Healthcare in the US

Just maddening dealing with this system on every fucking level. Thankfully not a serious health problem at the moment, but a typically frustrating experience:

Had my annual physical set for mid-December. Morning of my appointment, I tested positive for COVID. Obviously had to cancel the physical part, but was still able to do a virtual visit for a Paxlovid prescription. Tried to reschedule my physical, but was told I had wait until day 12 after testing positive to do so. Okay, I get it, but the next available appointments weren't for three plus weeks out. Called to ask if I could reschedule it anyway, since it would be well past day 12 no matter what. No dice, was completely blocked from rescheduling until day 12. Whatever. I get past that date and reschedule - March 30th was the first available appointment, so I took it.

Fast forward to today, got my confirmation email yesterday and did all the pre-visit check in stuff. Great. Get a phone call first thing this morning that my doctor has to cancel. Okay, when can I reschedule? "It looks like our next available appointment is mid August".

Just fucking burn this whole system to the ground.

To cover my family on the cheapest Obamacare (five of us) it is $4200 a month. And yes since I am a mercenary my employer is not "paying" for my insurance. We are a very healthy family, btw.

We switched to this in January:

https://sederamcs.org

$363 per month and it's basically catastrophic coverage. Pay out of pocket. For big bills, we only pay $2500 and they cover everything beyond. Incredible deal for us.

xp I had a similar experience this past year. Scheduled a physical, my doctor called out that morning, wasn't allowed tor reschedule for six months. I don't know what the heck's going on, gimme the so-called social healthcare dystopia!

Your time means nothing to providers anymore. Cancel day of and they charge you for the visit. They however can cancel 15 minutes prior and you just have to deal with not getting a physical until next year

and it got worse:

🚨Judge Reed O'Connor STRIKES DOWN a major provision of the Affordable Care Act requiring insurers to cover a vast amount of preventive care cost-free (contraception, cancer screening, PrEP, a ton of pregnancy-related care). The ruling applies nationwide. https://t.co/wL26vkIPsd

— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) March 30, 2023

"cost free"

Obviously small beans in the "biggest US healthcare problems" sweepstakes, but still - I have a doctor's appointment coming up on Monday. So far I've been asked to confirm my appointment via the app, been sent two separate text messages to confirm my appointment via text response and just now came back to a voicemail telling me that I also have to call them directly to confirm or else my appointment will be rescheduled.

Just.. what.

have you been a flight risk in the past?

sounds like a policy specific to your doctor's office - if you had already confirmed via the other methods I would definitely bring it up with them

My guess is they've had a lot of no shows recently? I just don't get the point of managing things through an app and efficient text messages if you are still also going to insist on taking the time to have someone from the office also call me and make me call them back.

I did just learn from a coworker that she had the same experience and apparently there is a setting in the app to uncheck that will stop them from also calling you. Good to know now.

A coworker of mine has been going through this with appointments lately, too. I’ve had doctors do this to me in the past.

It’s weird.

I abhor all appointment reminders. Don’t punish me for being 100% reliable.

i doubt it's due to recent no shows. HIPAA compliant medical scheduling software is a huge grift and impossible for the people in the office to maintain/configure. multiple reminders from different systems is exactly the sort of thing you end up with.

mine sometimes reminds me at weird times like 9 days in advance, and then never again, and when you reply "yes" to confirm it says "we don't understand that command"

we don't

understand

that

command

sorry thought I was Thom Yorke for a moment carry on

I had a prescription for mere antibiotics sent to Walgreens over an hour ago. their status said they already filled it, but it's in that dreaded "verifying prescription" status, which is controversial because the AMA claims Walgreens pharmacists are overstepping their bounds and delaying access to needed medications: https://www.namd.org/journal-of-medicine/1632-walgreens-secret-checklist-reveals-controversial-new-policy-on-pain-pills.html

except mine are fucking run of the mill antibiotics, what in the hell. I refuse to wait all night so I requested to move them to another Walgreens that's open later because this one closes soon.

SORRY I FAKED PRESCRIPTION SO I CAN KILL ALL MY GUT BIOME AND BLAST THE TOILET WITH DIARRHEA U GOT ME

https://www.rd.com/article/how-honest-are-dentists/

reader's digest huh

I've always thought that dentists are particularly prone to upselling, perhaps because they are maybe the only medical profession where the most effective care protocol - brushing and flossing - is in the hands of the patient. A lot of the time dentists only seem to be checking that you are doing a good job, so then they shift the focus to cosmetic bullshit in essence to make work for themselves.

I've generally liked my dentists, but I had this one guy, a sub, look at my teeth and suggest some treatment that none of my other dentists have ever suggested. When I told him I never noticed a problem, he countered by saying "oh, you can bank on it." And I told him that was a very poor choice of words.