Doctors don't want to see sick people

Kika said:
I have been going to my primary care doctor since 2008. This morning I called for an appointment for some time in October and was told his next available appointment is the last week of December!! I questioned why it was so far out, I used to be able to get an appointment in 2-3 weeks.
I was told several doctors in the area have retired, and others left the state.:eek:
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Will they let you be seen by the staff nurse?
 
My new doctor is definitely not like any other, he asks me to call him Frank, so I do, but his 8ft-3inch assistant scares the hell out of me, and why does he need that big rusty bolt though his neck? 😊
 

Lewkat said:
It's getting tough all over with this situation. Cannot even talk to a doctor on the phone anymore. Always a 3rd person messaging, and that aggravates me no end.
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I agree completely ... even in the most sensitive business [medical care] there is no such thing as customer service.
 
Nathan said:
Out veterinarian has a similar sign: "do not bring your animal if it is throwing up, sneezing or has diarrhea" ??? People don't go to the doctor's office or veterinarian just for a social visit....😒
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Reminded me of a similar experience.
An employer tried to rip me off on my last check before I changed jobs. I went to the Labor Board to file a complaint. The idiot looked at my form I filled out & asked me, "What do you want me to do?"
I said, "Uh......isn't this a Labor Board office? Do you get paid for working here?"
He made a face & called my employer. My employer then paid me what he owed me.
Dialing that number must have required extreme effort & dedication.........
 
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Bonnie said:
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It's my understanding that doctors hate when patients google for answers, as some end up thinking they know more than the doctor, and get contentious over treatment. To be sure, a patient should keep an eye open, as doctors are trained to accept certain procedures etc, and can sometimes be a bit dogmatic. When my liver was being monitored for fibrosis and cancer(plus I had Hep C) my gastroenterologist advised me to limit my coffee intake to 1 cup a day, preferably none at all. However, it was well known that coffee had been found to be beneficial for a diseased liver. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5440772/
 
There is no "care" in healthcare. It's a business, we are commodities. I hate "managed" healthcare. They keep telling me what to do. When I call my doctor's office, I can only speak to a nurse. I haven't seen or spoken to my doctor since 2018. I haven't needed to see her for anything, and even if I did, I'd probably be shuffled to the nurse practitioner.

I've had the required blood tests for my meds but am now being told that it's required by my insurance company that I go to the office for a physical. In my mind, it's just a fishing expedition to try and drum up something that needs to be treated. I'm making an appointment because I have to, but I'm not happy about being forced into it. We're now dictated to even though we pay for alleged "healthcare". It's their way or no way. I wish it was the way it used to be when I could decide for myself when I needed to see a doctor.
 
Nathan said:
It's my understanding that doctors hate when patients google for answers, as some end up thinking they know more than the doctor, and get contentious over treatment. To be sure, a patient should keep an eye open, as doctors are trained to accept certain procedures etc, and can sometimes be a bit dogmatic. When my liver was being monitored for fibrosis and cancer(plus I had Hep C) my gastroenterologist advised me to limit my coffee intake to 1 cup a day, preferably none at all. However, it was well known that coffee had been found to be beneficial for a diseased liver. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5440772/
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Spot on. It's been my experience as well. And many doctors also hate it when a patient refuses a certain test or exam, even when the patient had bad things happen with that exam previously.
A few years ago, I was having an eye exam with a new doctor. I had to change doctors when mine died. He wanted to dilate my pupils to examine the retina. I said "no" & explained what happened after a previous dilation - when I was told the pupil dilation drugs wear off in 2 hours & mine didn't wear off for 5 days, causing me to panic at the prospect of lifetime blindness. He started to argue with me, telling me they have a drug that quickly reverses the dilation. I said, "With all due respect, doctor....no thanks; it's not worth the risk - especially when there is an "Optomap Camera" that takes a better digital retina photo without dilation - & without the risk."
He seemed irritated that I was aware of that because he didn't want to spend the money on that camera, when he gets the dilation drops for free from the drug company that makes them.
 
Bella said:
There is no "care" in healthcare. It's a business, we are commodities. I hate "managed" healthcare. They keep telling me what to do. When I call my doctor's office, I can only speak to a nurse. I haven't seen or spoken to my doctor since 2018. I haven't needed to see her for anything, and even if I did, I'd probably be shuffled to the nurse practitioner.

I've had the required blood tests for my meds but am now being told that it's required by my insurance company that I go to the office for a physical. In my mind, it's just a fishing expedition to try and drum up something that needs to be treated. I'm making an appointment because I have to, but I'm not happy about being forced into it. We're now dictated to even though we pay for alleged "healthcare". It's their way or no way. I wish it was the way it used to be when I could decide for myself when I needed to see a doctor.
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You have learned what many people don't want to believe.
I left my previous endocrinologist because she won't refill my Rx for insulin unless I see her every 3 months for tests. I told her, "That's ridiculous; diabetes is 99% managed by the patient. You're just trying to enhance revenue by holding my insulin hostage - a form of extortion."
 
win231 said:
You have learned what many people don't want to believe.
I left my previous endocrinologist because she won't refill my Rx for insulin unless I see her every 3 months for tests. I told her, "That's ridiculous; diabetes is 99% managed by the patient. You're just trying to enhance revenue by holding my insulin hostage - a form of extortion."
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BINGO! If you don't go to them, they can't cash in on you. So, they make you come in when there's really no need.
 
I think this Covid thing has had a negative impact on our entire "health care industry". We have a Granddaughter who is a pediatric nurse at a hospital, and over the past couple of years that facility has lost almost 20% of their staff. She used to have a fairly stable 40 hour week, but in recent months she is working 50 to 60 hours a week, and is on call to assist in many other departments. She says their hospital is turning into a real Zoo.
 
Bella said:
BINGO! If you don't go to them, they can't cash in on you. So, they make you come in when there's really no need.
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And the doctor isn't the only one who makes money. They send the blood & urine to a lab, then they do that "panel" on it. Sometimes they send the results to other labs & doctors for more billing.
At my diabetes diagnosis in the ER, after I paid the $3,000.00 for the hour visit, I received a "Paid" invoice. During that visit, I got one shot of insulin & a doctor stuck his head in the room & said, "You are diabetic." (I already knew that; my sister tested me with her meter earlier).
A week later, I started receiving more bills for $4,000.00 from medical facilities 100 miles away that I've never been to.
I phoned the hospital & asked why I was getting more bills.
Their explanation: "We sent your lab results to other doctors for evaluation, so you have to pay them, too."
I said, "That wasn't necessary & I didn't ask for additional evaluation, so YOU'LL have to pay them."
 
win231 said:
And the doctor isn't the only one who makes money. They send the blood & urine to a lab, then they do that "panel" on it. Sometimes they send the results to other labs & doctors for more billing.
At my diabetes diagnosis in the ER, after I paid the $3,000.00 for the hour visit, I received a "Paid" invoice. During that visit, I got one shot of insulin & a doctor stuck his head in the room & said, "You are diabetic." (I already knew that; my sister tested me with her meter earlier).
A week later, I started receiving more bills for $4,000.00 from medical facilities 100 miles away that I've never been to.
I phoned the hospital & asked why I was getting more bills.
Their explanation: "We sent your lab results to other doctors for evaluation, so you have to pay them, too."
I said, "That wasn't necessary & I didn't ask for additional evaluation, so YOU'LL have to pay them."
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Yeah, interesting how your tests ended up somewhere without your knowledge or consent, and that you had no idea where else they were going. The same thing happened to me when I had a test at the hospital that they analyzed and then sent that test to a lab that I'd never heard of without my knowledge, until I received a $2,600.00 bill! To say I was po'd is an understatement. What gives them the right to do that without at least telling you first?
 
I had outpatient laser surgery for a detached retina on my right eye. Total bill: $800. No side effects whatsoever.
 
win231 said:
And the doctor isn't the only one who makes money.
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That's why we have a "health care industry"....and the Primary goal of Any industry is to Make Money.

However, the costs can vary widely....depending upon what kind of health insurance you have. Earlier this year, I was having some heart troubles. The doctor had me wear a heart monitor for 3 days, then go to the hospital for a bunch of tests. In addition to the hospital, there was billing from 5 doctors, and the heart monitor lab. The total billed was well over $5000....but when I finally got a bill, it was only a bit over $200.
 
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That sign wouldn't wash down here, it was reported on the news last night that 75% of people going to ER leave because of the long wait.
I guess it's a catch 22 situation.
 

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