Advocating for yourself in the healthcare system is truly a part time job, and if you don’t advocate for yourself you will get lost in the shuffle and not be seen for months. If early treatment saves lives, how many die because this for profit system is broken?
Truly a disaster.
The same happens in Canada :(
Not everyone can navigate as well, & medical treatment gets delayed
I was referred to a specialist and when I just called their office I was told I couldn’t be seen until July. They gave me a number that I could give my referring doctor to change the referral type so that I could be seen sooner. I had to call three different numbers in order to find someone who could get “a message“ to my referring doctor to let them know.
A nurse called me this morning to review bloodwork that had abnormal results. Every time I asked a question, I got an attitude from this person. So sorry to inconvenience you…
I’m generally healthy so I typically don’t need to utilize my insurance outside of general checkups. I’m currently having a GI issue and this is eye opening!! I don’t believe the nurses assessment and I’m thankful I’m getting a second round of bloodwork. But waiting until July to see a specialist is NOT ACCEPTABLE. This truly has me scared of getting old, where I won’t be as sharp to deal with this all. Horrific! I posted this on Facebook as well, a friend shared a story similar to yours that made me FURIOUS. Her doctor brought her to the ER to be admitted with blood pressure of 239/116 and they SENT HER HOME. Why am I paying an arm and a leg for insurance as a self-employed individual to be treated like CATTLE?! #[3]
Yep, squeaky wheel is name of the game with insurance. I have experienced on the patient and provider side. Be a thorn in their side to get things done.
More and more I am seeing patients go outside the US and receive much faster & efficient care. I had a patient who went to Mexico for a breast biopsy because the wait was 5 weeks here. She had new mammogram, ultrasound, biopsy, cyst removal surgery and pathology report within 3 days and for less than her deductible in the US. She said the facilities were modern, with excellent care.
Many of my family members go to Korea for medical treatments now. Something like a lithotripsy for kidney stones is 1/10th the cost of the US and you can get in immediately for treatment. Self pay of course.
It almost sounds like I might be better off spending the monthly amount that goes to my insurance on fucking bitcoin and traveling wherever I should go to get the best treatment. The fact that this is a thought that’s running through my head is a major problem. Thank you for validating my want to push my providers into action. I’m not trying to be a bitch or a Karen, but I also am not going to sit around waiting for care either.
Our Canadian system is medical care not healthcare. Every time that i have ₿umped into our system my only hope is to get treatment and getout asap.
Timely seems to ₿e way down the line of priorities.
This is what happens when healthcare is taken over by the hospital and insurance industries.
It's kind of wild how hard you have to fight to even see a doctor sometimes.
Which is kinda pointles since Dr's had no idea what to do with Covid.
💯
Do NOT get me started. My sentiment is the same. It might be the most broken system in our country, behind the monetary system, in which it stems from.
THIS 😤
Shout it from the rooftops Alana! I can’t stress enough how important this message is. Don’t just go along with what a physician tells you or what your insurance is willing to cover if you aren’t comfortable with a treatment or diagnosis. I have seen so many disastrous consequences from patients who didn’t realize they had options.
I have told an emergency room physician who was trying to get me to sign discharge papers for my teen who was in agonizing pain that they would need to call the police to get me to leave. 3 hours later she was rushed into emergency gall bladder removal surgery after I refused to leave and insisted on an abdominal CT that was “Not covered by insurance.” You must advocate for yourself and your family in our broken healthcare system.
The essence of health care success, to me, is the development of trust- from both the patient and from the physician/dentist/provider. And of course that trust needs to be earned within some sort of relationship! If a person comes to me in a deeply distrustful state, I really can’t be of much use to them!
Of course, but how many lone practitioners do you know in medicine anymore. Group practice and corporate hospital systems tends to promote profit over fostering relationships with patients. I have heard this complaint from my long time OB as well as MD friends.
This is true my oldest son has many medical problems. It is hard to find Doctors that can be trusted and listen to him as he knows himself well. It seems that that most think that a medication will cure everything.
I’m old enough to remember when my PCP had a name, currently my PCP is a clinic.
Should check out Crowd Health
Problematic.
The European model is higher taxes to finance healthcare. Do you think there are other solutions to the problem you're describing other than tax-financing?
#[0]
They have the same issue in Sweden, that's supposed to be free healthcare. Unless you're healthy enough to fight, you'll be stuck in a long line, waiting for months.
Some of the older population tend to say that it's not so bad, and yes they can move on their own, so they don't send someone as urgently as would really be necessary. I heard someone say, "you tell them that no, you can't move!" Just to get someone out there quickly. Or whatever you need to in order to get an early appointment for whatever you need to get checked for.
