Posted on 02/14/2013 4:42:57 PM PST by ropin71
Central NJ- My significant other bashed her hand this morning, it swelled bad and lots of pain. Went to work and it got worse, so went to the urgent care facility for an x-ray. She works for J&J and has very good insurance. When she arrived, she asked if they were able to x-ray on site, and was told yes. After filling out many pages of forms and handing over a $20 co-pay, she was taken to a room where a 'nurse' incorrectly attempted to take her blood pressure several times, tried taking her pulse with her thumb instead of first two fingers, and then was told the Dr. would be in shortly. Her chart was in the room for the Dr. to review.
Older Dr. comes in and attempts to shake the hand that is injured. When he was told this was the hand she injured, he just stood looking at her awkwardly. Dr. never looked at the chart, and when she held out her swollen hand to show him, he began squeezing it, enough to make her cry, and said, I don't think its broken. When she said she would like an x-ray, and that she has been on Coumadin for some time, as she noted in her chart, he asked her if she would like some Extra strength Motrin for the pain. Of course she can't take Motrin due to blood issues, and reminded him, and he seemed confused, asking questions, instead of even looking at the chart
Next, he hands her an ace bandage, and says, here, in case you need it, and begins writing a prescription for an x-ray. When my gf asks him why he is writing a script for something can be done there, he replied, "you have private insurance, we can only x-ray here for people who don't have private insurance, or the indigent". Says she will have to go down the road to the imaging center for the x-ray, and he will have to call her with the results as soon as a radiologist could read it.
She arrives at the imaging center, and is asked by the gum chewing, 3 inch nailed receptionist (in a room full of non English speaking patients waiting)if she is in network or out of network. When she replies that she has a prescription, what difference does it make? she is told if you have private insurance, it will be $100 cash or check only for the x-ray. Of course she doesn't carry $100 cash with her, and pays most bills electronically, and the receptionist was kind enough to point her in the direction of the nearest bank.
She left, quite shocked, and never did get the x-ray. I'm a little disturbed by this myself. Can somebody tell me (other than the obvious) what the heck happened?
You got a glimpse of the transformed America Obama has been crowing about.
This much I can tell you: that was my dad (but he's retired, now).
Get used to it.
I grew up in a place where this was the norm; I experienced it when I broke my arm and my dad had to take me on multiple bus rides until the ‘right’ place could mend it.
Problem was that we didn’t have a ‘poor card’ you see.
As another post said, let us all get used to it.
You have a script. Go to an emergency room. With a script they can’t turn her away.
did your dad tell you to rub some dirt in it, or to walk it off?
Don’t go to urgent care for anything serious, just don’t.
I’ve only gone a few times and every time they misdiagnosed and mis-treated.
He drove me to his hospital, where one of his ortho buddies set my cast in the doctor’s lounge.
In the era of Baraq, it’s going to be very important to secure/maintain personal relationships with competent doctors. This is your best hope for any reasonable level of medical care.
Situations like you describe will become the “new normal” but there will be, at least for a few more years, workarounds.
Let me guess— You’re white, have health insurance and are legal citizens? Three strikes you’re out!
Doc-in-a-box just plain sucks.
Because they didn’t want the nuns to see . . . they would’ve wanted money.
That “nurse” using her thumb to check the pulse should have been the cue to get out of there. The clinic sounds like a place set up to bill medicare exclusively ... to the hilt.
I live in an area with a large population where there is a medical system with multiple hospitals and an urgent care center. The level of competence is different in each one. I would suggest that you try the emergency room next time. It may cost more money, but the level of care will be better. Always go to a main hospital or one that is a major trauma center if you can. You don’t need to have major trauma to go there, but the care is likely to be better.
It sounds like you might have had a close encounter with some of SEIU’s finest.
Her insurance may have a co-pay that equated to $100. The rest of the story: Gross Incompetence. Not typical, either.
I ALWAYS take charge of my medical care. I never sit there like a bump on a log waiting for a script to be written.
wow
How scary! Maybe you live in the wrong state? Lots of good care here in MN. I hope your wife gets an x-ray and competent care!
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