I Won't Be Posting for Awhile

I probably won't be posting for awhile due to what I am typing out below. 
When I recover from this episode I'll be looking for a new doctor and medical system to go to.
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I currently sit here in pain(level 6 at the moment down from a 10 last night)with back muscle spasms so bad they woke me from a sound sleep.
After trying my Rx for muscle spasms, which did nothing, off to the ER we go at 4 am.

I was seen by the ER doc and given 2 Percocet(which did nothing), then a bit later, Toradol in an IV(which also did nothing)and then finally a Valium(which finally helped the pain down to a level I can bear the ride home on the pothole riddled roads around here).

ER doc wrote me a script for Percocet(6 pills)and wouldn’t give me what actually helped(the Valium)as it is “addictive”. Last I heard Percocet was also addictive?  Why give me a narcotic that didn't help?!?  Hubs took me home.

I finally get through the the doctor's office and find out I can’t be seen by my regular doctor's practice until Monday-that’s 4 days away from the ER visit.
My doctor's practice won’t write me a script until they see me and the nurse wished me to, “have a nice day” before hanging up. I seriously doubt I’ll have a nice day until sometime after Monday when the dr. sees me as I’ll be out of the Percocet by Friday night(not that it helped anyway).
At this point I lost it.  I am vacillating between crying my eyes out and being so FURIOUS I can't see straight!!!

Evidently Doctors and medical entities that thems belong to around here don’t want to heal their patients it seems, as they are more concerned with covering their asses, legal speaking. They crank out substandard care and just keep sending the bills.

So if anyone needs me during the next 4 days, dollars to donuts look for me at my local ER first. where I will be a frequent visitor until Monday(and paying co-pays out the nose for the pleasure of using it when ONE Rx for Valium may have avoided the horrendous amounts of $$$ I'll be paying out to visit the ER multiple!).

The government and fucking trial lawyers who have brought on this insane situation where a doctor won’t/can’t/is too afraid of legal repercussions to prescribe an Rx that a patient needs to heal, can all go kiss my lily white ass!


Sluggy, feeling helpless, depressed and in a lot of pain

Medical WTF

I had heard that healthcare costs can vary depending on what region of the country you are in but this point was driven home lately at Chez Sluggy.

Daughter had a procedure performed locally through the pain clinic at the hospital here in late August.  This is the same procedure she had done in Louisiana when she lived there earlier in the year.
The "procedure" is a couple of injections into the back.

I am having a difficult time understanding the charges and amount that were billed for the most recent procedure given that they are so much higher than the charges when she had this done in Shreveport on two different occasions.

For example, the doctor's fees in LA came to $1,422.00.  After discounts and what our health plan paid(plus deductible we have met for the year), our co-insurance cost came to $20.23.

The doctor's fees in August in PA came to $3,878.00.  After discounts and what our health plan paid(plus deductible we have met for the year), our co-insurance cost came to $193.90.

??

But the LARGER problem is the discrepancy in the EOBs received from the facility/corp. in PA compared to what the facility/corp. in LA charged.

The LA bill came to $3,037.46 for supplies(ivs/drugs/etc.)and use of the operating and recovery rooms.  Our responsibility was $124.98.

The PA bill came to $16,420.56 for supplies/ivs/drugs/etc.)and use of the operating and recovery rooms.  Our responsibility was $893.28.
WTF?!?

How can there be a $13 THOUSAND DOLLAR difference in basically the same supplies and way in which the facility's rooms were used for the same procedure?!?

The biggest discrepancy seems to be what Geisinger in PA charged for use of the facilities(operating and recovery room)use versus what the Spine Institute in LA charged for the same items.
LA charges were $2,721.08.
PA charges were $16,224.00.

Again I say WTF?!
How can they get away with charging $13,502.92 MORE for the same exact type of rooms used in the same exact way?!?!

So by using Geisinger here we pay $1,087.18 out of pocket while we were paying $145.21 out of pocket in LA.

This is just not right.
And of course Geisinger has a monopoly on healthcare services in this region of PA and I am going to have a hard time finding a doctor/facility to do these for her that isn't connected to them and at a "normal" cost.

Just so disgusted by this.

Sluggy