Lets talk army helthcare- which is going to be the norm for all under Obamacare.
On Base, there is no emergency room- that is at the AF Acadamy- 30+ miles away.
One calls the appointment helpline for all appointments- they book a minimum of four weeks out- period.
If you have to see anyone special- which is anyone other than a general Prac, you have to get a referal which them allows you to make another appointment...four weeks out.
Any perscription that is more than general medication issued by the specialist must first be apporved by the primary care doctor on base before it can be filled. For that, you must make an appointment- four weeks out.
You could go to walgreens and fill it in 15 minutes, but then TRIcare wil not honor your bill and you will pay full. Also, it won't make it into your medical records.
Your records are slowly being scanned into the main database- if they haven't been lost in the transcribing process.
Also- not all docs are linked into the database, so they may not be able to see your medical history- or if the database or the hospital or clinic lines are down...
I have been trying to get to see a specialist for my lung problems since January.
Welcome to Obama care.