Back when I was sick, I had to go to Muskogee Regional Medical Center for a CT Scan. Had I known it was there, I would have requested another location.
While the actual person who did my CT Scan was professional and personal, the rest of my experience was less than stellar. The woman behind the outpatient desk seemed more interested in talking to her coworkers than helping me and I didn't get back to the CT until one and a half hours AFTER my appointment.
After all this time, I finally got a bill for my part of the CT Scan LAST WEEK. My part of the bill is more than the entire bill for a CT Scan in Thailand. This is absolutely absurd to be paying these kinds of medical bills WITH INSURANCE!
I got a phone call just now from some bill collector outfit in Ohio asking me when I was going to pay my bill!
OHIO!!!
MRMC was sold to some "for profit" health care conglomerate in Tennessee or Kentucky; Capella Health System, or some such name, and has probably been sold again.
I'll do everything in my power to make sure no one I know goes to Muskogee Regional Medical Center. It just isn't worth it.
I just can't wait to see what Obamacare does. I'll bet it makes them even better.
/rant
2 comments:
I bought a book several years ago that listed the best/worse places to retire to in the USA. Some of the locations seemed odd, until you looked closer. There are some places, such as Sarasota, FL, where there are about 1 doctor for every 100 people. Other places had 1 doctor for every 50,000 people. You might check on your county. It might be worth your time to drive a little further for better treatment. And just as an asside; were the employees ruder than those at the American Embassy in Thailand? That's my benchmark for rudeness.
I'm thinking our healthcare system is overloaded with the non-paying customers.
Just FYI, while a mutual friend of ours was visiting from a foreign country recently I was totally IMPRESSED by the systems in place for her evaluations and care. IN all the visits I attended with her she was moved right in and out. One day she had appointments at 9:00 and 4:00. Doctors TOTALLY coordinated their efforts and results and before we left for lunch they'd walked her to the latter "preop" appointment to keep her from having to return. She was in and out in fifteen minutes on that one. The LONGEST she waited was when an MRI machine was down on that floor -- and her wait was the time it took to go up to a new floor.
I, on the other hand, have a daughter who had a major infection -- staph. Tried to get in to a dematologist for diagnosis. This was October 15. They could see her November 30. So I went to a Pediatrican who go her in same day. Two weeks later she needed follow-up for additional wounds. They couldn't get her in for FOUR days so we went to "Urgent" Care. Treated again... Two weeks later, a lesion wasn't clear. Went to a pediatrican who wanted to refer her to the dermatologist. Called. Told it was now December 31st before we could get in. I explained the STAPH infection. They got me in two days later. Unfortunately this doctor admonished me. Why? Because she was at a disadvantage for not having seen it in the beginning. Ugh!
Last year I had someone call asking for payment on something medical. I explained I'd just had the service five days prior, I'd offered to use my prepaid card in the office, and was told to wait til billed. She said, "So when can we expect your payment?" I said, "When I'm billed."
I'm not confident in something on the horizon that is better though. I see problems of even great proportion.
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