Why is Health Insurance So Expensive?

[Barefootsies]

Much like the baddog story, this is another example why you should take a more active role in your health:

I've had this on-going issue that the DR's have been trying to isolate for 5-10 years now between multiple DR's and in the end it came down to insisting on being referred to an allergist, and to find that it was acid reflux.

Before then, they thought it was chronic sinusitis, asthma, and any source of other issues going on giving me all kinds of pills, and trial and error that never seems to resolve anything much less effectively treat the symptoms. I would be they had me coming and going for at least 50-65 different appointments over the years with little forward progress.

I was having issues where my allergies and sinuses were really bad, I was getting sinus infections a couple of times a year, a chronic cough that never went away and what felt like mucus in the back of my throat I could never get rid of. After putting up with this all of my life in regards to sinus and allergies and some of these issues becoming worse where I would stop breathing in my sleep and it would feel that you're being choked, in the end we found it was acid reflux that was not properly treated.

They gave me some new pill to treat what was actually the ROOT CAUSE of these various issues, and almost all of them cleared up within 2-4 weeks. I could breath again, no more sinus bullshit like I was having, the problem where I would stop breathing (because my vocal chords seize up) stopped, and obviously you feel better.

In one DR's visit with a specialist where they take the 30-45 minutes to spend with you asking questions and checking you out properly, they get the problem resolved in the first visit. If DR's actually could/would take the time with their patients on every visit, you would not need 20 different $100.00 office visits every 4-6 weeks to resolve an ongoing issues. It's this sort of ineffective healthcare treatment that is helping to balloon the cost of insurance.

The last time I was in to see my normal DR before going to the specialist I said.... why can't you guys spend enough time with your patient the one time to effectively treat them in a single visit? Why do I have to make another appointment for prescription refills, and another for this or that. Why not just get it all done in a single visit. He told me point blank, because of the way insurance and healthcare is billed, they must break it up in a certain way to make sure they get paid for everything.

If you want to fix healthcare, that right there is a big part of it.

[kane]

Originally Posted by Barefootsies

Much like the baddog story, this is another example why you should take a more active role in your health:

I've had this on-going issue that the DR's have been trying to isolate for 5-10 years now between multiple DR's and in the end it came down to insisting on being referred to an allergist, and to find that it was acid reflux.

Before then, they thought it was chronic sinusitis, asthma, and any source of other issues going on giving me all kinds of pills, and trial and error that never seems to resolve anything much less effectively treat the symptoms. I would be they had me coming and going for at least 50-65 different appointments over the years with little forward progress.

I was having issues where my allergies and sinuses were really bad, I was getting sinus infections a couple of times a year, a chronic cough that never went away and what felt like mucus in the back of my throat I could never get rid of. After putting up with this all of my life in regards to sinus and allergies and some of these issues becoming worse where I would stop breathing in my sleep and it would feel that you're being choked, in the end we found it was acid reflux that was not properly treated.

They gave me some new pill to treat what was actually the ROOT CAUSE of these various issues, and almost all of them cleared up within 2-4 weeks. I could breath again, no more sinus bullshit like I was having, the problem where I would stop breathing (because my vocal chords seize up) stopped, and obviously you feel better.

In one DR's visit with a specialist where they take the 30-45 minutes to spend with you asking questions and checking you out properly, they get the problem resolved in the first visit. If DR's actually could/would take the time with their patients on every visit, you would not need 20 different $100.00 office visits every 4-6 weeks to resolve an ongoing issues. It's this sort of ineffective healthcare treatment that is helping to balloon the cost of insurance.

The last time I was in to see my normal DR before going to the specialist I said.... why can't you guys spend enough time with your patient the one time to effectively treat them in a single visit? Why do I have to make another appointment for prescription refills, and another for this or that. Why not just get it all done in a single visit. He told me point blank, because of the way insurance and healthcare is billed, they must break it up in a certain way to make sure they get paid for everything.

If you want to fix healthcare, that right there is a big part of it.

A few years back my mom had some serious health issues. When we took her to her primary doctor the doctor spent about 25 minutes with her then said point blank she would need to come back because they bill in 15 minute blocks and the insurance wouldn't pay for more than 2 consecutive blocks in one visit. She ended up, like you, having to get her problems handled over the course of three visits in a month instead of all at once. Pathetic.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by kane

A few years back my mom had some serious health issues. When we took her to her primary doctor the doctor spent about 25 minutes with her then said point blank she would need to come back because they bill in 15 minute blocks and the insurance wouldn't pay for more than 2 consecutive blocks in one visit. She ended up, like you, having to get her problems handled over the course of three visits in a month instead of all at once. Pathetic.

Yep.

What really pisses me off was that to see one of the better DR's in my practice, you will need to do an appointment every 4-6 weeks as that is the next opening. I am actually looking to switch as they have gotten so large now that I do not believe they care about the patients as well as they should.

That said, I shared my experience with others who have different DR's and they have had similar experiences with the exception of one. Everyone else basically goes through the same bullshit. Having to makes a $100.00 appointment to get refills, and can only be seen for one thing at a time per appointment. Meaning, those who work a standard 9-5, have to keep scheduling multiple appointments for multiple issues versus getting it all handled in a single 30-60 minute appointment.

This is completely ineffective to say the least, and obviously not in the best interested of the long term care of a patient and their needs. Worse, imagine how many people who have a regular job and limited days off just go, "fuck it", and then let an issue go to the point of ending up in the ER (obviously insanely more costly) or just do not treat the issue as they do not have the time off from work where a treatable issue gets to the point of becoming a bigger issue.

[johnnyloadproductions]

I could of just fixed your problem by sending you to the nearest convenience store.

[bronco67]

Originally Posted by johnnyloadproductions

I could of just fixed your problem by sending you to the nearest convenience store.

Tums works the second it hits your throat.

[johnnyloadproductions]

Originally Posted by bronco67

Tums works the second it hits your throat.

If you are in a pinch you can consume chalkboard chalk, Tums really isn't anything more than flavored calcium carbonate, I use markers for my whiteboard, so I need TUMS.

[johnnyloadproductions]

So a question to the Barefootsie, what's is tougher on you? You're self-inflicted demanding 18-hour days or some of your disorders like acid reflux?

[madeofmoney]

[johnnyloadproductions]

Alright, not to completely derail this thread.

Yes, I agree of the importance for specialists to know there stuff and not be held in the hands of the incompetent.

Back when I was 21 I got in a motocross accident and fractured my right radius. I received 2 scans, one from the ER and one from the doctor my work approved of.
The asian ER doctor pointed out initially what he thought I did then the x-rays proved him right.
The 2nd appointment I got new scans and the doctor said I might be able to heal up right with no surgery, just see how the cast sits.
The doctor leaves and without any supervision a hack female nurse puts a cast on me without completely straightening my arm. I was in so much pain but foolishly believed the nurse knew what she was doing.
Well, nearly a month wasted and they had to operate on me and rebreak my wrist.
When they took the pins and screws out of my arm they asked if I wanted to be put under, I told them to just take them out. The doctor took them out with a crescent wrench and pliers. I don't think they are always after money but you have bad procedures in place and bad things happen.
The injury set back a lot of things, as my job was a physical one at the time and cost me in both time and money.

[$5 submissions]

No interstate competition

Lots of government interference

Lots of waste

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by johnnyloadproductions

So a question to the Barefootsie, what's is tougher on you? You're self-inflicted demanding 18-hour days or some of your disorders like acid reflux?

In that context, being mindful of your diet has the biggest impact on your health.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by johnnyloadproductions

I could of just fixed your problem by sending you to the nearest convenience store.

Short term fix. Not a long term solution.

[mikesouth]

I have acid reflux 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in 4 oz of cold water does the trick for me.

That said Im with ya though I had an ear infection yrs ago that i couldnt get rid of, even different ents couldnt get rid of it. i found myself in Boston and a girlfriend suggested I go to the hospital there where they specialize in it...the doc did the same thing every one of the others did (vacuumed out the ear) BUT she gave me a scrip for eyedrops amnd told me to use them in my ear...a week later...all cleared up after over 6 months.

What i learned from that is after one failed visit to my doctor I see a specialist and not just any specialist i look for the one that the general consensus among other specialists is that she/he is the best.

when i had neurosurgery...that served me VERY well.

[georgeyw]

Our system is not as bad as yours, however it drives me bonkers having to pay a GP to get a referral to a specialist. It is like punching in a destination in your GPS but being told you have to go in the opposite direction and pay a toll before you can go to where you know and want to go!

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by mikesouth

That said Im with ya though I had an ear infection yrs ago that i couldnt get rid of, even different ents couldnt get rid of it. i found myself in Boston and a girlfriend suggested I go to the hospital there where they specialize in it...the doc did the same thing every one of the others did (vacuumed out the ear) BUT she gave me a scrip for eyedrops amnd told me to use them in my ear...a week later...all cleared up after over 6 months.

Same here. It seems acid reflux can cause your vocal cords to seize up in your sleep where it stops your breathing. Of course bad allergies and sleep apnea can also contribute to your air way, but that was not the SOURCE of most of my problems. The acid reflux coming back up the throat was basically causing most of my ongoing issues in allergies/sinus/stop breathing according to the DR. Once treated properly, all of those other 'serious' issues went away.

I can breath, smell, sleep fine with less sinus issues as well. The nasal drip, the gunk at the back of my throat, all gone. Needless to say you feel like a million bucks by comparison.

Originally Posted by mikesouth

What i learned from that is after one failed visit to my doctor I see a specialist and not just any specialist i look for the one that the general consensus among other specialists is that she/he is the best.

Agreed. Luckily BCBS offers multiple plans, and with one of them, you do not need a DR's referral to see specialists. You can just go yourself. Of course it's always nice to get a recommendation, but I am not held up waiting on a referral if I want to go see one to get a 2nd opinion or see a specialist now. I can just open up the phone book and go.

If you do not go see one, you find yourself bouncing around this $100.00 DR visit bullshit carousel where you never really find a solution to the problem. You just get a best guess and some pills thrown at it with a 4-6 week follow up for a year(s).

As mentioned previously, I went from supposed serious chronic conditions to little more to proper treatment of acid relux with the right DR who knows what he's doing. Throwing a few more bucks at a specialist for 1-2 office visits is much cheaper on the whole that 10-20 'guess-work' visits with the main DR.

[Grapesoda]

Originally Posted by Barefootsies

Much like the baddog story, this is another example why you should take a more active role in your health:

I've had this on-going issue that the DR's have been trying to isolate for 5-10 years now between multiple DR's and in the end it came down to insisting on being referred to an allergist, and to find that it was acid reflux.

Before then, they thought it was chronic sinusitis, asthma, and any source of other issues going on giving me all kinds of pills, and trial and error that never seems to resolve anything much less effectively treat the symptoms. I would be they had me coming and going for at least 50-65 different appointments over the years with little forward progress.

I was having issues where my allergies and sinuses were really bad, I was getting sinus infections a couple of times a year, a chronic cough that never went away and what felt like mucus in the back of my throat I could never get rid of. After putting up with this all of my life in regards to sinus and allergies and some of these issues becoming worse where I would stop breathing in my sleep and it would feel that you're being choked, in the end we found it was acid reflux that was not properly treated.

They gave me some new pill to treat what was actually the ROOT CAUSE of these various issues, and almost all of them cleared up within 2-4 weeks. I could breath again, no more sinus bullshit like I was having, the problem where I would stop breathing (because my vocal chords seize up) stopped, and obviously you feel better.

In one DR's visit with a specialist where they take the 30-45 minutes to spend with you asking questions and checking you out properly, they get the problem resolved in the first visit. If DR's actually could/would take the time with their patients on every visit, you would not need 20 different $100.00 office visits every 4-6 weeks to resolve an ongoing issues. It's this sort of ineffective healthcare treatment that is helping to balloon the cost of insurance.

The last time I was in to see my normal DR before going to the specialist I said.... why can't you guys spend enough time with your patient the one time to effectively treat them in a single visit? Why do I have to make another appointment for prescription refills, and another for this or that. Why not just get it all done in a single visit. He told me point blank, because of the way insurance and healthcare is billed, they must break it up in a certain way to make sure they get paid for everything.

If you want to fix healthcare, that right there is a big part of it.

I went to the emergency room last year with a high fever and heart mummer, on the advice of a dr I was seeing for a routine check up....... the emergency room doc took one look at me and said: you're allergic to the antibiotics.... 3 days later I was fine... then when I told another dr that the testosterone was improving my mood, my mental clarity, energy, no more joint pain, sleep better... that dr said stop the trt, we have pills for all of that ...

[escorpio]

I'm 50 and haven't seen a dr. in over a decade. I kick fucking ass.

[DWB]

If you have acid reflux, spend an hour learning about the pH level in your body and how to control it (alkaline foods). It will be the end of acid reflux. I used to have it a lot, learned about how to keep balanced, now anytime I feel it coming on (due to eating something bad like too much pizza), I know how to neutralize it immediately.

[johnnyloadproductions]

Originally Posted by escorpio

I'm 50 and haven't seen a dr. in over a decade. I kick fucking ass.

Careful though. My Grandma did the same thing, then 78 hit, she had a stroke behind the wheel and shit hit the fan. My Grandpa decided that because he didn't have anyone to take care of him anymore, he simply decided to stop eating and died. She lived in a nursing home for 10+ years and drained $400k+. Luckily they had a lot of farm land to lease out.

Originally Posted by DWB

If you have acid reflux, spend an hour learning about the pH level in your body and how to control it (alkaline foods). It will be the end of acid reflux. I used to have it a lot, learned about how to keep balanced, now anytime I feel it coming on (due to eating something bad like too much pizza), I know how to neutralize it immediately.

Good points DWB. I don't suffer from Acid Reflux, but I do love Jalapenos and if I go on a pepper binge I pay over the next 48-72 hours... it's like sitting on a fire.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by DWB

If you have acid reflux, spend an hour learning about the pH level in your body and how to control it (alkaline foods). It will be the end of acid reflux. I used to have it a lot, learned about how to keep balanced, now anytime I feel it coming on (due to eating something bad like too much pizza), I know how to neutralize it immediately.

Not just for acid reflux. If you take the time to learn about nutrition in general, you can also help with your allergies and other bullshit. They really should either teach this as a class when you're in school or offer a nutritionist as part of your healthcare coverage. While it will never happen, a decent diet really can do wonders for resolving a lot of common ailments. I am not talking about just eating healthy food instead of garbage, but the right kinds of fruits and vegetables, as well as what to keep out of your diet. It makes a world of difference.

[epitome]

Defensive medicine is sadly a very real part of it.

Some states got smart with tort reform, but it needs to become a nationwide thing. Doctors should not have to be afraid of a lawsuit in order to treat you or even go with their gut. They are professionals, after all.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by epitome

Some states got smart with tort reform, but it needs to become a nationwide thing. Doctors should not have to be afraid of a lawsuit in order to treat you or even go with their gut. They are professionals, after all.

Actually, it's not "smart" at all considering how most of the healthcare industry is structured.

A number of years back I would have the occasional episode where my heart would flip into v-fib typically requiring cardioversion to resolve it. Anyway, the first few times it happened, when I was sitting in the hospital while they tried their various drug cocktails before finally giving way to the cardioversion they almost injected me with the wrong stuff multiple times in different visits. Why? Because they have a number of these newbies, interns, whatever who are always in some level of training. If the lead DR/nurse would not have caught them before injection, it could have been very serious.

While that is one instance, there have been plenty of other times where they give me two medicines to treat something you should not be mixing together. As I have had this happen before where you have a bad reaction to some pills mixed, I am always careful to do the research before I take anything to prevent this. You would think a DR would know this, but often times myself or the pharmacist will catch it and need to inform the DR to get an alternative.

Keep in mind here, most of my issues are fairly non-serious, but think about people who have real serious health issues going on and if these sort of things happen at the hospital, DR's office, whatever.

Although I never really had a strong position one way or the other in regards to tort reform and if people are abusing the system, I can tell you in the last 10 years since I have had to used my healthcare more often, that I have come to believe that many (not all) of those lawsuits are most likely justified especially considering some of my own experiences with different hospitals, DR's, and various treatments to different issues.

While medicine is a science and not an absolute, if you fuck up you should have to pay for it as you're dealing with a person's life and last I checked, you only had one of them. It's the most precious gift you have in this world. Plan accordingly.

[kane]

Originally Posted by epitome

Defensive medicine is sadly a very real part of it.

Some states got smart with tort reform, but it needs to become a nationwide thing. Doctors should not have to be afraid of a lawsuit in order to treat you or even go with their gut. They are professionals, after all.

Tort reform is actually a pretty bad thing in many cases. Watch a documentary called Hot Coffee. It is mostly about the woman that won a million dollars for being burned by hot coffee she got at McDonald's (if you think hers was a frivolous lawsuit it will likely change your opinion), but it also covers other areas of how tort reform has hurt people.

Here is one example. A woman was pregnant with twins. Her doctor told her that the babies shared a placenta. Apparently with twins sometimes they share a placenta and sometimes they each have their own. If they have their own you can take your time with the birth. If they share one as soon as the first baby is out, the other needs to be coming because it is now lacking oxygen.

So, she goes into labor a few weeks early. Her doctor is out of town. She goes to the hospital where they do an ultrasound. They tell her not to worry and that both babies have their own placenta. Supposedly they had three people check it and they told her that her doctor likely didn't see them both which was common earlier in the pregnancy.

Well, they were wrong. She did only have one. So the first baby came out fine. The second one was deprived of oxygen for several minutes and suffered irreversible brain damage. The baby spent months in the hospital and will need hands on care for the rest of his life. The family had to get their house modified to fit his needs (wheelchair etc) and pay for nursing and around the clock care. Add in the huge cost of all of this that went above and beyond what the insurance was willing to pay (lifetime cap was breached).

They sued the hospital and won. They didn't ask for an obscene amount. They wanted their medical bills paid and came up with an average cost to care for the kid per year and multiplied it by the number of years most experts expect someone in his condition to live. They were awarded the amount they were asking for. Then the judge overturned it because a law in that state put caps on how much could be paid out for medical malpractice. They basically ended up with enough to pay the medical bills and fix their house and will have to pay out of pocket for his care.

The filmmakers make a strong case against tort reform. In a supposedly capitalistic system the courts are the only real way that any average citizen can punish companies who make products that hurt people or even kill people. Yes, there are frivolous lawsuits, but in many cases the tort reforms are driven by companies who want to be able to do whatever they want and only expose themselves to limited liability.

[Black All Through]

Health over here is a constitutional right, I don't know how you cope with all that bullshit in the US

[nico-t]

so how did you get rid of the acid reflux? I have it too, and I eat pretty healthy. Home cooked meals almost every day. Too much coffee though.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by nico-t

so how did you get rid of the acid reflux? I have it too, and I eat pretty healthy. Home cooked meals almost every day. Too much coffee though.

I initially was put on a pill called omeprazole for 60-90 days while we tweaked my diet, and adjusting some eating habits (like eating too close to bed time) and the times of day you eat things if you're going to eat them. After the first month, I stopped taking it daily and went to every other day, and then every 3 days. I do not like taking pills and the sooner could be off it the better.

Needless to say within the first month, the gunk in the back of my throat was gone along with the post nasal drip that had been there on and off for years causing me to constantly be coughing. My allergies and sinuses cleared up. No more choking in my sleep incidents. Plus I slept and felt better. All because of ONE visit to a specialist who could properly diagnose and treat the issue.

As explained above, you can see how completely inefficient our health system is and the costs associated with it.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by Grapesoda

I went to the emergency room last year with a high fever and heart mummer, on the advice of a dr I was seeing for a routine check up....... the emergency room doc took one look at me and said: you're allergic to the antibiotics.... 3 days later I was fine... then when I told another dr that the testosterone was improving my mood, my mental clarity, energy, no more joint pain, sleep better... that dr said stop the trt, we have pills for all of that

Right.

Just giving a doctor (or any profession) a blank check saying "they're a professional" so you take your hands off the wheel and assume they must always be right or never be questioned is fodder.

Maybe that's how some people choose to live their one life, but not for me. These guys are wrong, just like I have had lawyers be wrong, or a mechanic be wrong. All of which are professionals. I do not expect to live forever, but at the same time I want to get every day of life out of this body and make the most of my time on earth.

[bigluv]

Originally Posted by Barefootsies

I initially was put on a pill called omeprazole for 60-90 days while we tweaked my diet, and adjusting some eating habits (like eating too close to bed time) and the times of day you eat things if you're going to eat them. After the first month, I stopped taking it daily and went to every other day, and then every 3 days. I do not like taking pills and the sooner could be off it the better.

Needless to say within the first month, the gunk in the back of my throat was gone along with the post nasal drip that had been there on and off for years causing me to constantly be coughing. My allergies and sinuses cleared up. No more choking in my sleep incidents. Plus I slept and felt better. All because of ONE visit to a specialist who could properly diagnose and treat the issue.

As explained above, you can see how completely inefficient our health system is and the costs associated with it.

If you ask me the primary problems of health care relate to the fact that the feedback loop is broken. What I mean by that is, a bad Dr. has to be REALLY bad before they get sued and maybe have their license revoked. Whereas all the little mistakes they've been making their whole career never came back to them to teach them anything. Look at your own situation - you dealt with probably hundreds of individuals and none of them will ever get the feedback - hey you got this one wrong, this was the correct diagnosis, this was how it was treated successfully.

1) Increase patient outcome / patient opinion feedback to the doctor and to the public so that even if the Dr. doesn't care his pocketbook will when his patients dry up

2) Completely remove medical insurance and force clear billing so that patients now care about efficiency and outcomes

3) Completely remove government funding (ok, limit) and union involvement

I've seen so much waste and stupidity during a similar journey as yourself that it makes me sick. (heh) Closing the feedback loop enables there to be a darwinian improvement process whereas right now, there is no force acting to improve outcomes.

[bigluv]

Originally Posted by Barefootsies

I initially was put on a pill called omeprazole for 60-90 days while we tweaked my diet, and adjusting some eating habits (like eating too close to bed time) and the times of day you eat things if you're going to eat them. After the first month, I stopped taking it daily and went to every other day, and then every 3 days. I do not like taking pills and the sooner could be off it the better.

Needless to say within the first month, the gunk in the back of my throat was gone along with the post nasal drip that had been there on and off for years causing me to constantly be coughing. My allergies and sinuses cleared up. No more choking in my sleep incidents. Plus I slept and felt better. All because of ONE visit to a specialist who could properly diagnose and treat the issue.

As explained above, you can see how completely inefficient our health system is and the costs associated with it.

FYI, be careful with not taking the meds. Even if you are not feeling the symptoms, you may be experiencing GERD in your sleep or otherwise only happening a little in less noticeable ways, causing your esophagus to be burned and deteriorate, and this is a reasonably serious risk for cancer.

I'm curious what you found to be the adjustments that worked for you btw.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by bigluv

FYI, be careful with not taking the meds. Even if you are not feeling the symptoms, you may be experiencing GERD in your sleep or otherwise only happening a little in less noticeable ways, causing your esophagus to be burned and deteriorate, and this is a reasonably serious risk for cancer.

The DR said I should be tappering off them once you get your diet under control. You are not supposed to be taking them forever. They are a short term fix until you get the reflux under control with lifestyle changes. If you read the OTC they will tell you the same thing.

Originally Posted by bigluv

I'm curious what you found to be the adjustments that worked for you btw.

You stop eating chocolate, or at minimum 4-6 hours before bed time. Chocolate (among other things) relax the flap at the top of stomach that holds acid in. Chocolate also causes reflux so that's a double whammy.

Do not eat close to bed time. Drink only water so many hours before bed time. Do not eat big meals a minimum of 4 hour better at 6 hours before bed. Also, cut back on processed food as many of them have a ton of sodium. Sodium leads to reflux. No caffeine, soda, coffee, etc.. Stay out of smoke (like casinos). Elevate your head when sleeping, or get a special pillow for support.

I did most of what was recommended (that was applicable) and it obviously helped.

[RandyRandy]

Originally Posted by Black All Through

Health over here is a constitutional right, I don't know how you cope with all that bullshit in the US

The problem in the US is simple: healthcare is a business first and a service second. It starts with med school costs and continues with insurance and big pharma. In other countries it's a service first - and you can great care in "third-world" countries.

If I needed a heart transpant or brain surgery, I'd prefer to have it done in the US. Anything else I'm happy with in Colombia.

[icymelon]

my doctor spends plenty of time with me. never rushes me out. I recommend not going back to a doctor that doesn't do a good job. I get rushed out of a restaurant I also wouldn't go back.

[GAMEFINEST]

Dr's want more money, so insurance goes higher..

[PornoMonster]

It just got Cheaper... Check your Exchange!

LOL IDK, but everything says today 1st Oct is like the coming of Christ or something....

[Grapesoda]

Originally Posted by bigluv

If you ask me the primary problems of health care relate to the fact that the feedback loop is broken. What I mean by that is, a bad Dr. has to be REALLY bad before they get sued and maybe have their license revoked. Whereas all the little mistakes they've been making their whole career never came back to them to teach them anything. Look at your own situation - you dealt with probably hundreds of individuals and none of them will ever get the feedback - hey you got this one wrong, this was the correct diagnosis, this was how it was treated successfully.

1) Increase patient outcome / patient opinion feedback to the doctor and to the public so that even if the Dr. doesn't care his pocketbook will when his patients dry up

2) Completely remove medical insurance and force clear billing so that patients now care about efficiency and outcomes

3) Completely remove government funding (ok, limit) and union involvement

I've seen so much waste and stupidity during a similar journey as yourself that it makes me sick. (heh) Closing the feedback loop enables there to be a darwinian improvement process whereas right now, there is no force acting to improve outcomes.

you know what they call the student with the GPA that graduates from medical school?





Dr.

[Screwed Up]

Originally Posted by Barefootsies

I've had this on-going issue that the DR's have been trying to isolate for 5-10 years now between multiple DR's and in the end it came down to insisting on being referred to an allergist, and to find that it was acid reflux.

...

I was having issues where my allergies and sinuses were really bad, I was getting sinus infections a couple of times a year, a chronic cough that never went away and what felt like mucus in the back of my throat I could never get rid of. ...

Acid reflux has a lot to do with diet...

I cleared up my dust allergy and hay fever with spirulina (3g a day).
Not sure if it will help you, but won't hurt.

Originally Posted by mikesouth

That said Im with ya though I had an ear infection yrs ago that i couldnt get rid of, even different ents couldnt get rid of it. i found myself in Boston and a girlfriend suggested I go to the hospital there where they specialize in it...the doc did the same thing every one of the others did (vacuumed out the ear) BUT she gave me a scrip for eyedrops amnd told me to use them in my ear...a week later...all cleared up after over 6 months.

I got an ear infection last year. At first I thought I'd go away. But 3 days later it got to the point that I couldn't sleep well anymore.
I hate wasting time with doctor visits and such. So I googled. Found 3 different sources recommending the same medicine. Got it over the counter (I love South America). That's when I noticed they were actually eye drops.
Next day my ear infection was gone.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by Screwed Up

Acid reflux has a lot to do with diet...

True.

What was sort of weird about this round of acid reflux was that it was much different than I had in the past. I mean, the acid reflux I had a number of years ago was the traditional symptoms so you could easily treat it with OTC. However, this time around it was a bit more sneaky as it was giving me sinus infections and that crud in my throat, the vocal chords seizing up and such. I was thinking that was sleep apnea or alike, but it turned out that the root cause was the reflux. Once treated properly, all of those various ailments went away.

If anything, it was a lesson that reinforced that you insist on seeing a specialist if your primary DR can't get the shit right in a couple of visits. There is no need to spend years of pills and haphazard guesswork when a specialist can nail down the source of the problem in an office visit as they tend to spend a lot more time asking questions and doing the work to isolate the true source.

It's obviously a lot less time consuming and cheaper whether you have insurance or not.

[PR_Glen]

Originally Posted by Barefootsies

Short term fix. Not a long term solution.

exactly.. like using a water bottle to put out a forest fire, you are going to want to get to the source on something like that because it can cause real damage in the long run.

[bigluv]

Originally Posted by Barefootsies

The DR said I should be tappering off them once you get your diet under control. You are not supposed to be taking them forever. They are a short term fix until you get the reflux under control with lifestyle changes. If you read the OTC they will tell you the same thing.



You stop eating chocolate, or at minimum 4-6 hours before bed time. Chocolate (among other things) relax the flap at the top of stomach that holds acid in. Chocolate also causes reflux so that's a double whammy.

Do not eat close to bed time. Drink only water so many hours before bed time. Do not eat big meals a minimum of 4 hour better at 6 hours before bed. Also, cut back on processed food as many of them have a ton of sodium. Sodium leads to reflux. No caffeine, soda, coffee, etc.. Stay out of smoke (like casinos). Elevate your head when sleeping, or get a special pillow for support.

I did most of what was recommended (that was applicable) and it obviously helped.

I do most of that, and mostly have my symptoms under control without meds but my doctor wants me to stay on them "just in case" because I am supposedly a hyper-secreter. I did taper off though and just take tums sometimes, but his advice kept the risk in mind and hence I passed on the advice. I'm glad what you're doing is working for you.

[Screwed Up]

Originally Posted by Barefootsies

True.

What was sort of weird about this round of acid reflux was that it was much different than I had in the past. I mean, the acid reflux I had a number of years ago was the traditional symptoms so you could easily treat it with OTC. However, this time around it was a bit more sneaky as it was giving me sinus infections and that crud in my throat, the vocal chords seizing up and such. I was thinking that was sleep apnea or alike, but it turned out that the root cause was the reflux. Once treated properly, all of those various ailments went away.

If anything, it was a lesson that reinforced that you insist on seeing a specialist if your primary DR can't get the shit right in a couple of visits. There is no need to spend years of pills and haphazard guesswork when a specialist can nail down the source of the problem in an office visit as they tend to spend a lot more time asking questions and doing the work to isolate the true source.

It's obviously a lot less time consuming and cheaper whether you have insurance or not.

Yeah, those symptoms are weird for acid reflux. Anyway, glad to hear that you got it covered now.

I agree with the doctor thing.
Since 2-3yrs ago if I need a doctor I mostly spent a whole day looking up my symptoms online first. Because I get pissed off already knowing that it's going to be 3 visits and some tests that in the end weren't necessary.
Each time I did this, I didn't even need to go to the doctor anymore. Fixed it myself.

[Barry-xlovecam]

My time costs as much or more than the Doctor's visit charge (negotiated payment with my insurer) ...

Maybe, if they had to pay the difference to me they would be more prompt and accomplish more in a single visit

[xNetworx]

Just cruising through this thread

[AmeliaG]

Originally Posted by georgeyw

Our system is not as bad as yours, however it drives me bonkers having to pay a GP to get a referral to a specialist. It is like punching in a destination in your GPS but being told you have to go in the opposite direction and pay a toll before you can go to where you know and want to go!

I pay for healthcare with money, not insurance, so I just go to the doctors I am told are the best for whatever I or my loved ones need. If I want a 2nd opinion, I don't have to get anyone's opinion/approval either.

[adendreams]

PROFIT MOTIVE.







time to remove it....why the fuck are health CEOS getting paid millions per year based on the premise that more and more people will get sicker and sicker

[baddog]

Much like the baddog story except I would never consider going to a doctor for allergies and when I had acid reflux type symptoms at one point, I changed my diet for a few months and it went away forever.

Your story is exactly why I do not go to doctors. They don't call it practicing medicine for nothing.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by AmeliaG

I pay for healthcare with money, not insurance, so I just go to the doctors I am told are the best for whatever I or my loved ones need. If I want a 2nd opinion, I don't have to get anyone's opinion/approval either.

You're an all cash business.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by adendreams

PROFIT MOTIVE.

time to remove it....why the fuck are health CEOS getting paid millions per year based on the premise that more and more people will get sicker and sicker

There is some level of truth to this. Healthcare should not be a 'for profit' business.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by Barry-xlovecam

My time costs as much or more than the Doctor's visit charge (negotiated payment with my insurer) ...

Maybe, if they had to pay the difference to me they would be more prompt and accomplish more in a single visit

I agree with you wholeheartedly. Especially when you have to sit there 1-2 hours to get in because they are backed up. Or if you miss an appointment, they have the balls to send you a letter threatening to drop you because the doctor's time is valuable.

[OldJeff]

Why is Health Insurance So Expensive?


Because it is so easy to defraud the system, and it happens so often

[CDSmith]

Originally Posted by RandyRandy

If I needed a heart transpant or brain surgery, I'd prefer to have it done in the US. Anything else I'm happy with in Colombia.

There's a cardio-thorasic transplant unit in Edmonton, Canada, that is every bit as good as anything going on in the US. If I ever needed such a thing I'd go there.

And my bill afterwards would be $0.00