The high cost of health care

So many times I hear medical professionals rant about how the evil insurance industry and the evil legal profession raise the cost of health care, but the doctors take no blame for the high costs themselves when they greatly contribute to it. Case in point:

I haven't been blogging much because I had a ruptured disc. I went to my primary car physician's office around December 8 because of lower back pain that was cramping my muscles and running down my left leg (all classic signs,as I found out much later, of a herniated disc at L4-L5 and L5-S1). Since this muscle spasm (as I had been diagnosed), had been going on for a while, my primary care physician sent me to a physiatrist, supposedly the best around. For those who don't know, physiatrists are supposedly "rehabilitation physicians,... medical doctors who are:
Experts at diagnosing and treating pain
Restore maximum function lost through injury, illness or disabling conditions
Treat the whole person, not just the problem area
Lead a team of medical professionals
Provide non-surgical treatments
Explain your medical problems and treatment plan
Work not only on treatment but also prevention"
At least according to the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. http://www.aapmr.org/condtreat/what.htm

While being examined by this doctor, I had to listen to him go on and on about the book he was writing - perhaps if he paid more attention to my examination rather than his book writing, he would have noticed my drop toe - also a sign of the L-5 S-1 nerve being impinged as I later found out. Nope, he just sent me on my way for physical therapy without ordering an MRI.

During my second physical therapy session, the therapist noticed the dropped toe and was in a panic trying to reach said physiatrist (it was a Saturday). She knew it was a bad sign. My husband had to wait for over 4 hours to receive a prescription from said physiatrist. December 15, I was supposed to go for my third physical therapy session, but I had to call the office to tell them that I could not move - my back and legs had totally locked up. The nurse/receptionist said she could hear the pain in my voice and while the doctor was presently with someone, she would get him as soon as possible and get me some relief. Would you believe I never heard back from that doctor's office that day? I ended up spending 5 hours in the emergency room of the hospital that night in excruciating pain because this physiatrist, as I later found out, instead of calling me back or giving a nurse a prescription, left prescriptions for me on a nurse's desk after closing hours and everyone had gone home for the evening.

Meanwhile, I received my EOB (explanation of benefits) yesterday, and the hospital charged $1,201.00 for my visit in which a physician's assistant examined me, they took my temperature, they took a blood test and they gave me valium and percocet and the prescriptions my physiatrist should have given me. The hospital too, failed to perform an MRI, relying upo the physiatrist's treatment of me. So, because this physiatrist couldn't be bothered to get back to me, he cost me a full day of excruciating pain, loss of a day of work (as a consultant, I only get paid when I work) and cost the medical system $1,201.00 in unnecessary emergency room costs.

When I called the physiatrist's office the next morning to let them know what transpired, the nurse receptionist apologized to me and related the story of the prescriptions being left after the close of business. My husband and I demanded an MRI and the physiatrist's office said "We don't schedule those - patients do - here are some phone numbers." Funny thing is, all the phone numbers provided to my husband were WRONG numbers. My husband finally got through to one of the places and they asked for the prescription - what part of me the doctor wanted scanned. Well, apparently the physiatrist's office either doesn't do that or forgot. How helpful and yet another waste of time and money and energy.

By that time I was on the phone with my chiropractor, explained what was going on and within hours, thanks to my chiropractor and his office, I had an MRI scheduled, and within hours of the chiropractor seeing the MRI, I had an appointment the next day with the chief of neurosurgery of the local hospital my condition was so bad. I've since had to have spinal surgery and still walk with a limp.

So, in addition to an unnecessary emergency room visit, I ended up needing approximately $40,000 plus in surgery costs due to a doctor who was too busy writing a book to pay attention to a patient.

So, please, don't think that doctors are the "white knights" in the health care debate. There are some excellent ones (my chiropractor gets multiple gold stars for getting me the tests I needed, into the doctors I needed to see,and for his follow-up concern and care , but unfortunately, he is the rare doctor. Without my chiropractor, I would be in far worse shape than I am now, I am sure.). Too many doctors, due to a lack of care and concern, run up medical costs needlessly as well as cause their patients needless pain as well.

There is more to this story but this should suffice for now. Rest assured I will NEVER recommend this physiatrist to anyone. My chiropractor, however, will be getting more recommendations than he can possibly handle.

Just remember, doctors do needlessly run up health costs - do not believe them when they say that only the insurance industry and the legal profession are responsible for costs. I am living proof of a doctor causing unnecessary pain and costs.