If You Don't Feel Well, Just Go To the Doctor
What's the saying? "Nothing simple is ever easy"? I don't really do doctors. I used to. I encourage others to use them. I understand the concept. I just ... have some trust issues. And some taking-time-off-from-work issues. And some getting-lost-going-to-new-places-by-myself issues. Not to mention the going-to-the-doctor-by-myself issue. So I tend not to go. Paper cut that turned into a staph infection, you say? Ehh, fuck it. I don't need that hand anyway; I'm a lefty.
I've been sick lately. Really sick. Not so sick that I've missed work, but sick enough that I broke out the health insurance card and tried to figure out how the hell to use it. It's not fucking easy! First of all, there are TWO companies listed on the card. Second of all, there's a lot of waiting on hold involved, which is not easy when you're at work, trying to actually work.
Got to say though, that everyone I spoke with was very nice, very calm, and genuinely tried to help. In turn I thanked everyone for their help, tried to not cry (though I did tell one person I was going to), didn't yell, and apologized the two times I got a bit bitchy.
First I tried to find a doctor on the website, with some help from my dad. And by "help" I think we all know I mean "pretty much just doing it all for me and then e-mailing me the links." I wanted to see someone before the week ended. I knew that was a bit unrealistic but I didn't want to wait around just getting sicker. I'm pretty picky about doctors. I want someone for whom English is a first language. The last thing I need is miscommunication regarding my own health. I want someone who went to a good medical school and did their residency somewhere I've heard of. I want someone who's either very close to where I live/work or at the very least, easy to get to. I want someone old enough that they've got several years of experience under their doctor's coat, yet young enough that they're not solely relying on their own previous experience and still keeping up to date with new developments, medications, medical procedures. I may have failed biology and not understand the answers, but I shock everyone (including myself) with the medical questions I can pull out of my ass that are intelligent.
Apparently my health insurance works with doctors, not entire doctor groups. When I was calling the doctor's offices and asking who could see me on Thursday or Friday, it wouldn't be the doctor my health insurance listed, but another one. Or that doctor would be in the Sacramento office. Or they were listed as specializing in Internal Medicine but really deal only with Oncology. So I kept looking.
Three friends all suggested the same urgent care clinic that's affiliated with a school. It's much further away from where I live/work than I wanted to go. But I could walk in. I wouldn't have to miss work. I spent over four hours on Thursday and Friday calling the clinic and my insurance company trying to get confirmation that a visit would be covered. The clinic was telling me that seeing a doctor could cost between $300 - $600, depending on what tests the doctor would order. My deductible is $250. One of the three friends invited me to dinner Thursday night, where she told me it would be a flat fee of $60. I went back to my phone calls and finally my insurance company told me there might be a loophole. They instructed me to call the clinic back and find out what code they would bill the office visit under. Apparently not billing as urgent care but as a regular doctor's office makes all the difference. Loopholes RULE!
Friday night I went off to the clinic after work. It is on a campus that I've never been to. My directions were vague after the "get off the bus here" part. I asked for directions at two different spots and both people were friendly and helpful. I got to the clinic and the receptionist had such a gentle demeanor. There were signs all over the place about turning off cell phones, and I think I endeared myself to her when she saw me turning mine off.
I sat and waited for a little over a half hour, reading my magazine I'd brought. The doctor called me in and asked what he could do for me. We talked about symptoms and I told him I'd like to get some prescriptions for old medications. He said he'd only give me one refill. Like a good father, he told me I really ought to get a primary care physician. I know. He asked why I don't have one. Ummmm.... yeah, anyway. He checked my chest, throat and ears, talked to me, and decided I have an upper respiratory infection. I got told to use the inhaler he wisely didn't ask how I came to acquire*, and he wrote a script for a strong decongestant. We had a chat about how it's viral as opposed to bacterial and that's why he wasn't going to prescribe antibiotics.
"Am I contagious?"
"Mildly. Cover your mouth when you cough and wash your hands a lot."
The receptionist told me to feel better and try to have a relaxing weekend. I honestly would not have been surprised it she'd told me to "chillax." I walked out and managed to make my way to the bus stop without getting lost, and the bus pulled right up as if it had been waiting down the corner for me.
Cost? $15 co-pay, plus co-pays for the prescriptions. Of course on Saturday morning when I tried to fill the prescriptions, Walgreens couldn't read what two of them said, and the doctor hadn't specified how many days I was supposed to take the decongestant. So after spending a half hour wandering around Walgreens I left with no drugs. But it was my first time dealing with a Walgreens pharmacy and they were very nice about it. They were going to fax my prescriptions back to the clinic for someone to decipher and are aiming to have them filled today.
*I am very comfortable with any level of health insurance fraud I may or may not have committed.
I've been sick lately. Really sick. Not so sick that I've missed work, but sick enough that I broke out the health insurance card and tried to figure out how the hell to use it. It's not fucking easy! First of all, there are TWO companies listed on the card. Second of all, there's a lot of waiting on hold involved, which is not easy when you're at work, trying to actually work.
Got to say though, that everyone I spoke with was very nice, very calm, and genuinely tried to help. In turn I thanked everyone for their help, tried to not cry (though I did tell one person I was going to), didn't yell, and apologized the two times I got a bit bitchy.
First I tried to find a doctor on the website, with some help from my dad. And by "help" I think we all know I mean "pretty much just doing it all for me and then e-mailing me the links." I wanted to see someone before the week ended. I knew that was a bit unrealistic but I didn't want to wait around just getting sicker. I'm pretty picky about doctors. I want someone for whom English is a first language. The last thing I need is miscommunication regarding my own health. I want someone who went to a good medical school and did their residency somewhere I've heard of. I want someone who's either very close to where I live/work or at the very least, easy to get to. I want someone old enough that they've got several years of experience under their doctor's coat, yet young enough that they're not solely relying on their own previous experience and still keeping up to date with new developments, medications, medical procedures. I may have failed biology and not understand the answers, but I shock everyone (including myself) with the medical questions I can pull out of my ass that are intelligent.
Apparently my health insurance works with doctors, not entire doctor groups. When I was calling the doctor's offices and asking who could see me on Thursday or Friday, it wouldn't be the doctor my health insurance listed, but another one. Or that doctor would be in the Sacramento office. Or they were listed as specializing in Internal Medicine but really deal only with Oncology. So I kept looking.
Three friends all suggested the same urgent care clinic that's affiliated with a school. It's much further away from where I live/work than I wanted to go. But I could walk in. I wouldn't have to miss work. I spent over four hours on Thursday and Friday calling the clinic and my insurance company trying to get confirmation that a visit would be covered. The clinic was telling me that seeing a doctor could cost between $300 - $600, depending on what tests the doctor would order. My deductible is $250. One of the three friends invited me to dinner Thursday night, where she told me it would be a flat fee of $60. I went back to my phone calls and finally my insurance company told me there might be a loophole. They instructed me to call the clinic back and find out what code they would bill the office visit under. Apparently not billing as urgent care but as a regular doctor's office makes all the difference. Loopholes RULE!
Friday night I went off to the clinic after work. It is on a campus that I've never been to. My directions were vague after the "get off the bus here" part. I asked for directions at two different spots and both people were friendly and helpful. I got to the clinic and the receptionist had such a gentle demeanor. There were signs all over the place about turning off cell phones, and I think I endeared myself to her when she saw me turning mine off.
I sat and waited for a little over a half hour, reading my magazine I'd brought. The doctor called me in and asked what he could do for me. We talked about symptoms and I told him I'd like to get some prescriptions for old medications. He said he'd only give me one refill. Like a good father, he told me I really ought to get a primary care physician. I know. He asked why I don't have one. Ummmm.... yeah, anyway. He checked my chest, throat and ears, talked to me, and decided I have an upper respiratory infection. I got told to use the inhaler he wisely didn't ask how I came to acquire*, and he wrote a script for a strong decongestant. We had a chat about how it's viral as opposed to bacterial and that's why he wasn't going to prescribe antibiotics.
"Am I contagious?"
"Mildly. Cover your mouth when you cough and wash your hands a lot."
The receptionist told me to feel better and try to have a relaxing weekend. I honestly would not have been surprised it she'd told me to "chillax." I walked out and managed to make my way to the bus stop without getting lost, and the bus pulled right up as if it had been waiting down the corner for me.
Cost? $15 co-pay, plus co-pays for the prescriptions. Of course on Saturday morning when I tried to fill the prescriptions, Walgreens couldn't read what two of them said, and the doctor hadn't specified how many days I was supposed to take the decongestant. So after spending a half hour wandering around Walgreens I left with no drugs. But it was my first time dealing with a Walgreens pharmacy and they were very nice about it. They were going to fax my prescriptions back to the clinic for someone to decipher and are aiming to have them filled today.
*I am very comfortable with any level of health insurance fraud I may or may not have committed.
posted by Green at 4/30/2006 05:16:00 AM
3 Comments:
i also was not a Dr. person. When I was pregnant the first time, i searched the health insurance booklet for an American sounding name. ALso, i needed ti close and not in the Cedars Sinai hospital.
I found Dr, Porter. a love he was.
But now that I am Doctorey, I was relieved this weekend when I was at the hospital for my mom , that I knew where everything was, including the cool , insuuny bench t make my phone calls.
I hope you are feeling all better.
Canada rocks - we have healthcare!
I used to be a doctor person, I'd go to the doctor for everything (I have quite a few chronic health issues). Then I got really sick... and I had a boss that was extremely abusive to me about how many times I visited the Doctor, so I stopped going, even when I should have. Well that landed me in the hospital for a week this past May. Fortunately I no longer work for that bitch, and I know better than to ignore my body anymore. The hospital is no fun!
C
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