What is your weather like ... today

[sissy]

wish it was that easy .

 

[JohnHuff]

How would you abuse healthcare? Purposely not look after yourself?

I'm a retired from the health care profession, so let me count the ways...
Say you strain your left arm. Left arm pain, shoulder pain, maybe even a little chest pain from muscles. Doctor sees CHEST PAIN!!! Diff Dx heart attack!!! Dr. does 50 types of tests to rule out MI. It's free, right? Doctor pockets fees for doing tests, and oh, just found you strained your left arm but "needed" to be sure.

Also, say patient has heart attack 5 years later. Lawyers look into records. 5 years ago, he had left arm pain, and you did not do 50 tests? Lawsuit. Result, doing 50 tests is a necessity.

I deleted a bunch of stuff because it became a rant. I retired from the health care profession partly because of all the abuses I've seen from all aspects of the health care system and it sickened me. If a mechanic says you need a brake job when you don't really need one, it's just your car. If a professional says you need a surgical procedure when you don't need one, he's playing with your life. Of course, not everyone is like that.

But can you abuse healthcare? Ya, many, many, many ways.

 

[addy1]

Don't get me started, I worked in health care for 35 years. Trauma hospital, There is abuse by the docs and patients. As DRG's came into play there "appeared" to be some changes, since they would not get paid if they did tests/treatments not related to the admitting diagnosis.

I don't go to doctors for minor stuff, will if I feel it is serious enough would prob go ow won't. I do go for one annual lab test visit to keep track of my health that way. My first visit to my new md doc, he learned my thoughts on drugs, won't take 1-800-bad-meds....................... convince me I will die wo taking then might.

63 here........80 today
19 at home 26 today snow coming thursday

Mitch I don't have signature in my profile need the big bosses to fix this one...........

 

[jmajid]

balmy 60degF at 630am, expected to be this temp all day due to the rain we are supposed to get later on today.
Then a couple nights of mid low 30s and then from what i can glean from the extended forecasts, we get milder temps for a couple weeks! Spring arrives?

 

[MitchM]

...

Mitch I don't have signature in my profile need the big bosses to fix this one...........
View attachment 65976

What if you click on your personal details? Doesn't the signature option show up on the left hand column?

 

[MitchM]

I'm a retired from the health care profession, so let me count the ways...
Say you strain your left arm. Left arm pain, shoulder pain, maybe even a little chest pain from muscles. Doctor sees CHEST PAIN!!! Diff Dx heart attack!!! Dr. does 50 types of tests to rule out MI. It's free, right? Doctor pockets fees for doing tests, and oh, just found you strained your left arm but "needed" to be sure.....

I'm the same, retired from private medical care (dental). There are plenty of ways to game the system within a profit based medical business.
- but with our general medical system, doctors don't get paid for ordering tests. There is no incentive or disincentive, other than patient care.
- and I don't know anyone who thinks our system is free.

Anyways, what I'm getting at is even though we have higher prices for goods and services, I would gladly live with that so that I don't have to experience, or read about how an unfortunate accident bankrupts someone.
I would like the US to adopt the same system, albeit far from perfect, but I think there are too many large for-profit corporations that would make sure that never happened.

Also - I don't mind reading rants , I always learn something from them.

oops - and I think we only have a day or two more of this extra cold weather here. Then we're back to normal temperatures hovering around freezing. Looking forward to that!

.

 

[Big Lou]

Currently 34, feels like 26. 34/31 forecast. Severe weather alert.

 

[sissy]

says it is 32 and over cast .Not much of a breeze outside .

 

[JohnHuff]

34F/1C outside. Looks like all the snow has melted. Mostly.
I'll be going to the gym soon. Need to work off some Italian dinner from last night.

 

[addy1]

What if you click on your personal details? Doesn't the signature option show up on the left hand column?

It did not exist, Becky had to add it to my options, got it now!

 

[MitchM]

Good to hear!

.

 

[Big Lou]

Temp has gone down from 34 to 32. Cuurazy mann.

 

[j.w]

We are in the rain and 40f temps now. Here's a little laugh for you who are still in the freezer and addy who is enjoying the warmth of it all

 

[Big Lou]

So my Cathy uses her sick leave to take me to my medical appointments. Three last month, two tomorrow with a kind neighbor taking me to another near the end of the month. In March wifey has to take me out of town to a not easily found speicalist.

Her employer, our city, has been very understanding yet I feel ver guilty so I looked into the Federal Family Leave Program (FFLP). Reading its web site is easier to read than the IRS tax codes. LOL. When all is said the FFLP provides a caregiver 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a qualifying family member, i.e. me. That is 'after' she uses up all of her own sick leave and vacation. The best benefit of the FFLP is that it protects the employee from losing his or her job. Since Cathy has such a good employer HR has suggested she meets with her boss to insure she fully understands my condition and ongoing treatment. With this done the goal is negate the need for beaucratic paperwork needed for the FFLP. Her previous employer were not nice people and required us to prove everything all the time. That plus doctors dislike completing the extensive FFLP program. Not to mention the money we have to pay the doctor's for the administrative service.

Praying that all goes well with Cathy's upcoming meeting with her department manager.

In case you are wondering, we do not have public transportaion in our small 51k population city. There is one taxi service in our city, very limited and extremely unreliable. I have been left waiting before. Hired med appointment transportation averages about $100 per doctor appointment. That is if they show up. I was left at a doctors office once. The trans service choose to close early that day. I know people may not want to hear this or believe it yet taxi and med trans services discriminate. Since we are in the minority it is not difficult to figure out who gets left out in the cold. Discrimation complicates must be made in person to the county which is in Dallas. That, in itself requires much time and guarantees nothing.

 

[j.w]

Bummer Lou that you are having to go through all of this but glad Cathy has an understanding place of employment now