The Sister and I grew up in a medical family. Our grandfather was the town physician. Each patient he treated was a PERSON, an INDIVIDUAL! Our grandfather NEVER withheld medical care from a patient if s/he was unable to pay! Several months ago I made arrangements with the medical practice the Hubby and I have been using since 2001. The staff is aware that I lost my job last year and, due to our illustrious leader in DC, our medical insurance was canceled late last Spring when he tried, but failed, to overturn Obamacare. He may have unsuccessful but our insurance company dropped us like hot potatoes and informed the Hubby we could reapply for 2018. We didn’t…we chose a different insurance carrier. Be that as it may, I have come down with asthmatic bronchitis. You may ask how do I know? I’m not a physician. This is something I have suffered from since I was a small child. Three times it blossomed into something more and I’m in no mood for a repeat of pneumonia 10 years later! That bout lasted 5 months! I scheduled an appointment with my primary this morning. When I arrived, I was handed a stack of paperwork to complete. It seems the practice was taken over by a “business conglomerate.” It is now being run as a business proper. The individual aka the patient isn’t primary. The almighty dollar rules and if you don’t have the funds, you don’t receive medical care. Whereas in the past the practice billed me, today I was turned away at the door! No visit with my primary! I sent a message directly to my doctor through the practice’s SECOND version of an online medical portal regarding my current status and requesting assistance. Someone else read the note on her behalf, didn’t address my health and directed me to the THIRD iteration of the medical portal! There wasn’t a note waiting for me there…only copies of my previous exams and tests. I have a very healthy respect for the medical profession. Nurses are the unsung heroes! And, truth be told, these days they know as much…if not more..:than the physicians and are not given their due! The medical field, I believe has become too specialized. I understand the need for oncologists, cardiologists, pulmonologists…but we need to harken back to the time of the simple GP who practiced EVERYTHING medical 24/7/365 and had a staff that oversaw the internal workings of the practice while maintaining dignity and respect for the patients.
Just Me and My Thoughts 