This is not nor will ever, I hope, be a political blog. I do have to rant a little about healthcare. Living on the Oregon Coast leaves us some pretty poor healthcare options. Seem a lot of doctors don't want to make less money in this generally poor coastal community. So you get some "surfer dude" doctors and what not. I could detail past problems with the hospitals and doctors here, but let's just say that if you get really sick you are headed for Portland.
I lost my primary care physician last year due to her move to the hospital side. I was devastated. She was from Romania, cute, young, and loved Las Vegas. It took me 2 months to get an "initial evaluation" exam from a new doctor (no choices here, only one available). I recognize him from a few years ago when I was admitted to the hospital for chest pain. Turned out moving a bunch of 2 man rocks by myself will pull some chest muscles. He came by my room late at night and made a very dumb ass insulting comment which I have never forgotten, or forgiven as it seems. So, I made the decision to set up another "initial evaluation" exam with another doctor in another farther away hospital. Only got a nurse practitioner but beggars cannot be choosers.
As a Medicare recipient I pay for a Medicare Advantage policy. Prior to the Affordable Care Act, I was happily receiving treatment in Portland at Kaiser Permanente. Great hospital, great doctors, happy, happy. Now, they are out of their coverage zone for me. I unhappily went with Providence healthcare and was reasonably satisfied with them although they were a bit expensive. Last year was notified that they were pulling out of the Oregon coast. I researched available insurers through the .Gov website, eventually talking to a representative who informed me that my only option here is Moda health. The good news? The premiums are super cheap, and as it turns out, so is the coverage.
They are in deep trouble, with the state having to bail them out to the tune of $400 million or so. It won't be long now until they either collapse or substantially increase rates.
I am fortunate to enjoy very good health for a man my age. Credit that to good genes, healthy living, luck or whatever. So, this week came down with the killer cold running around the county. In bed for 2 days then massive cough. Since childhood, when this happens the cough lingers and is a pain for me so I hauled my sick ass up to Warrenton to the urgent care clinic for industrial strength cough syrup. I brought a nearly empty bottle from a few years ago to show what worked for me. After a long wait in the exam room (what happened to the "urgent" in urgent care?), the NP saw me, and wrote a prescription for the same stuff. Due to the many meth heads and sundry drug abusers today, I was given a written prescription to hand carry to the pharmacy of my choice. The condescending and rude folks at Safeway looked at it and informed me that they did not stock it, nor could they order it. Industrial Strength Indeed!!! I went next door to the nicer guys at Rite Aid who checked and said they did not stock nor could order this class 2 narcotic. They recommended the hospital conveniently located a few blocks away. Off I went. There, they told me they were out of stock but could order it and get it tomorrow. Whatever. Upon further checking found they could not order at all. The recommendation was to get a new prescription for a different drug. So, I called the clinic, they told me to pick it up after 1:30. Fine, a 20 mile trip back. Went home, had lunch. Then drove back at 1:30.
After waiting a while, they came to tell me that for some reason my insurance would not cover the prescription. Evidently the presence of codeine makes it a "comfort" drug or something. I asked the cost, they checked, around $20. Fine, who cares? Just get me my damned cough medicine. The order turned out to be about twice the available supply at Rite Aid. I asked how much it would be, $34 for the full order. How much for half the order I innocently asked. $21. Hmm, I am no math expert but seemingly I am being penalized for their lack of inventory. Oh well, just give me the damn half order he said (speaking in the third person due to spending the entire day chasing this order while sick as a dog).
So, left the house at 8:30 a.m. and returned after 3:00 having driven almost 90 miles on this simple task. At least I can sleep now. Wrong, this stuff no way works like the old stuff. WTF!!!!! Is our health care system collapsing? Yep. Just like my lungs.
I lost my primary care physician last year due to her move to the hospital side. I was devastated. She was from Romania, cute, young, and loved Las Vegas. It took me 2 months to get an "initial evaluation" exam from a new doctor (no choices here, only one available). I recognize him from a few years ago when I was admitted to the hospital for chest pain. Turned out moving a bunch of 2 man rocks by myself will pull some chest muscles. He came by my room late at night and made a very dumb ass insulting comment which I have never forgotten, or forgiven as it seems. So, I made the decision to set up another "initial evaluation" exam with another doctor in another farther away hospital. Only got a nurse practitioner but beggars cannot be choosers.
As a Medicare recipient I pay for a Medicare Advantage policy. Prior to the Affordable Care Act, I was happily receiving treatment in Portland at Kaiser Permanente. Great hospital, great doctors, happy, happy. Now, they are out of their coverage zone for me. I unhappily went with Providence healthcare and was reasonably satisfied with them although they were a bit expensive. Last year was notified that they were pulling out of the Oregon coast. I researched available insurers through the .Gov website, eventually talking to a representative who informed me that my only option here is Moda health. The good news? The premiums are super cheap, and as it turns out, so is the coverage.
They are in deep trouble, with the state having to bail them out to the tune of $400 million or so. It won't be long now until they either collapse or substantially increase rates.
I am fortunate to enjoy very good health for a man my age. Credit that to good genes, healthy living, luck or whatever. So, this week came down with the killer cold running around the county. In bed for 2 days then massive cough. Since childhood, when this happens the cough lingers and is a pain for me so I hauled my sick ass up to Warrenton to the urgent care clinic for industrial strength cough syrup. I brought a nearly empty bottle from a few years ago to show what worked for me. After a long wait in the exam room (what happened to the "urgent" in urgent care?), the NP saw me, and wrote a prescription for the same stuff. Due to the many meth heads and sundry drug abusers today, I was given a written prescription to hand carry to the pharmacy of my choice. The condescending and rude folks at Safeway looked at it and informed me that they did not stock it, nor could they order it. Industrial Strength Indeed!!! I went next door to the nicer guys at Rite Aid who checked and said they did not stock nor could order this class 2 narcotic. They recommended the hospital conveniently located a few blocks away. Off I went. There, they told me they were out of stock but could order it and get it tomorrow. Whatever. Upon further checking found they could not order at all. The recommendation was to get a new prescription for a different drug. So, I called the clinic, they told me to pick it up after 1:30. Fine, a 20 mile trip back. Went home, had lunch. Then drove back at 1:30.
After waiting a while, they came to tell me that for some reason my insurance would not cover the prescription. Evidently the presence of codeine makes it a "comfort" drug or something. I asked the cost, they checked, around $20. Fine, who cares? Just get me my damned cough medicine. The order turned out to be about twice the available supply at Rite Aid. I asked how much it would be, $34 for the full order. How much for half the order I innocently asked. $21. Hmm, I am no math expert but seemingly I am being penalized for their lack of inventory. Oh well, just give me the damn half order he said (speaking in the third person due to spending the entire day chasing this order while sick as a dog).
So, left the house at 8:30 a.m. and returned after 3:00 having driven almost 90 miles on this simple task. At least I can sleep now. Wrong, this stuff no way works like the old stuff. WTF!!!!! Is our health care system collapsing? Yep. Just like my lungs.
3 comments:
Sorry Phil and hope you feel better soon. But I have to agree our health system is "broken". Also the pendulum has swung way to the conservative side on pain and narcotic containing medicines thanks to people who have abused them. I will put a plug in for AARP United Healthcare as a good insurance company coasties. You can see any dr and cost is with good coverage.
Wow that's an amazing waste of your time. I'm sorry you had to deal with all of that. I agree that the healthcare system is definitely flawed, but a lot of the problem in your area seems to do with the size of the town/area you live in. However, on the other hand, you shouldn't be penalized simply because you choose to live in the most beautiful place on earth. What a racket. You should look into the AARP outfit that Mike wrote about. Couldn't hurt to check it out. Good luck!
Think I tried to use them but couldn't. Will look into again. Thanks.
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