$20 office copay with my shitty insurance is handed over. I'm told the wait would be about 1 hour, 45 minutes.
The wait was 1 hour and 35 minutes. It's 7:30pm.
In the examination room, 5 minutes to have vitals checked and another 5 to pee in a cup. Sample handed off to lab.
Sit in examination room for FORTY-FIVE minutes.
Consider throwing something.
But don't.
Doctor comes in all harried and says "yes, you have what you thought you had. here's a perscription".
Out the door another $100 lighter thanks to lab fees (to be billed at a later date) and off to the pharmacy.
Antibiotics for 7 days - $4 (a steal).
Doritos were $3.
Home 4 1/2 hours later.
If this had happened last week, I could've walked into a chemist/apotek/pharmacie and just asked for what I needed to combat what I knew I had. Spent $10 on it...and walked out 10 minutes later. Anyone who doesn't think the United States' health care system needs a massive overhaul can bite me.
Europe was fantastic, by the way. I'll put up some choice pics when I decide to go through them.
That is all.
12 keep(s) me blogging:
No arguments from me. Our doctor's office makes us pay $50 every time we come for a check-up because we haven't paid our bill off yet. But, given that it costs $80 for even a routine visit (and our health insurance blows because it's only "catastrophic care"), I don't know how we're supposed to catch up.
I hear you, Kara, but you could have been a lot more tiradish. A health care overhaul? Your cat doctor says it all.
These doctors have gotten damned arrogant, overcharging people and making them wait hours to treat a simple coochie infection. If I were President Obama I would give vets the right to treat humans. A bit of honest competition would put the doctors in their place.
I don't want to deaden your ordeal with a counter ordeal...but imagine doing that with a 4 year old.
HELL. FUCKING BLOODY BASTARDS.
Have a nice day.
(did you get your package??)
My co-pay, $45
ER co-pay:
$150
Surgery co-pay $500 and 20%
All covered services, 80-20 split.
Drugs: $200 annual deductible before three-tiered co-pay takes effect.
Fucking rip offs. What the fuck is wrong with having a european style health care system in amaerica? I ask you!
*storms off muttering*
A good overhaul is always good!
My mom fell last week, broke her arm. Made her way to a clinic, there was no doctor so was told to go to the emergency at the hospital. She did. She waited 19 hours before she saw a doctor. He sent her for xrays, and then had to wait another 45 min. to have a cast made. Our system isn't much better... :-(
It sounds like what we all want is just something different than what we have, novel idea. I think we all just need to face the fact that none of us are going to be able to afford health care in any country in the not so distant future. Taxes will just keep going up and up and up to pay for it as well as to cover all those who aren't working. That doesn't feel like a good answer to me. To wait 19 hours to have my broken arm x-rayed while I'm paying over 60% in taxes would probably make me just as mad as I am now. I'm waiting for someone to figure out how to decrease the cost of that office visit or that drug or that surgery in the first place, insurance or no. If doctors are already rapidly dropping or limiting Medicare patients, how many doctors are going to keep practicing medicine just to be paid the massively reduced rates the government is willing to pay? Somebody still has to pay for universal healthcare and that would be all of us!
I guess this is a completely new idea that no one has yet figured out an answer to, hmmmm... oh wait... England, France, Denmark, Switzerland, China, Mexico, Canada (list goes on) have all figured out how to provide cost-effective medical for their citizens. But we are Americans, we have to innovate, re-invent the wheel every time.
As far as taxes going up, my monthly premium for insurance is now $1,200 per month. It increases between 13% and 15% each year. I cannot imagine in my wildest dreams that my taxes would increase by $14,000 a year.
Some statistics: The number of people in the above mentioned countries who declare bankruptcy due to medical costs: 0.0 -- In the USA, it is the second highest cause of bankruptcy.
By the way, we personally will be forced (as in "no choice") with having to change yet again to the our third insurance company within the last five year span. Checking now to see which doctors we have to change.
Welcome back Kara. I too happen to have the same ailment and spent roughly an hour at a walk-in clinic after working a 12 hour shift. There were at least nine other people waiting to see a doctor at 8pm. I felt guilty taking up time when I knew exactly what I had as well. Might I suggest plenty of water and some pyridium next time if they didn't prescribe any with your antibiotic this time.
Pssh @ Europe. Australia has a bigger dick. Case closed.
stinkypaw - but she still walked away without a bill, correct? if you ask most of us, that's the definition of much better.
Look at all the fuss you caused by ranting about your diarrhea filled nasal pustules. Just pick 'em next time.
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