Photo by Priscilla du Preez-Unsplash @priscilladupreez
Last January 2020 I was sick for three weeks and after two days of feeling better, I had a relapse, becoming sicker than before. Was it COVID-19? Nah, I didn’t have any of the symptoms we now can recite in our sleep.
I called my doctor’s office and they said they could get me in maybe next month. Really? They suggested I go to the walk-in clinic if I wanted to be seen sooner. Promised myself a new doctor search after I felt better.
I cancelled all clients, wrapped up warmly and headed to the walk-in clinic. I “walked-in” and the first thing they ask me is: “Do you have an appointment?” I just stared at the woman before asking, “What about walk-in don’t I understand?”
I admit I can be a smart ass when I’m not feeling well. Big sigh as she pointed to a notice saying they were no longer taking walk-ins as they were understaffed. What’s the term for a walk-in clinic where you can’t just walk in? I believe it’s called a doctor’s office.
I took the last appointment available at 5:30 PM and headed to Starbucks because driving home would be another hour plus trip and I felt terrible. I kept to myself with my scarf mask over my nose and mouth and had a lovely long read and a soy latte. Then I headed back to the no-longer-a-walk-in clinic.
Big surprise: the doctor was great and took quite a bit of time explaining all the things I potentially had and all the drugs he was going to prescribe. Plus gasp, he also suggested some homeopathic and natural remedies. I did feel better every day after I took the variety of pills, elixirs, sprays and nasal washes he prescribed for me.
When I got the bill for this January visit 6 months later, I discovered the great doctor was out of network for the not-a-walk-in clinic’s patients. How can you tell if they’re out of network before you’re seen? Would I have seen him anyway? Yep. I’d been sick for weeks and blown an entire day waiting so yes, I would have seen him anyway. But still. It would have been nice to know I’d be receiving a huge bill 6 months later.
The more I think about this whole situation, the more I shake my head at the USA’s healthcare system. Decent insurance is outrageously expensive to buy, health care with no insurance is astronomically expensive if you can even find someone who will see you, and medicine has gone through the roof. I take a medicine that’s been around for over 30 years and it went from $40 a month to just over $500. This is just greed. Something needs to change. Oh, and speaking of change, I found a new doctor which I like just as well as the old one.
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