Am I the only one that has crazy experiences? Do I have something stamped on my forehead that says MESS WITH HER???
Thankfully, my ever sweet puppy dog starts the day out right every single time. How could I not love this kid. It didn't last long however ... I had a doctor's appointment.
Okay, I know I live in a small podunk town where no Doctor in his right mind would want to practice medicine. All the good guys have retired and we are now stuck with the NEW breed. Here's what that means.
My appointment was at 10:00. I arrived to find four folks in the waiting room. One I'm sure was a homeless guy, along with two high school age looking kids and one 30-something. The forms I had to fill out were epic. They asked things like WHAT were you born? Female or Male. What are you NOW? Female or Male. Are you kidding me? What would you like to be called ... he, she, thou ... it went on and on. I was THAT close to walking out.
They wanted my picture, I declined. They wanted my monthly income, I declined. They wanted to know things like am I happy with my partner. Do I have sexual problems with him/her/it. Does he beat me. Not kidding here ... it was so far out in left field I laughed out loud, which drew ugly looks from everyone.
So here I am staring at the floor about to walk out the door when the nicest looking of the group walked out grumbling before I could stand up. We had both been sitting there for 90 minutes while they ushered in the next four people that walked in the door AFTER us. I got up and had a little talk with the girls at the counter.
I was escorted back in less than two minutes. The doctor was something else altogether, but at least it was a real doctor, not a nurse. He didn't even ask why I was there, but went on about how I needed to be proactive, have test after test AND set up a MONTHLY phone meeting with a nurse who would ask me the same questions he was asking.
It's the way of medicine he said .... government controlled. I said no. He insisted saying somewhere there was a 400 pound man sitting in a chair eating candy who is using up all of his and MY medicare money on himself. Might as well use it too he stated. I see the writing on the wall, because that money will go into HIS pocket. I said no for the third time.
Not once did he ask why I was there. I finally interrupted him to say it was for different blood pressure medicine because this one was bothering me. I gave him the notes I had made on what the readings were for the last week. He threw them in the trash. He insisted I buy a particular blood pressure machine (I already have TWO) and he took my phone, looked it up on Amazon and put it in my cart. WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON!!!
Finally, he mentioned the name of the new medicine. It escapes me now. You should have seen his face when I told him I buy all my meds in Mexico!!! I laughed out loud again. He insisted I go online ... he took my phone once again ... and looked up Mark Cuban CostPlus Drug Company. What is $25 at Walmart, is only $5.90 on that site. They mail the prescription to you, whatever that cost might be. I actually agreed with this one, but when I got home, the OFFICE had sent the prescription to Target CVS. Really??
I finally walked out with an appointment in TWO MONTHS, by phone of course, because there's no need for offices any more, whereupon he stated that I should stick to accounting and HE will be the DOCTOR. I'm pretty sure after I pick up this first prescription, he will never see me again. You just have to shake your head.
Want to hear more? I went to the Elks Lodge to play secretary, but couldn't get in the door. The one who held the magic key forgot to bring it. I sat down for lunch ... a magnificently HUGE club sandwich with onion rings ... $12.00. Boy do I love our kitchen! This is all that was left.
Alas I found a key person and sat down at a desk with the most uncomfortable chair I've ever sat in. I don't mean to complain, but GEEZ!!! I couldn't get anything out of the files because they were so completely packed in the drawer I couldn't get my finger in between the folders. Oh yeah, this is going to be a HOOT!!!
I'll fill you in tomorrow, because this is already WAY too long and I have to get ready to head back today.
Mr. Ed said sounds like you would have been better off, calling a doctor in Bangladesh and for a good laugh, my bored certified doctor is Indian, and he does send all of his notes to Bangladesh for transcription who is actually pretty damn good however because he has so many patience. He has two (excellent )America nurse practitioners they don’t send their notes to India
ReplyDeleteActually, if you buy 365 pills of atenolol,50mg from cost plus. a year’s prescription is $68 a year (shipping not included)
DeleteIf you buy 350 50mg pills at the purple ( Mexican) pharmacy. it’s $150 a year (shipping not included)
If you have a third-party insurer, I don’t know what your cost would be . but if you’re on Medicare, it’s free 👍
It's pretty crazy the difference in prices. When I buy in Mexico however, it's about $50 a year.
DeleteThey call that healthcare. It's not, it's a joke! The medical schools get money from Big Pharma & their goal is to have everyone on some kind of pill. The more the better for their bottom line. The pills have side effects - but there's another pill for that. Screw them. So glad I could not get insurance a few years back & now have no doctor. Medicare now, that I didn't think would get used, but the opthomologist liked to use it to charge more than when I didn't have insurance and just paid cash.
ReplyDeleteWhat sources do medical schools derive their revenue from? Medical schools have several sources that contribute to their overall revenue stream. For example, below is a table and chart illustrating the breakdown of medical school revenues in 2020-2022.(6)
DeleteRevenue Source 2020-2022Percentage (All Schools) Practice Plans 36.0
Hospitals/Medical School Programs 12.5
Federal Appropriations 0.3
State and Local Government Appropriations 7.1
Parent University Support 0.6
Tuition and Fees 3.3
Endowment 2.1
Gifts 2.4
Miscellaneous Sources 4.1
Total Grants and Contracts 31.7
TotalRevenues 100%
pharmaceutical companies may sponsor medical schools and provide institutional grants
However, ..After a student becomes a doctor, he can get a substantial kickback from the pharmaceutical company for prescribing their medication
I agree ... they want everyone on pills. The difference in cost between countries is substantial.
DeleteI absolutely despise waiting in a Doctor's office. They book too many people at the same time.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a good day.
Frances:)
Me too Frances ... it's ridiculous to sit there for 90 minutes. I always ask them how they would like it if I (as an accountant) kept them waiting for the same amount of time. They admit they wouldn't like it one bit, but do nothing about it.
DeleteWas that for real? OMG Nancy, I hope you never really get sick. Sadly, the doctors are just after $$ and to make sure the $$ are coming in, they want you to come back as often as they get away with it.
ReplyDeleteYup for real ... the worst doctor I've been to yet. They don't care about the people, just how much money they can bring in I guess. Definitely not like the old days.
DeleteDefinitely sounds like a Dr trying to cash in on Medicare.
ReplyDeleteBe Safe and Enjoy your fill-in job.
It's about time.
Exactly!!!!!
DeleteWhat the hell talk about nosey and wanting irrelevant information, he sounds like all he is interested in is money
ReplyDeleteThat was definitely my impression Joanne.
DeleteMarcia and I have the same "Family" Doctor, she sees us at the same time. A few years ago, under Obama, one question they asked on their form was "do you own a gun", we did not answer it, they did not ask. There were a couple of other questions that we did not answer either, but they were all questions that we knew were being asked because the "FEDS" wanted to know, and we also knew that YOU DID NOT HAVE TO ANSWER THEM. Only during COVID did one doctor, Marcia's MS Doctor, want to see here via cell phone video, which our dumb phones don't do, so he settled for just talking over the phone like the "good old days".
ReplyDeleteI actually expected that question, but it wasn't there. They did ask ten questions about suicide, hurting yourself or someone else. I didn't answer any of them.
Delete