What the Fuck?!?!?

Now that I have your attention.  Really I am asking what the fuck???

My rant today is sponsored by Healthcare in America is going to hell in a hand basket.  Bend over and get yours!!!!!

I have excellent health insurance.  Top notch as they say.  My employer is the bomb diggity.  I won’t name the carrier but trust me considering the alternatives, this carrier is fan-freaking-tastic.

So you’re probably wondering, why am I angry?  Well it all started when I received a letter from my doctor’s office saying Dr. So-And-So is no longer with us and we really do not have anyone taking her place so you are shit out of luck.  Okay maybe not exactly that but similar.

Today I go to the insurance carrier’s directory to find a new doctor who is in network.  Out of 3353 doctors, I narrow my search to 153.  You’d think it’d be easy to get someone good from that amount. Keeping only those rated 4s and 5s on a scale of 1-5. I have about seven options.  In all fairness, most are not rated at all but there were some 1s from which I wanted to steer clear.

I call to set up an annual appointment.  The first two are not accepting new patients.  I get that, they are full.  

The next one tells me that they are a cash only outfit and will not take any insurance.  The cost is $287 per visit and afterwards I can claim it and insurance will reimburse part of it under out of network coverage.  “But you are on our directory” I say.  They reply “we have been trying to get our name off that list for two years”

Now here is the fuck you part.  I call a 4th place and I am told very nicely that “yes in January, we will be accepting new patients but we are a concierge/boutique practice.  Have I heard of that?”  “Why no” I answer, “I have not”.  Well, she explains “you become a member for a price of $2500 per person per year.  Then we see you when you need us, no wait, no fuss, no muss” I ask, “and insurance pays this?”  She replies, “No not usually though some will give a percentage”  “Then you do not take insurance?”  “Oh no, we do” And the kicker is they still bill my carrier and insurance pays the agreed amount for my care after the $2500 just to be an exclusive member.  So basically the $2500 is so that I can say screw you have-nots.  I am a HAVE!  I am getting care “that is a cut above” Those were her words … our care is a cut above. To which I reply “Well I certainly hope so!!!!!”  Oh and by the way, she told me that more doctors are going to this arrangement.

Sad that due to overcrowding or whatever the hell else you want to call it, boutique clinics are popping up.  The membership fees cover/make up for the lower volume of patients.  This leaves some folks out in the cold.  

Trying to find a silver lining, I think but maybe you get what you pay for and the cost is worth it to have only the best care.  Still sad that others cannot afford this extra cost and me, well I can but not in the long run.  How often have I left an office visit feeling rushed through, just a number?  Why am I still in pain without a firm diagnosis?  Too often.  However you view this, the bottom line is finding a good doctor is much harder than it should be.  I mean really out of 153 names???  Ugh!!

I’d write more but I need to cool down and I have exceeded my 500 word maximum :). 

 

As always, more to come.