Adventures in America's patchwork healthcare system

by Stacie

Oh, America's health care system.

So, a couple of weeks ago, I was running low on Allegra and here it is pollen season and all. I called Blue Cross/Blue Shield, with which I have a personal plan after my company's sponsored Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan ran out after the layoffs.

I asked if they could transfer the prescriptions I received mail order through my old account onto my new account, and the helpful phone rep did that and told me to watch for the prescriptions within two weeks.

Fair enough. That was two Fridays ago, and the scrip hasn't arrived yet, so I just called Blue Cross/Blue Shield and was told that my current plan doesn't allow mail order prescriptions. So I've been without Allegra for about week, was not notified by the awesome people at Blue Cross/Blue Shield that I wouldn't be receiving my much needed allergy medication during the height of pollen season, and now have to hope that a local pharmacy can process all of this as soon as possible. Or, you know, Blue Cross/Blue Shield can pay to treat the sinus infection that's brewing in my face.

Example #382,631 that America's health care system is a stupid joke.

Comments

[Kat]

>>Example #382,631 that America's health care system is a stupid joke.

I gather that's just the number of examples that apply to you personally, because otherwise, it's gotta be at least 15 zeros shy of a decent guesstimate. ;-)

My personal favorite: I made an appointment, waited 6 weeks, and then told the doctor I was worried about a dime-sized shiny spot on my forehead. He said he didn't see a shiny spot, and charged me $80.

So I made an appointment with another doctor, waited 2 months. Doctor #2 couldn't see the shiny spot, but he did insist on electrically burning off a spot on my nose that had previously been diagnosed as 'nothing to worry about', and charged me $600 - plus the office visit.

I made an appointment with a 3rd doctor, waited 2 more months, and told him about the shiny spot. He couldn't see it either, but said if I'd draw a circle around it with a pen, he'd do a biopsy. He gave me a local, and sliced off a piece of skin with curved scizzors. The lab said it was squamous cell carcinoma. His bright idea of how to treat me was to put me in the hospital, anesthetize me, and take a scalpel to half my forehead, leaving me with a huge scar and a bill for at least $7,000. I said no thanks, signed forms saying that I'd refused treatment, and paid him about $800 -- for two office visits, the biopsy, and the lab test.

I made an appointment with doctor #4 -- a plastic surgeon who did laser surgery. He couldn't see the spot either, so I told him I'd circle it with a pen for him. He agreed to laser off the spot I'd circled if I'd sign a release saying he wouldn't be responsible if he didn't get rid of all the cancer. I did, he did, and the total bill was about $2,000.

All this happened about 12 years ago. Since I'm still alive and haven't seen any more shiny spots since then, I assume the laser burned it all off - without leaving a scar.

So... While I'm all for universal healthcare, which in this case would have saved me about $3,000, I have no illusions that it would fix everything that's wrong with our current healthcare system.

Kat

[Stacie Boschma]

Just... wow. Your story is better (worse?) than my story. Glad it seems to have turned out alright.

[Steve Hynd]

Hi Kat,

A proper universal healthcare system might have solved more of your problems than you think. Since the docs wouldn't have been so concerned with their wallets or being sued (malpractise cover being provided free to docs and nurses by the govt.) the first one might well have simply done the tests even if he couldn't see anything, then referred you on you to a specialist who would've done the laser thing.

Regards, C

[liberal]

Kat wrote, So... While I'm all for universal healthcare, which in this case would have saved me about $3,000, I have no illusions that it would fix everything that's wrong with our current healthcare system.

Damn straight.

While nationalizing health insurance would save the country a lot of money, there's a huge amount of waste and inefficiency in the provision of medical care itself.

A lot of the pro-national health care rhetoric out there seems to be supporting a kind of Medicare-for-all model---the government will pay the bills, but the rest is between "you and your doctor".

To really get decent medical care at a reasonable price, medicine itself---not just insurance---should be nationalized, and this bizarre amount of autonomy that physicians currently have should be curtailed. They won't like that, though.

[compounding pharmacy]

really a nice blog i had fun reading it and your blog is surely going to added to my blogroll