🚀 go-pugleaf

alan@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov (Alan S. Mazer) writes:
| In article <tse.748728158@foolish>, Gary Tse <tse@apple.com> wrote:
| >She belongs to the Kaiser HMO in the Bay Area.  Last year, she had
| >some pain in her shoulder when she moves her arm about.  She set up
| >an appointment with her "personal" doctor at Kaiser Redwood City.
| >No problem, they tell her, we can give you an appointment 3 months
| >from now.  Fine, my mom said.
| That's one problem.  Your mom said "fine".  If it's serious, she needs to
| push it.

My mom isn't a doctor.  She isn't medically trained.  How should she
know it's serious?  That's what doctors are for.  (That something 
hurts is not in and of itself indicative of a serious and degenerative
condition.  She is at the age when pretty much everything hurts, more 
or less.)

| Now, I agree it shouldn't be that way.  But after fighting my way
| through (helped here and there by Kaiser people) to see a specialist, I was
| told (for better or worse -- just reporting, no flaming please) that the
| squeaky wheel (or patient) gets seen.  

I realize that.  But I have paid for my health insurance (well, my
company has).  I shouldn't have to fight the system (and the system
at Kaiser seems set up to discourage as much as possible a patient
seeing a doctor) every time I want to set up an appointment.  I don't
think it's unreasonable for me to expect prompt medical care when I
require it.  I guess maybe I am strange that way.

| My experience with that doctor was
| quite different from my experience with other Kaiser doctors.  He had time
| and he was interested in my problem.  

I have other friends who are well pleased by the care they have 
received from Kaiser.  But I expect from my health care provider
some reasonable base level of service that Kaiser seems incapable of
guaranteeing.

| But you have to be a pain.

That's exactly the problem.  

Why do I have to be a pain, to be the sqeaky wheel, to receive the
medical service that I have already paid for?  Why should I buy into
a system that is set up to deny me what I am paying for?

| >I switched my insurance carrier out of the Kaiser system after her
| >experience.
| Not a bad idea.  But from what I've seen (and heard) other HMOs aren't 
| better.  For every person who hates loves Cigna/CaliforniaCare/etc I 
| can find another who doesn't.  

I have become completely disenchanted with the HMO system.  I am now
under the health plan that allows me to visit any physician I choose. 
It's a bit pricier than the HMO or the preferred provider plans, but
I feel I am getting the best care.

| My point in all of this is "learn to work the system".  Be demanding.  

Why?  I don't think it's reasonable that I have to fight for the 
service I have already paid for.

| Or
| if you really find another system that works better, switch.  But I have 
| enough advantages with Kaiser (same day appointments, cheap prescriptions,
| weekend walk-in with 20 min wait max) that I'm hesitant to switch.

Absolutely.  Stick with it if you are happy with it.  You seem to
have found good doctors within the Kaiser system.  Congratulations.
Don't lose those doctors. 

I was not and am not happy with Kaiser.  So I am using another
health provider now. 

-- 
Gary Tse, tse@apple.com		T'have seen what I have seen, see what I see!	
(408) 862-5452