Health care in the US has gone down the toilet.

[Mike]

It can't be as bad as the health care in England,
the hospitals here cannot accommodate patients,
I don't know if it is shortage of staff, or of space,
I think that it is staff.
I know that there are many empty wards, yet they
are treating people in hospital corridors, taking
away any dignity that they have left.

These are public corridors, that the public use.

Mike.

 

[debodun]

And the crap gets deeper. I'm starting to see a pattern developing. Just yesterday, I broke my glasses. Grabbed my back up ones. Figured this was good timing as it was time for my yearly eye exam. Good news... my vision hasn't changed at all. So, I ask them to go ahead and make me another pair of glasses.

No can do is the reply. First, you must go to these referrals and have more tests done. If my vision hasn't changed, why can't you just get a second pair of glasses? Well, this led me on a search to find another eye glass place somewhere nearby. Well... surprise, surprise,every one of them is part of a system called "eyecare partners"... which just happens to belong to a... SURPRISE... private equity firm. Shit.......

Oh, the old "doctor-go-round".

 

[MarciKS]

And the crap gets deeper. I'm starting to see a pattern developing. Just yesterday, I broke my glasses. Grabbed my back up ones. Figured this was good timing as it was time for my yearly eye exam. Good news... my vision hasn't changed at all. So, I ask them to go ahead and make me another pair of glasses.

No can do is the reply. First, you must go to these referrals and have more tests done. If my vision hasn't changed, why can't you just get a second pair of glasses? Well, this led me on a search to find another eye glass place somewhere nearby. Well... surprise, surprise,every one of them is part of a system called "eyecare partners"... which just happens to belong to a... SURPRISE... private equity firm. Shit.......

I have not experienced this. That just sounds like another way of price gouging. The greed in this country is outrageous.

 

[MarciKS]

It can't be as bad as the health care in England,
the hospitals here cannot accommodate patients,
I don't know if it is shortage of staff, or of space,
I think that it is staff.
I know that there are many empty wards, yet they
are treating people in hospital corridors, taking
away any dignity that they have left.

These are public corridors, that the public use.

Mike.
View attachment 498554

It's a nursing shortage. I think it's everywhere. Most of it is cuz of covid.

 

[ChiroDoc]

Patients are the customer and sadly need to stand up for themselves or loved ones to get the service they need. Most will take people seriously when you do not just fall for the basic dismissal. escalation is OK.
Also, if you do have a bad experience they will not address make complaint to your insurance company or the state they are licensed in. .... They need to know.
Insurance companies credential doctors on a schedule and complaints can lead to DR unable to take that insurance.

Jenni, unfortunately (and sadly) the patient is no longer the client. In most cases today the "client" is in actual fact the insurance company or the government (Medicare, Medicaid, V.A., etc.). So hospitals and most private doctors do whatever those entities dictate, without regard as to what the patient wants or needs.

In many cases it's surprising how little the individual doctor makes per visit. That encourages the docs to see more patients quicker in a short amount of time in order to make overhead and profit. Hospitals make money by encouraging (or requiring) their staff to order expensive, and oftentimes unnecessary tests (e.g. colonoscopies) that are a big profit maker for the institution.

The only solution is to ban insurance or third party pay, which may not be possible. You'd see prices come down so fast that your head would spin. When people are paying with their own hard earned dollars they'd be far pickier about the treatment and recommendations that they'd accept.

I --and I'm sure many on this forum-- grew up before "health" insurance (really accident and sickness insurance) was common.
The truly needy were treated by religious or other charitable hospitals at low or no cost.

I'm going to leave it at that. The "health" treatment system in the U.S. is broken, and needs major changes.

 

[Jeni]

Jenni, unfortunately (and sadly) the patient is no longer the client. In most cases today the "client" is in actual fact the insurance company or the government (Medicare, Medicaid, V.A., etc.). So hospitals and most private doctors do whatever those entities dictate, without regard as to what the patient wants or needs.

In many cases it's surprising how little the individual doctor makes per visit. That encourages the docs to see more patients quicker in a short amount of time in order to make overhead and profit. Hospitals make money by encouraging (or requiring) their staff to order expensive, and oftentimes unnecessary tests (e.g. colonoscopies) that are a big profit maker for the institution.

The only solution is to ban insurance or third party pay, which may not be possible. You'd see prices come down so fast that your head would spin. When people are paying with their own hard earned dollars they'd be far pickier about the treatment and recommendations that they'd accept.

I --and I'm sure many on this forum-- grew up before "health" insurance (really accident and sickness insurance) was common.
The truly needy were treated by religious or other charitable hospitals at low or no cost.

I'm going to leave it at that. The "health" treatment system in the U.S. is broken, and needs major changes.

I have had better results in speaking up and not just doing what dr said especially if they were not listening..
There are big differences if you treat them as a partner instead of putting up with " that is the way things are" even if I had to speak up to insurance as well. many people simply do not advocate for themselves.

 

[OneEyedDiva]

Some time back, I mentioned how my dr had perscribed some meds to me, that when taken together, had the chance to put you in a coma or die. (something he wasn't even aware of). What a journey trying to find another dr. Seems to be plenty of incompetentance to go around. Example... Latest dr. Wife has been suffering with severe anxiety for several months now.

Dr visits, blood tests, we've done it all. Nothing... not a word... instead, they made her an appointment for a month from now. I can't get her to leave the house or property. How will I get her to a Dr? Today was the worst. (sitting in the dark and suffering involuntary twitching of her arms and legs. So, I call them and explain that it seems to be getting worse by the day and is there anyway to check what the latest blood test shows.

After the usual 3 different call transfers, and the usual "what's your insurance" bs, I finally get through to the Dr's assistant. Explain everything AGAIN and she say's they will get back to me today. Come in from picking up a delivery at my door and find a voice mail. "we understand that you're wife is concerned about you and we're checking your bloodwork now. Shit... I guess the search will go on.

Un-freakin'-believable SD! How frustrating to be in this situation while dealing with your wife's critical health issue. I hope she gets the care she needs from a qualified specialist very soon.