So yesterday I went to the doctor.

I am STILL in huge amounts of pain.

A bit of explanation first.

See I'm on medicaid. I had only bee in the workforce *Offically* 3 years when a back injury forced me to apply for disability so I cannot get normal social security and had to make due with SSI. And since me and my other half aren't legally married I can't be on his insurance so I'm stuck with medicaid.

There is a serious lack of doctors in my area that take medicaid now so I got assigned to a doctor in my town. Because of the same complaints I have with this one is why I needed to change doctors in the first place.

well this one just happens to be in with the local clinic also.

So my appointment is at 4:30 pm.

I get there ate 4:15 sign in the sheet on the counter and sit.

Cause of course if your 15 min late YOU STILL have to pay for the appointment of course.

at 6:30 I finally get called in for the nurse to do her thing. You know weight blood pressure etc.

at 6:50 the doc finally shows up. Now I don't mind that I seem to see a different doc every time I visit. I also don't mind that the one I saw was a foreigner with a heavy accent and I had to ask her to repeat things. I'm deaf in one ear and she was soft spoken.

What I do mind is I just waited 2 hours in uncomfortable chairs with screaming kids to get into the exam room and she totally ignores the 2 most important complaints I had and spent the whole 10 minutes going on about my blood pressure being up.

*Rolls eyes* :omg:

finding out the last doc I saw there DID NOT do a damn thing about my referral for the band. Or call in the perscription for my humidifier for my CPAP. And this one wasn't either. Really pissed me off. I want the band, I want to lose weight. The last doc I saw thought it was a fab idea and said I should go for it. But medicaid requires that any specialist I see must have a referral from the Primary physican. :angry*scream*

Every doctor I have seen for the last 2 years seems to ignore every major concern I have regarding my back pain, my sleep apnea, and getting the lap band.

Now if my blood pressure is up or If I haven't been religious on keeping my diabetes under control I get scolded. They are always eager to scribble out another medication on the perscription pad as long as it's never pain medication.

I told her the back pain and combo of my left foot now going numb has seriously effecting my mobility now and all she could/would do is chew me out about my blood pressure. :faint:

So I'm not sure what to do. I made another appointment in 2 weeks where I wont need perscription refills to take up the whole appointment to hopefully address this whole thing. But with my luck I'll get yet another new doctor who won't give a darn. And I can't afford to to go 50+ miles away to find another doc outside my area.

as for the band I did go to the website of the hospital I wanted to have it done at and submitted a application of sorts 5 weeks ago and haven't heard anything probably cause I am on medicaid. So I guess I will give them a call tomorrow. Then I'm gonna call my medicaid rep and see what needs to be done and if she can help me out to get things going.

And I have totally changed the familys diet. Cutting out white carbs and seriously increasing veggies and healthier choices. But I still was up a few pounds from 2 months ago. But my legs are swollen pretty bad right now too.

...and to think, some people think socialized medicine is a good thing. I think everyone who wants socialized medicine should read your post, because Medicaid is the closest thing we have to it now, and the system is not very optimal.

I am sorry that you go through this when you visit your doctor. However, the whole point of a PCP is that you see ONE particular person. I know for a fact that folks with Medicaid in Maryland have their very own Doctor. They see the same person every time they go to the Dr. unless they change it. The system isn't great everywhere, but this isn't the norm. One or two bad situations doesn't make the system flawed. I would like to add that a long wait isn't a GOOD enough reason to not want Universal Health Care for all. Also, you have to use the program you are on, it is up to you to follow through with your Dr. and his office to see if your request were taken care of-mentioning it doesn't mean that he/she will remember( make sure everything is done before you leave the exam room). And a lot of Doctors have heavy accents, not just Medicaid doctors.

I am sorry that you go through this when you visit your doctor. However, the whole point of a PCP is that you see ONE particular person. I know for a fact that folks with Medicaid in Maryland have their very own Doctor. They see the same person every time they go to the Dr. unless they change it. The system isn't great everywhere, but this isn't the norm. One or two bad situations doesn't make the system flawed.

I am supposed to have one PCP but finding one taking patients in this area is becoming impossible. More and more doctors refuse to take Medicaid because it sometimes takes a year to get paid from them. And this isn’t one or two situations either. This is been over 5+ years with 6 different doctors. I live a 45 minute drive away from the edge of the capitol city of my state. This is NOT the boonies by any means. GM's major auto plants went under and this whole area is dying.

I would like to add that a long wait isn't a GOOD enough reason to not want Universal Health Care for all.

I never said anything about universal healthcare. I'm all for that. At least in a universal healthcare system the doctor’s office, wouldn't triple book appointments constantly.

(and yes my office does this AND takes walk ins I was told by the secretary they triple book ALL appointments so if even half the people show they can get 3-4 hours behind) In universal healthcare this wouldn’t be an issue because they would be getting a fixed salary. And in some countries get paid BETTER for being proactive and solving problems early.

My time is valuable also and I don’t see any $$ from the doctor being 3 hours late.

Also, you have to use the program you are on, it is up to you to follow through with your Dr. and his office to see if your request were taken care of-mentioning it doesn't mean that he/she will remember( make sure everything is done before you leave the exam room).

And follow up in a normal manner is not possible with this group. As If you call the office you get a complex automated answering system that makes it VERY clear they do NOT do any kind of phone business with patients AT ALL. Except make/cancel appointments. Make an appointment. If you have a prescription problem they will only deal with the pharmacy direct. And even then your lucky If the pharmacy gets any where. My pharmacist has had to repeatedly call them for 3-4 days in a row to get prescription mess ups fixed on more then one occasion. Anyhow I can't remember exactly how many times I've had the doc get up and walk out saying they would be right back and not come back. Or flat out tell me that they don’t WANT to deal with that right now. I have even gone as far as printing out a list of things so that it wouldn’t get overlooked.

And a lot of Doctors have heavy accents, not just Medicaid doctors.

I never said it was only Medicaid doctors. And actually this isn't even remotely part of the issue.

I got annoyed with having to ask her to speak up and repeat stuff. Not because of the accent because she spoke at a near whisper. She seemed well educated and friendly and that’s what matters to me.

I suspect that the reason I haven't heard back on my application/questionnaire for the lap band is ALSO because I'm on Medicaid. I bet if I had normal insurance or was self pay they have gotten back with me in a week or less.

Now my kids..TOTALLY different office different story. They have had the same doctor for 13 years now. Since we moved here. And I have NEVER had to wait more then 20 minutes in that office. The staff there is super competent, and timely on more then just appointments. My son (who’s 19 now) had a major problem when he about 11. Vision blackouts and major headaches started suddenly over a weekend. So on Monday I called they got him in as soon as we could drive it. The doc spent well over 45 minutes checking him out and quizzing us about it. Sent us immediately over to hospital for a CAT & MRI and had the results before 4pm that day and had my son scheduled for surgery the NEXT day. With a specialist.

Then called me back personally at 9pm that evening to check on him and to make sure he had nothing to eat or drink except the liquid pain medicine he had prescribed. Then showed up after the surgery that evening around 6pm because he was worried and wanted to check on him himself. They had to open him up behind his ear and remove an infection that had grown into a solid mass and had started to spread into the bone of his skull.

This Medicaid doctor is in a similar set up the pediatrician and 2 practical nurses run the children’s clinic here. You can call and get same day appointments for sickness. You can call and talk to them over matters if needed. They do referrals and such quickly and timely. Often making the appointments for you themselves then calling you and telling you where/when to be.

Heck the 1 of the practical nurses and one nurse even run the office solo on Wednesdays when they are technically closed to handle things.

So I know that they aren't all totally mismanaged. And probably aren't this way in other areas. But they are here. Well least the adult ones are. And that’s what ticks me off the most. I don't expect an adult’s doctor’s office to go to the same extents as children’s but they should at least be competent in what they do.

I am supposed to have one PCP but finding one taking patients in this area is becoming impossible. More and more doctors refuse to take Medicaid because it sometimes takes a year to get paid from them. And this isn’t one or two situations either. This is been over 5+ years with 6 different doctors. I live a 45 minute drive away from the edge of the capitol city of my state. This is NOT the boonies by any means. GM's major auto plants went under and this whole area is dying.

I never said anything about universal healthcare. I'm all for that. At least in a universal healthcare system the doctor’s office, wouldn't triple book appointments constantly.

(and yes my office does this AND takes walk ins I was told by the secretary they triple book ALL appointments so if even half the people show they can get 3-4 hours behind) In universal healthcare this wouldn’t be an issue because they would be getting a fixed salary. And in some countries get paid BETTER for being proactive and solving problems early.

My time is valuable also and I don’t see any $$ from the doctor being 3 hours late.

And follow up in a normal manner is not possible with this group. As If you call the office you get a complex automated answering system that makes it VERY clear they do NOT do any kind of phone business with patients AT ALL. Except make/cancel appointments. Make an appointment. If you have a prescription problem they will only deal with the pharmacy direct. And even then your lucky If the pharmacy gets any where. My pharmacist has had to repeatedly call them for 3-4 days in a row to get prescription mess ups fixed on more then one occasion. Anyhow I can't remember exactly how many times I've had the doc get up and walk out saying they would be right back and not come back. Or flat out tell me that they don’t WANT to deal with that right now. I have even gone as far as printing out a list of things so that it wouldn’t get overlooked.

I never said it was only Medicaid doctors. And actually this isn't even remotely part of the issue.

I got annoyed with having to ask her to speak up and repeat stuff. Not because of the accent because she spoke at a near whisper. She seemed well educated and friendly and that’s what matters to me.

I suspect that the reason I haven't heard back on my application/questionnaire for the lap band is ALSO because I'm on Medicaid. I bet if I had normal insurance or was self pay they have gotten back with me in a week or less.

Now my kids..TOTALLY different office different story. They have had the same doctor for 13 years now. Since we moved here. And I have NEVER had to wait more then 20 minutes in that office. The staff there is super competent, and timely on more then just appointments. My son (who’s 19 now) had a major problem when he about 11. Vision blackouts and major headaches started suddenly over a weekend. So on Monday I called they got him in as soon as we could drive it. The doc spent well over 45 minutes checking him out and quizzing us about it. Sent us immediately over to hospital for a CAT & MRI and had the results before 4pm that day and had my son scheduled for surgery the NEXT day. With a specialist.

Then called me back personally at 9pm that evening to check on him and to make sure he had nothing to eat or drink except the liquid pain medicine he had prescribed. Then showed up after the surgery that evening around 6pm because he was worried and wanted to check on him himself. They had to open him up behind his ear and remove an infection that had grown into a solid mass and had started to spread into the bone of his skull.

This Medicaid doctor is in a similar set up the pediatrician and 2 practical nurses run the children’s clinic here. You can call and get same day appointments for sickness. You can call and talk to them over matters if needed. They do referrals and such quickly and timely. Often making the appointments for you themselves then calling you and telling you where/when to be.

Heck the 1 of the practical nurses and one nurse even run the office solo on Wednesdays when they are technically closed to handle things.

So I know that they aren't all totally mismanaged. And probably aren't this way in other areas. But they are here. Well least the adult ones are. And that’s what ticks me off the most. I don't expect an adult’s doctor’s office to go to the same extents as children’s but they should at least be competent in what they do.

I don't know which Medicaid insurance you have, but surely they have something/someone that will treat you better than what you are getting now. No one deserves this type of treatment. Call your Medicaid insurer and see what else they have. In the meantime, make a fuss...COMPLAIN! I have family members who are Dr.s and I know first hand that no matter what you should be their ONLY priority when they are in that room. For them to do this to a pharmacy is just ridiculous. I am so sorry..I guess it is better in other states.

The comment about Universal Health Care wasn't to you.

I put a call into my medicaid representative this morning. Will see now how long it takes to even get to talk to her. Its just sad that this has been a problem with more then one office in my area.

It also makes me wonder how many people are suffering when they have the program that is supposed to be help that is ineffective.

I love the idea of universal health care since then everyone is considered equal and should receive the same treatment. But I cannot see it ever happening in my lifetime.

To much greed behind our current system, and not enough genuine concern for peoples health.