The Healthcare Maze
By alaskanray
@alaskanray (4636)
United States
July 12, 2012 2:47am CST
My daughter and I watched a movie tonight about some of the Greek myths. One of the stories in the movie was about the minotaur and the labyrinth that Daedalus(sp?) built for King Minos. Sometimes I feel like I'm in that labyrinth when it comes to my healthcare.
Since moving to Pendleton the twists and turns that I have found in the healthcare system here have been frustrating to say the least. The latest twist has me baffled. I was recently assigned a new doctor so I called for an appointment for take-in. They told me that this doctor would not see me until I came in and signed a release to get my medical records forwarded to her from my former PCP. Okay, so I went in and signed the stupid thing.
Well, a week later I was in dire need of medical care so I called them and explained that I needed to see a doctor! My medical records had not arrived yet so they flat out refused to see me! Now I'm wondering if I want to see this doctor who has treated me so callously.
Have you ever heard of such a thing? I told them I needed to see a doctor, I was almost out of my BP meds and was out of refills so they sent me to a walk-in clinic across town. Now I'm thinking that I may as well frequent the walk-in clinic and drop this private practice doctor altogether. Of course, I don't know how my HMO will feel about that.
This is just really putting my mind into a tailspin. Have you ever heard of anything so crazy?
5 responses
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
12 Jul 12
Yeah, maybe I will. This is just unheard of in my experience.
1 person likes this
@RitterSport (2451)
• Lippstadt, Germany
17 Jul 12
hi dear alaskanray that sounds horrible and I feel for you cause you just try to get medical help and no one will listen as they follow a thousand rules first......
There are some idiotic ideas here in Germany as well when it comes to health care for the average citizen. Like when I got out of hospital, after 9 days in there cause of the herniated disc I didnt get any meds from them but had to go to the doctor same day. My doctor was on holidays so I went to another one. I told them there normally I go to Dr. X and I just need my meds for a while. Okay Saw the doctor, who was really nice and he gave the prescription to me and handed me the papers for another two weeks of sick leave.
When these two weeks sick leave were over I went to him again and told his medical personnel I would like to change doctors. My first visit there was June 24th and now it was July 8th. They first refused to let me see the doctor cause mine was working again. But I wanted to change doctors so I had to pay an extra fee. Not much but how crazy is this.
I think if I were in your situation I would just go to that walk-in-clinic and not see that doctor again.
1 person likes this
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
17 Jul 12
Yeah, that's what I plan to do but first I want to call my insurance provider and tell them what happened.
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
12 Jul 12
here in Ontario (Canada) where i live, the health system is pretty much just as crazy. it takes forever to see a specialist and you better hope that they can help you because if you are not happy with that one, you would have to wait another good chunk (i have had to wait almost 5 months to see a specialist. by that time, you almost have forgotten why you needed to see him in the first place!)
hope you get stuff sorted out soon!
1 person likes this
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
12 Jul 12
Yeah, I know what you mean but this is not even a specialist. She's supposed to be my Primary Care Provider! Not very personal care if you ask me.
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
12 Jul 12
hi friend, about the labyrinths, I saw a program where they found evidence that a labyrinth did exist in the island of Crete, now about the medical labyrinth,
, I don't really know what to say, coming from a country where it barely exist and is available only for the poorest of the poor, here it's just work your butt out and hope and pray that when the time comes that you get sick ,that you had saved enough or have kind relatives willing to bail you out, most people in the middle class up do not trust the lousy public institutions and would only go there if their funds do not permit them to go to a private institution. Looking at the news on how Americans complain about their health care make me feel that you are still more lucky than us
, I don't really know what to say, coming from a country where it barely exist and is available only for the poorest of the poor, here it's just work your butt out and hope and pray that when the time comes that you get sick ,that you had saved enough or have kind relatives willing to bail you out, most people in the middle class up do not trust the lousy public institutions and would only go there if their funds do not permit them to go to a private institution. Looking at the news on how Americans complain about their health care make me feel that you are still more lucky than us 1 person likes this
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
12 Jul 12
You are right on that score my friend. I suppose I should be grateful for what I have, eh? Still, I've never had a doctor refuse to see me before and it's quite a shock.
@skyandgrassplot (1497)
• China
12 Jul 12
Hi dear alaskanray,I am so sorry to hear about your encounter.In my city this situation will never happen.If the doctor do not have my medical records and that is OK.They have no right to refuse me.
1 person likes this
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
12 Jul 12
I, too, have never heard of a doctor refusing to see a patient without their medical records before. This is just too too crazy for me to even wrap my brain around it.
