^th, 2010 at 7:29am:

Are those imports from China that they're hauling.

yeah exactly. anything you can imagine too. once i picked up an oil pump jack out in el paso. 38'000 #s of cast iron and steel. damn if it wasnt made in china. look around your right now and think of all the garbage that come in from over there. toys, ink pens, prescription drugs, toothpaste, groceries. its vulgar and scary.

heres a thought. in the name of extreme american capitalism our manufacturing jobs are sent to the biggest communist country in the world.

Quote:

Ah, free care, sounds wonderful until you actually have to deal with the system that provides it

Really? On the other hand, thanks to Medicaid, I'm able to see any doctor anywhere in the State, use just about any facility and am treated as well as anyone. Doctors and hospitals love Medicaid as there is never a question of payment. It's automatic. It even pays all my dental care. It's considered the best insurance in the country as it's pure socialized medicine and direct pay. There is never a wait and I can choose just about anyone I want. It's abused because it's too good.

Charlie

Quote:

It's abused because it's too good free.

Charlie wrote on Sep 26^th, 2010 at 1:26pm:

Quote: Ah, free care, sounds wonderful until you actually have to deal with the system that provides it Really? On the other hand, thanks to Medicaid, I'm able to see any doctor anywhere in the State, use just about any facility and am treated as well as anyone. Doctors and hospitals love Medicaid as there is never a question of payment. It's automatic. It even pays all my dental care. It's considered the best insurance in the country as it's pure socialized medicine and direct pay. There is never a wait and I can choose just about anyone I want. It's abused because it's too good. Charlie

That may be so in your state, charlie, but it's not in my state.  Physicians who accept Medicaid are difficult to find and the waits can be long (and there are many specialists who don't accept Medicaid because the payments are minuscule).  You just can't go anywhere and pick the doc you want.  Dental?  Not here, not unless you are under the age of 21.  Not only that, but medicaid eligibility is much narrower in this state.

I also agree with Brew, it's abused because it's free, not because it's good (edited my mistake).

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Charlie wrote on Sep 26^th, 2010 at 1:26pm:

Quote: Ah, free care, sounds wonderful until you actually have to deal with the system that provides it Really? On the other hand, thanks to Medicaid, I'm able to see any doctor anywhere in the State, use just about any facility and am treated as well as anyone. Doctors and hospitals love Medicaid as there is never a question of payment. It's automatic. It even pays all my dental care. It's considered the best insurance in the country as it's pure socialized medicine and direct pay. There is never a wait and I can choose just about anyone I want. It's abused because it's too good. Charlie

thats how my wife gets her diabetic supplies. wasnt till after i got on my cygna we had problems. diabetic supplies are extremely expensive. her pump alone was $10,000. its the size of a pack of smokes. i think thats a bit too much. they are monsters and they need to be regulated. the GOP  doesn't like to regulate these kinda things in the name of a free market but if these big monster companies stack the legislative deck of cards in their favor with lobbyist is that market really free?  on the other the democratic party isnt going to take on these companies either. they just want to help ya finance it. nobody is going to take on the pure root of the problem which is greed

Brew is right. Of course it's the medical professional pricks, not the patients that are the abusers. Fix that and it will be even better.

By the way, "free" as it will be some day is good.

Charlie

Charlie wrote on Sep 26^th, 2010 at 1:26pm:

Quote: Ah, free care, sounds wonderful until you actually have to deal with the system that provides it Really? On the other hand, thanks to Medicaid, I'm able to see any doctor anywhere in the State, use just about any facility and am treated as well as anyone. Doctors and hospitals love Medicaid as there is never a question of payment. It's automatic. It even pays all my dental care. It's considered the best insurance in the country as it's pure socialized medicine and direct pay. There is never a wait and I can choose just about anyone I want. It's abused because it's too good. Charlie

In IL you can also choose your own Dr, but only if your choice happens to be on the approved list.  Most are not because the state will pay anywhere from 30-65% of the charge and will take 9 months to a year to pay it.  Most OB/GYN drs will not take it because their malpractice insurance rates are higher than the payment received from Medicaid.

I was talking with a dentist on Thursday about discounted fee clubs for dentistry.  He said Drs and Dentists operate on a cost basis of about 85%.  If they use a discounted fee club or Medicaid it is only because they can't fill the chair all the time and are trying to keep their staff busy.  In order to survive on payments lower than their costs they have to lower the quality of care and or materials to do the job. 

Medical care is free in Cuba too, but I don't want to live there to get it.

Jerry

Edited to take my post out of Charlie's quote.

Quote:

Medical care is free in Cuba too, but I don't want to live there to get it.

I could handle Norway though

I should add that there are only a few dentists that deal with Medicaid here too but fortunately, the one I found does better work than my old one and there is no extra waiting that I can detect.

I have to say that I have had better access to medicine than ever since Medicaid. Some of this may just be being 64. Doctors love to push pills on us and probably get the shakes when thinking how much they can dig out of the fund. I've had to tell him to knock it off with all the pills he'd like me to take. Frankly, a burp or a stubbed toe aren't reasons to write a prescription. Anyway, the most I pay for drugs is $1.10 copay.

I think this thread has worn me out. I'll be around somewhere else though.

Charlie