I have a good friend, http://grouchatrighttruth.blogspot.com, who is a doctor. He is a good doctor. His bedside manner sux, but you can't hold that against him. I do value his opinions sometimes.
However, I'm not blogging for him. I am telling you all, that as a rule, healthcare sucks!
Wait! Read on before you chastise me.
As little as 40 years ago, if I were sick, I would call the doc, tell him I was sick, and he would be at my house in a short while. He would examine me, maybe pull some pills outta his bag to give me, tell me what was wrong with me, and stay for supper. He might charge me 10 or 20 bucks for a house call. This was the good old days.
Now we live in a modern, high speed, high tech world. You wake up feeling sick, call the doc's office and they tell you you can get in to see the doc in about 45 days. OR, they tell you the doc will call you back and he never does.
Or, you get in to see some quack who is running an insurance mill. He don't really give a shit what is the matter, who you are, or anything else for that matter, as long as YOU HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE!
Is this the doctors fault? NO! The real doctors are all over worked, overbooked, and have to live in fear of some quack lawyer launching a malpractice suit. Malpractice insurance costs more than health insurance!
But this same doctor is really seeing emergency room patients, who are mostly on welfare, who didn't WANT to make a doctors appointment and wait. Since they arent going to pay anyway, they will call an ambulance to carry them to the ER and let the rest of us pay for their visit! They will sit in the ER, get seen pretty soon and then have an ambulance ride home! These are mostly Obama supporters. Sorry, if you can't take the heat, stay outta the kitchen.
How do I know these facts? Am I a doctor? No. But I HAVE been a police officer! I have witnessed these goings on. Been there, done that, as the saying goes.
Why is OUR healthcare so costly? Because we are paying for 20 deadbeats for every one of our doctor visits. But again, this is a Democratic society, isn't it?
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I'm at work so I don't have time for a long diatribe. Let me say that my premium for malpractice insurance is around $25,000 per year. I don't actually pay it but the ER company I contract with pays it. If it did not cost that much I probably would make more.
ReplyDeleteHealthcare is the most regulated industry in the country. We are so bogged down by stupid gubment regulations that the price of healthcare skyrockets. The same people that are responsible for these regulations want to take over your healthcare entirely in the form of Obamacare. These are the same people that want to run your banks, run you car companies, tell you what kind of light bulbs to use, tell you where to set your thermostat, deny that this is a Christian country, but tell the world we are a Muslim country, and make apologies for the United States in front of the rest of the world.
Finally, we need to return to the notion that the INDIVIDUAL not some insurance company is responsible for their own healthcare. The ideal situation would be to pay for the ordinary things like sore throats and checkups. The major things such a car wrecks and heart attacks could be covered by insurance.
Just a few things to think about....gotta run.
Grouch
Grouch - I actually like your last idea - pay for ordinary dr. appts like if you have a cold (as long as you're not charged $100 for the visit!) and save the insurance for the major medical issues and expensive prescriptions. The rest of it...well we all know my opinion. =-)
ReplyDeletePop - your blog started off well, I was nodding in agreement...until you said that folks that go to the ER for everything do it because they don't WANT to wait at the Dr. office, and you KNOW this because you transported them. Bull sh*t. I worked at a pediatricians office, and when Doc was out playing in the field, we were told to tell the patients that had sick children to go to the ER ANYTIME DOC WAS NOT THERE. And I'm surprised that you, yourself, has not called your PCP and been told that they are too booked up, "but you sound bad, so go to the ER" - we have. We haven't gone to the ER for situations like that cause we didn't want to wait or pay an astronomical bill for something a PCP could have taken care of. But we had the brains to understand that just because the Dr. office told us to go to the ER because they were full or closed didn't mean we had to do it. And for the folks who don't have insurance - most PCP's won't take them - and that leaves NO OTHER OPTION BUT THE ER FOR MEDICAL CARE.
You do have a few idiots that go to the ER for crap like tylenol or pregnancy tests, but those people probably did not have anyone else (a PCP) to call (and yes, some folks are just lazy idiots). But the majority of the blame for the abuse of ER is with the medical system.
Ok, I only have 2 comments...
ReplyDelete1) I agree with everything Sami said, and some of what Doc Hamilton said... Sam made a good point about doctors and insurance companies telling ppl to go to the ER if they need to be seen immediately (for them, meaning within 2-3 weeks).
2) I agree with the first part of your blog, Dad, but you lost me when you said that the ER visits are mostly by Obama supporters..
I know there are plenty of rednecks that rush to the ER for every cough too.... so it is just silly to say that they are all Obama supporters.
#1. I neber said there WEREN't Redneck Obama supporters!
ReplyDelete#2. I stand by what I said. And I was/am talking about Tenncare recipients. I guarantee that 3/4 of ER visits are from them. At least that was my experience in Teapot Town. Back me up or shoot me down BT
#3. As you all know, I have made a couple of personal visits to the ER and gladly paid their atrocious fees.
I'd have to agree with the Lizzard that most of the people that rush to the ER for nonsense are Obama supporters.
ReplyDeleteWhy?
Because most of the people that do this have the attitude that SOMEONE ELSE besides them ought to be responsible for and pay for their healthcare.
Sit back on my ass and wait for the gubment to take care of my every need. This is at the heart of the attitude of an Obama supporter. There are some out there right now that still think Barry is gonna pay for the gas in their car and buy them a new house.
Just to be clear, being a redneck does not disqualify you from being an Obama supporter. I know several that fall into this category.
Sam is right on one point. Many ER visits are generated by the fact that family physicians will not try to accomodate any overflow and people are told to RUSH to the ER instead. What I frequently do when this happens is assess the person, tell them they do not have an emergency medical condition, and send them right back to the doctor's office. This makes some of the doctor's offices mad, but I really don't care.
Unnecessary ER visits are generated by in fact many sources:
1. The teacher at the school notices little Johnny is not feeling well. She calls little Johnny's mother and suggests she RUSH (the operative word is RUSH) little Johnny to the ER. Little Johnny has a cold. Why not instead suggest she make an appointment for little Johnny to see his regular doctor? The regular doctor can tell mom that there is nothing to be done a lot cheaper than the ER.
2. The cop at the scene of an auto accident tells the obviously non-injured person who by the way has no complaint that they better RUSH (the operative word is RUSH) to the ER and get "checked out".
"Why are you here?"
"The cop told me to come here and get checked out."
"Where do you hurt?"
"Nowhere!"
"Okay, what exactly is it you want me to check then?"
"Why did the cop tell me to come up here?"
"Beats me."
This person will be charged several hundred dollars just for walking in to the ER even though nothing is going to happen. Why did the cop not suggest this person make an appointment with their local physician? Much much cheaper!
3. The home health nurse notices that Gertrude's blood pressure is a little high. She tells Gertrude that she had better RUSH (the operative word is RUSH) to the ER and get this taken care of.
I don't consider BP to be at an emergency level unless the top nummer is 220+ or the bottom nummer is 120+.
Of course Gertrude's BP might be a bit high but it is nowhere near this. I tell Gertrude she needs to make an appointment with her family doctor. The home health nurse should have done this as well.
"Why did the nurse tell me to RUSH up here?"
"Beats me."
I will continue in part 2...
ReplyDeleteIt's Mother's Day and the visiting family seems to think that Grandma doesn't look quite as good as she did at this time last year. In spite of the fact that Grandma has no complaint and would rather sit and enjoy Mother's Day dinner, the busy body family members RUSH (the operative word is RUSH) grandma to the ER on Mother's Day Sunday.
ReplyDeleteOf course the ER doctor knows nothing of Grandma's medical history. They did not bring Grandma's huge sack of medicine and become angry when told they need to go back home and get it.
Since Grandma has no complaint, the ER doctor has nothing on which to focus. Sometimes the busy body family members will try to "help" by making up complaints for Grandma. The doctor might order a couple of unnecessary blood tests just to appease the family and maybe even an unnecessary xray (I call this "THERAPEUTIC RADIOLOGY").
With many dollars spent and nothing left to do, Grandma is finally discharged with instructions to make an appointment with her family doctor, who by the way is familiar with her medical history, already knows her medicine, and is the person of choice to make decisions regarding Grandma's health care.
As they go out the door, lighting their cigarettes, a couple of the angry relatives can be heard saying,
"Boy that was a waste of time!"
"That doctor was not worth a shit. He didn't do a damned thing for Grandma."
"I wouldn't bring my dead cat to that hospital!" (However they RUSHED Grandma there.)
Rest assured that all this bullshit going on in ER's takes away time and resources from people who are there with true emergencies. I told a complaining patient one time, "There is only one of me and I can only be in one place at a time."
I'LL FINISH IN PART 3
I hope I have given you little Sheffields a glimpse into the REAL world. Sounds like maybe you girls have been sipping the Koolaid so long that you have become blinded to the truth.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Sam, what's wrong with spending 100 dollars for an office visit? Who declared YOU the authority on what a doctor or anyone else can charge for a service? The same people who complain about their doctor bill will have fancy Ipods and cellphones. They will have 2 or 3 packs of cigarettes in their purse. Some will drive up in fancy new cars, and you see the same people at the pizza parlor and the video store ordering overpriced pizzas and overpriced flicks. On the way home they will stop for a couple of six packs.
When I was practicing in Trenton, I had a woman who wouldn't pay me because she needed to use the money to buy her daughter a new dress for the beauty review.
Pizzas, videos, Ipods, cellphones, beer, cigarettes, new cars, and beauty reviews are unnecessary items that we could do without. However these people will buy these things, giving no thought to the price and yet they will be the first to complain about their doctor bill.
WHY????
BECAUSE THEY THINK SOMEONE ELSE OUGHT TO HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR HEALTHCARE!
God forbid they might have to take care of it themselves!
Howzat, Lizzard???
Dang! Couldn't have said it any better!
ReplyDeleteGreat scenarios, Dr. But, aside from the last redneck family narrative over grandma, I don't see how this has anything to do with Obama supporters and the fault of the patient. In two of your three scenarios, an "authority" figure told the person to go to the ER. In this day and age, heaven forbid a parent not take the child to the ER on the advice of the teacher cause if the child really was sick, child protective services would be called. And most law abiding citizens do what the police tell 'em to do, especially if there could be a REMOTE chance something was wrong later and they didn't follow up after the wreck to cover their arses for the insurance companies.
ReplyDeleteI don't profess to be an authority on how much Drs can charge. I am a working, middle class American. My husband and I have had our fair share of medical problems, and if we had to pay $100 out of pocket EACH TIME WE WENT TO THE DR. PER THE DR.'S ORDERS, WE'D BE BANKRUPT. If the person was working a minimum wage job at Wal-Mart, there's no way he/ she could afford medical care for the family at $100 per visit. It would be different if the doc would not charge you full price for a visit for re-checks...then maybe the $100 per visit would be bearable.
The cost of healthcare is absurd because of the insurance companies and pharmaceuticals. Medicine in America is corrupt, just like our government. Just as ya'll are b*tchin about the government, YOUR system should be revamped too. NO AMERICAN SHOULD HAVE TO GO WITHOUT HEALTHCARE. NO AMERICAN SHOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN HIS/HER HEALTH AND HAVING A ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS. HEALTHCARE IS A RIGHT, NOT A LUXURY.
Addendum...
ReplyDeleteAfter thinking through this discussion a bit more, $100 per visit would probably be about right (and maybe a bit more for specialists) to help ensure proper medical care. The docs do have to make a living and pay staff and tons of other overhead. If it got too much more than $100 per visit tho, it would really make it difficult for many Americans to get care. I know plenty that could not afford $100 per visit, though we'd make it work if we had to. But for those who are in poverty, that's what the community health clinics are for.
Tell me Sam, where in the constitution is there granted THE RIGHT TO HEALTHCARE? I can't find it. This country must be guided by it's founding principles, not what YOU think might be best or what makes you FEEL better.
ReplyDeleteOkay, if the doctor charged $98.95 instead of $100, would that be okay? No? $90? Still too much? Maybe $85? If $85 was okay for you, then your neighbor who made less money than you would still complain! THAT EVIL DOCTOR!
What if you or the gubment or someone else a lot smarter than the doctor decided that the doctor was only allowed to charge $80 instead of $100? Would you feel better now, Sam? Maybe, but what if the fact was that for $80, the doctor could not pay his nurse, and office staff, and insurance, and other overhead and soon went out of business? Now your doctor is gone, Sam. Do you feel better now? Or maybe, instead of folding up completely, the doctor laid off one of his staff. Now your bill is $20 less but that person has no job at all. Is that okay?
Medicine, indeed any business, should be governed by the FREE market. The operative word is FREE. Neither you nor Barack Obama should be able to tell me how I conduct my business. Yes, Sam, medicine is an evil business. We doctors don't do this just for shits and grins, we do it to make a profit. Say it Sam! PROFIT! EVIL PROFIT! And if we can't make a profit, we won't continue to do it.
You gotta eat to live. Are you gonna tell me that we have the RIGHT TO FREE FOOD? Shall the gubment provide food stamps for everybody?
How about free gasoline for the masses? Shouldn't that be a right too?
How about a free house while we're at it? Shouldn't a house be a right? Let's all move into FREE gubment housing!
How bout a free radio for your pore old Daddy? He;s been wanting RIG STAMPS ever since I've known him. Shouldn't it be his right to have a radio?
You see, it is a never ending cycle of woe is me dependency. If you don't like your middle class situation or the amount of money you make, go get a better education and go get a better job. Don't sit around waiting for the almighty gubment to come along and make your life better. If you do, you're gonna be waiting a mighty long time, cause anything gubment touches, fails.
Damn lizzard. Yore chilluns is drowning on this damn Koolaid.
Judging by your very last post, Sam, it looks like maybe I'm beginning to get you to THINK rather than just FEEL.
ReplyDeleteI posted my addendum before you went on your tirade, and actually, nothing you said had any influence on it. I had pulled the $100 figure out of the air at the time because if you have a large family, you'd go broke paying the dr. bill. Then, when you took offense to it, I actually thought about it and decided that $100 or a bit more seemed fair b/c you wouldn't be getting all the TennCare supplements.
ReplyDeleteI will preface this by stating that until there is true reform of the government itself, I don't want it touching anything else. But, with a reformed gov't, I support universal health care because we are talking about the power of life or death. We claim to be the best country in the world, but we fall way behind other civilized countries when it comes to the way we treat our citizens.
Yes, food and shelter are necessities, and we, as a society should make sure those less fortunate than us are taken care of. But more people have the power to take care of folks in need of food and shelter, but it requires someone with extensive specialized training to provide healthcare services. Because it takes someone with special skill and knowledge to be a dr. or nurse, those who can handle that profession should be compensated (well).
Universal Healthcare does not rob the doctors of any of their hard- earned dough - if it did, there would not be any doctors in England, Canada, France, etc. Instead, it cuts out the middle-man - the insurance companies - and cuts out the marketing costs of pharmaceuticals.
I don't understand how you, as a dr., can sit by and let insurance companies dictate how you do your job and not be p*ssed that they make so much money - money that should be going to YOU and your staff for providing the service.
Sam,
ReplyDeleteDo you know how the vile insurance companies set their payment schedules? All the major insurance companies decide how much (or how little) they will pay us based on the MEDICARE ALLOWED CHARGE.
Medicare is your glorious government run healthcare model and they set the standard for all the rest.
I'm gonna get off this but I'll say that the most important thing is FREEDOM. Anytime you agree to cede anything to the gubment, your healthcare, your retirement (social security), the kind of cars you driver, what kind of light bulbs you use, let the gubment ban smoking in the restaurant that you own, WHATEVER.
ReplyDeleteAnytime you cede anything to the gubment, you give up just a little more of your freedom.
I'm all for reforming the gubment. I say make it go away entirely and have NO control over my life. I give nothing to it and it gives me nothing in return.
Begin to do some critical thinking instead of getting wrapped up in emotion over issues, and throw the Koolaid glass away.
Damn, I've missed out on this argument.. I don't even know where to begin...
ReplyDeleteAs far as healthcare goes, people do not have any "freedom" even in the private sector! The insurance company dictates who you can see, how often you can see them, etc... I'm sorry, but if I am paying my premiums every month, shouldn't I have a choice as to what doctor I prefer to see? Not saying that this would be better with gov. healthcare (hell, I have that now... and I think it is pitiful that since I have Tricare which we now pay for since Michael is no longer active duty - we still get stuck in the "TENNCARE" clinics because most doctors don't accept tricare.
And speaking of Doctors, or in this case Nurse Practitioners in Trenton, let me tell you a story...
In March, as soon as we moved back from WA, I tried to go see a nurse practitioner in Trenton. We were still trying to get our Tricare reserve set up, so I did not have insurance but was gladly going to pay out of pocket.
Before making the appt., I had a consultation in which I was informed that I would need bloodwork if I had not had any within the last year. Well, turns out that I had bloodwork done 11 1/2 months before that and had the previous Doc. fax it to this office.
So, the new office calls me once they receive it and set me up for an appt. During this phone call, I asked twice if that bloodwork would be ok since it had been almost a year ago. They assured me that it would so I made an appt.
When I arrived at the appt., I did the usual- filled out paperwork, waited, etc. I even went ahead and PAID IN ADVANCE for the visit with my debit card. So, I sit and wait...
As I am waiting, I overhear someone being told to go to the ER for services because they were LATE on their last payment for previous services. It is not like this person didn't pay, they were just late on it and refused service this time.
Ok, I thought... this is interesting...
So anyways, about 45 mins into my waiting, surprise surprise, the nurse practitioner said that I needed NEW bloodwork, but she would allow me to make payments.
At this point, I am fed up so I said f-it and had them refund my card and I REFUSE to ever step foot in that Doc's office again.
Not all doctors are like this, but it is freakin sad that most prefer people with insurance and will try to screw over people without it regardless on if they are paying you on time or not...
Ok, this is all for now...
Casey, you might be interested to know that my opinion of nurse practitioners is not that great. You might go to my blog and read a couple of stories I have posted about them. Unfortunately, blogger won't let me cut and paste the links here.
ReplyDeleteOne post is titled:
Government Healthcare, The Cure That Kills
the other
Sunday in the ER
Both of these were posted in April.
Your pore old Daddy has posted a link to my blog, "The Grouch at Right Truth" in his sidebar.
I love it. I love it all!
ReplyDeleteDialog! Diatribe?
Yall are thinking!
Remember my blog about the Docs who woudn't listen? Sound's like your bloodwork practitioner, except these were full fledged doctors! Medical degrees and everything!
Did they listen to or even LOOK at the other doctor's paperwork? No.