I'm sick. Still. I know. I'm done with this bug.
Being sick is a reminder that I am still pretty darn helpless in life. I'm twenty-five, an adult by all standards. I even make a living by being the person in charge of many young people. But when it comes to some things in life, I am still a young, naive, child.
Issues with my car, insurance, and health always humble me. Today I was feeling really awful at school and broke down and decided to go to the doctor. Problem is, I don't have a family physician- student health had always been my major care provider. So I called offices on my provider list and NO one was taking new patients today. Apparently, unbeknownst to me, if you're a first time patient you can't just get a same day appointment. So after about three phone calls with kind rejections from receptionists I broke down. I felt like crap, I was picking people at random and no one would help me. Some teachers encouraged me to go to an urgent care center and while my students were watching a movie I snuck out to try and see a doctor. (Don't worry there was someone else there watching the children.)
After about thirty minutes of waiting I overheard another patient in the waiting room tell her husband over the phone that she'd been waiting for two hours because there was only one physician. Since I had a time I needed to be back I left and told the front desk I'd come back after school. Well, later today, another teacher informed me she'd gone to the same clinic and after insurance she'd been charged $130 for a simple cold. Is this legal? I feel like these urgent care centers are a total rip off. I did not go back and I'm going to try and schedule an appointment Monday if I'm still sick.
But isn't that why I pay for insurance? To cover these kinds of expenses? I was shocked when my dermatologist visit cost me $90 after insurance. Everyone tells me it's because I haven't met my deductable but I don't go to the doctor that often (thank goodness) so I wonder if I will ever "meet my deductible" I just hate this awful guessing game that always ends in a bill I'm not expecting. Is there some kind of manual that I can read or some questions I can be armed with so that I know up front exactly how much this thing's gonna cost me? I just hate playing the game. Does anyone else feel this way?
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2 comments:
I totally relate right now! I've had a toothache since Monday and instead of getting better it's gotten progressively worse. Scheduled an appointment with my dentist in Jeff for Monday morning but decided I wouldn't make it through the weekend so I started searching around today. Unfortunately, it was 4:30 on a Friday and according to all the dentist's I called you apparently should not have a toothache over the weekend! I searched and searched and couldn't find anyone to help me. I talked to one lady at about 4:50 finally and explained to her my situation and my severe pain and her response was, "Sorry we're about to close in 10 minutes." That's when I started to cry. I mean there is seriously no pain as great as that in your mouth. It's crazy. So I ended up going to Walgreens and getting some Oragel (which I think can get me through the weekend) but as soon as I read your post I knew exactly how you were feeling. It's always nice to know someone share's in your frustrations...is that weird?? Love you girl! Thanks for all you did at the shower. See you Sunday!
hmmm...sounds like we need some reform to our medical system...Obama????
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