warped primitive has medical emergency

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6095947

Oh my.

The primitives, whining again.

Warren Stupidity  (1000+ posts)        Sat Jul-18-09 12:54 PM
Original message

Why we have expensive and not very good healthcare

Here is a fine example of why we pay the most per capita in the world and get fair-to-poor results in exchange.

My knee hurts. Eventually I decided to go see the orthopedic doctor for some help. Fortunately I didn't first have to go see my 'primary care physician', as my employer's insurance company finally figured out that was an incredible waste of resources, and besides my primary care physician is an idiot who I avoid whenever I can.

So the bone doctor has merged into a spiffy new clinic that is huge and has all the help running around with laptops to keep them all linked up and online and into their computerized system, impressive but sort of costly but not the point (and they could trade in those $1500 hefty clunkers for $350 netbooks, but I digress.)

The whole point of this knee thing is to get an MRI. For knees, this is essential as it takes ALL of the guess work out of diagnosis. I know this, the clinic knows this, the insurance company knows this. The clinic has an on-site MRI (seems a bit of overkill to me but there it is) but guess what? Of course we cannot use it. No no no no. Physical exam, x-ray, blah blah blah.

I waste the time of at least four people, my time is wasted for a morning, and an x-ray that will soon be filed and forgotten yields not enough information to proceed. But we all knew that. My appearance and the kerfluffle at the clinic were all the pre-requisites for putting in with the insurance company for the MRI that we all know I need. We will then repeat the whole process in a week or two.

Another half day of my time and three or four people at the clinic's time will be consumed. The total bill will probably be at least several hundred dollars over that required to get me in for the MRI and the MRI consult that was actually needed. All of the padding being required to 'save costs'.

Stupidest health care system on the planet. At least we are world class at something.

And "free medical care for all"'s going to be diffeent how?

The warped primitive, who used to be a well-paid registered nurse in Massachusetts, and how is unemployed in New Mexico:

Warpy  (1000+ posts)        Sat Jul-18-09 01:04 PM
Response to Original message
 
1. I might be alive right now because I don't have insurance

An infection turned ugly on July 3, and I went from low grade temperature and weeping skin lesion to septic shock within 4 hours. I knew I was in real trouble and called an ambulance, got fast and appropriate treatment. Septic shock is 50% fatal, usually dependent on how fast treatment is initiated.

I didn't spend an hour on the phone telling a disinterested bean counter why his/her hemming and hawing over approving an ambulance ride and an ER visit was dangerous and they needed to be approved NOW. That hour could easily have been the difference between life and death in my case.

Insurance companies endanger people's lives every hour of every day, either by withholding coverage, withholding care, or simply denying care every step of the way.

I'm alive right now because they didn't stand between me and the emergency care I desperately needed.

Now all I have to do is pay for the five days in intensive care.

One is still wondering why the warped primitive isn't working in her profession down there in New Mexico, or over there in Massachusetts.

The warped primitive put a lot of time, toil, sweat, and tears into becoming an R.N., which is a very lucrative profession.

One wonders why the warped primitive threw it away.

Or if perhaps the warped primitive was defrocked.

Time will tell.

The Wyatt Earp primitive from Kansas inadvertently makes a good argument against 0bamacare:

Kansas Wyatt (1000+ posts)        Sat Jul-18-09 01:26 PM
Response to Reply #3
 
5. It's amazing in the difference of treatment you get from a doctor...

When you have insurance compared to when you are paying cash for services.

With insurance, they just have to as many tests as possible, desperately searching for a problem, and in some cases inventing a problem, so they can treat it and keep you coming back for follow-ups.

Without insurance, they treat a person based on their best interests, first medically with financial situation in mind. They don't invent crap to treat and they don't run a bunch of tests, just because they can.

[Vagabond]

The primitives are funny.

A few years ago I smashed up my left ankle.  After about an hour, it was swollen to twice it's normal size and heavy bruising was apparent all over my ankle and foot.  I called my primary care physician, who promptly instructed me to go to the emergency room as she lacked any equipment on site to deal with anything broken.  I went to the emergency room, payed a $25 copay, The insurance company payed the rest, I never saw anything more than the bill they payed.

Two years ago, my neice had an accident and smashed her upper front teeth out.  She was taken to the emergency room, and then directly to an orthodontist.  Her mother payed $45 for both, even though she didn't contact her physician.

Also why do the DUmmies think a government, non-sueable bean counter, will be any better than a private, sueable bean counter?  I really would like for them to answer.

[miskie]

Warren Stupidity  (1000+ posts)        Sat Jul-18-09 12:54 PM
Original message
[snip...]

So the bone doctor has merged into a spiffy new clinic that is huge and has all the help running around with laptops to keep them all linked up and online and into their computerized system, impressive but sort of costly but not the point (and they could trade in those $1500 hefty clunkers for $350 netbooks, but I digress.)

[snip..]

You can thank Obama for that - this is part of the national online medical database thing. Every doctor's office will be full of laptops soon. And most doctors I've spoken to about it HATE IT.

Warren Stupidity  (1000+ posts)        Sat Jul-18-09 12:54 PM
Original message


[snip...]

The whole point of this knee thing is to get an MRI. For knees, this is essential as it takes ALL of the guess work out of diagnosis. I know this, the clinic knows this, the insurance company knows this. The clinic has an on-site MRI (seems a bit of overkill to me but there it is) but guess what? Of course we cannot use it. No no no no. Physical exam, x-ray, blah blah blah.

I waste the time of at least four people, my time is wasted for a morning, and an x-ray that will soon be filed and forgotten yields not enough information to proceed. But we all knew that. My appearance and the kerfluffle at the clinic were all the pre-requisites for putting in with the insurance company for the MRI that we all know I need. We will then repeat the whole process in a week or two.

Another half day of my time and three or four people at the clinic's time will be consumed. The total bill will probably be at least several hundred dollars over that required to get me in for the MRI and the MRI consult that was actually needed. All of the padding being required to 'save costs'.

Stupidest health care system on the planet. At least we are world class at something.

Did this primitive read my post on another thread about how I would deal with healthcare ? This sounds a whole lot like my example as to why excessive insurance is bad, and that the best way to reform healthcare is to get rid of mandatory coverage beyond a catastrophic plan and allow people to shop for services such as X-Rays, MRIs etc..

[The Village Idiot]

Yo dummy

we have walk-in MRI clinics.

go in. pay for it. get MRI. Send MRI to your doctor.

[Chris]

Yo dummy

we have walk-in MRI clinics.

go in. pay for it. get MRI. Send MRI to your doctor.

Houston, we have a problem.

[The Village Idiot]

Houston, we have a problem.

  <--- DUmmies

[GOBUCKS]

Warpy  (1000+ posts)        Sat Jul-18-09 01:04 PM
Response to Original message
 
1. I might be alive right now because I don't have insurance

An infection turned ugly on July 3, and I went from low grade temperature and weeping skin lesion to septic shock within 4 hours. I knew I was in real trouble and called an ambulance, got fast and appropriate treatment. Septic shock is 50% fatal, usually dependent on how fast treatment is initiated.

Not enough salt in her diet.

[franksolich]

Not enough salt in her diet.

Or dairy products, to which the warped primitive, of Gaelic derivation, is ostensibly "allergic."

The warped primitive is funny that way, being "allergic" to things good for her, and not being allergic to things bad for her.

[NHSparky]

Gee, DUmmies, if you hate your PCP so much, why don't you change?  And to see a specialist?  I got a script from my PCP to see a physical therapist for my knees.  All in network--no extra co-pay.  Amazing how even "crappy" insurance works if you work with the system.

[The Village Idiot]

Or dairy products, to which the warped primitive, of Gaelic derivation, is ostensibly "allergic."

The warped primitive is funny that way, being "allergic" to things good for her, and not being allergic to things bad for her.

The "blue dog" democrats are trying to fool moderate Republicans into voting for socialist healthcare with a "bipartisan" compromise, who backs this effort??

Organizing for America. It's Obama's group!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Call your congress fools and say NO NO NO NO HNO


OK, maybe its just an ad campaign. But still.

[Doc Savage]

the one thing that this dummie is demonstrating to a tee, it that you are responsible for your own health care.  You have to make the decisions.  Ask a lot of questions, be involved in your care. 

Wonder what kind of pay cut I am going to have to take if Obama care is enacted.  Seeing that I work in a business that depends on relationships with MD's, Hospitals, and Nursing agencies for refer-els and patient choice, I wonder what is going to happen when choice is taken out of the equation. 

Do know one thing though.  Try getting a specialist out of the house on the weekend if socialized medicine starts.   

[whiffleball]

Look, I don't mean to offend anyone here who uses and likes the V.A. (I like it and use it for a few things), but if what they want is a government controlled health care system such as the V.A. then they'll really have a lot of things to bitch about.

I had heart palpitations and skyrocketing blood pressure after the V.A. tried changing my BP meds.  I have a history of cardio toxic chemo (not treated by V.A.) and had a couple of exercise ECHOs (not by V.A.) to rule out damage.  With the onset of the palpitations I needed another ECHO, but the V.A. would not approve one without going through other, less expensive and less diagnostic, tests.  I went to my private physician, told him what I needed and am scheduled for the exercise ECHO this week which will be covered 80% by my very good private insurance.

The government controlled entity, in this case the V.A., has specific regimens to follow according to cost, not effectiveness.  The government physician has no choice but to follow the rules set forth.   

With all the conspiracy theories and hatred of bureaucracy on The Island how can they possibly think that government controlled health care will be good for this country?

[Traveshamockery]

Apart from the bureaucracy of socialized medicine, I am very concerned about my medical records being online and controlled by the government.

[Doc Savage]

everyone should be concerned about a heath care system that is going to run like the DMV.  Next window please.....

[BEG]

It seems so odd that everytime there is an issue that is happening on a national level that DU'ers seem to have an over abundance of horror stories about the very same issue.

I have several stories of my own but unfortunantly (for liberals) very few horror stories.  About a year and a half ago I had a couple episodes where I thought I was having TIA's. Called my doctor (not my primary care physician even though I have one). He told me to meet him right away at the hospital. I did have to wait awhile in the waiting room (quite a long time actually) until my doctor got over to the hospital. He had them admit me and start testing. I was in the hospital a week having every test you can imagine, I paid a small co-pay and that was it.

Oh I do have a horror story. When my middle child was about three she had a very high temp and I had a feeling that she had pneumonia. So first thing in the morning I packed her up and was at the doctors office right when they opened the door. They refused to see her because I didn't have an appointment. I made the biggest scene and demanded to see the doctor. They wouldn't let me. So I left and took her to primacare where they took one look at her and called over to the hospital (where her doctors office was at by the way) and told me I would be coming and that my child needed to be seen right away. Went to the ER and was seen immediatly. Daughter was admitted for three days and came home on Christmas day.  Called her doctor and told him what happened and he wasn't even told by his staff what had happened. The girl who wouldn't let me even speak to the doctor (there were no patients yet when I was there) was fired (apparently it wasn't just from what happened with my daughter but it was the last straw). I guess this wouldn't be a good story for them because it didn't involve the insurance company or any lack of insurance.

I do have a story about not having insurance and being very sick but you all have heard it many times. You know...the stroke, being diagnosed with the rare auto immune disease,being in ICU for 5 days. No one asking for my insurance until the day I checked out of the hospital. The hospital writing off all but a thousand dollars of my bill (although I did have to pay my doctors and to pay the bills in full took us a couple of years). Was I pissed at the world, feeling like I was owed free medical care?  No, I felt responsable for not having insurance. We could have scraped by if we would have added me on my husbands insurance (at the time we had to pay the full price to add a spouse to my husbands insurance) but we chose not to. I gambled and lost, it was my fault.

I could also tell the tale about the pharmacy giving me the wrong RX and how sick it made me and how I ended up in the ER because of it but again...not and issue with having or not having insurance.

I typed this on my iPhone so please excuse my typos.     

[GOBUCKS]

They really hate people who can afford iPhones.

[BEG]

They really hate people who can afford iPhones.

You must be a closet DU'er. 

Edited to note: I just noticed you said "they" not "I". 

[The Village Idiot]

iPhone? Thats the best post I have seen here

[MrsSmith]

Warpy  (1000+ posts)        Sat Jul-18-09 01:04 PM
Response to Original message
 
1. I might be alive right now because I don't have insurance

An infection turned ugly on July 3, and I went from low grade temperature and weeping skin lesion to septic shock within 4 hours. I knew I was in real trouble and called an ambulance, got fast and appropriate treatment. Septic shock is 50% fatal, usually dependent on how fast treatment is initiated.

I didn't spend an hour on the phone telling a disinterested bean counter why his/her hemming and hawing over approving an ambulance ride and an ER visit was dangerous and they needed to be approved NOW. That hour could easily have been the difference between life and death in my case.

Insurance companies endanger people's lives every hour of every day, either by withholding coverage, withholding care, or simply denying care every step of the way.

I'm alive right now because they didn't stand between me and the emergency care I desperately needed.

Now all I have to do is pay for the five days in intensive care.

Insurance companies don't require notification before emergencies...or after, for that matter.  Notification wouldn't have been needed at all unless the "person" was admitted.  Even then, most companies allow you at least 24 hours to call and let them know.
 
You only have to pre-notify when you're going in for an elective or prescheduled surgery.

If they're going to slam the companies, there are enough reasons to do so without lying about them.   

[BEG]

iPhone? Thats the best post I have seen here

I'm really quite talented.   

[The Village Idiot]

I'm really quite talented.   

I knew that already