Originally posted by marg6043
Perhaps is the state the one that is making harder for patients to deal with doctors and insurances specially if is laws that protect them and no
you.
Yes Marg, I have definately encountered various differences that may be attributable to some of the problems in Florida vs. New York or MI for
example.
First, we flat out have a shortage of good Drs. choosing to practice here. There is a serious deficit in Neurosurgeons and Ob/Gyn's in particular due
to insurance/liability issues. This is a state problem due to rampant litigation, and Florida does have way too many Attorney's shamelessly
advertising on TV to go after medical malpractice. Ladies and gentlemen, you are suing the good physicians out of this state.
Second, there is a high population of seniors who can fill their offices with all the ususal aging complaints. The stuff they know, the stuff the Drs.
are comfortable with, in a population where their patients will guarantee enough needs to keep them going strong financially, take any medicine pushed
on them without question, and never give them a headache. There is literally no need to accomodate anyone else, and no interest in it either. In NY
every Dr. I had did at least one late night a week and one Saturday a month to accomodate us working stiffs. Unheard of down here. With the shortage
of Drs., and the excess of patients, why should they bother when their cash cow is simple everyday seniors.
Even the VA is a joke compared to other states. They have a sever shortage of Drs. and they only work half a day. It can be months to get an
appointment. I know of one guy who was in a serious acute diabetic state. There was a 3 month wait to see him even under these circumstances. He
called the VA in MI where he was from to find out he would be seen in a week. He broke his lease and moved home. Left his beloved Florida becuase the
alternative was possible death. How pathetic. You would think our own VA would have heard of a thing called triage and use it, but they don't.
Finally, you have a grave situation that came about by the Rush Limbaugh and Jebb Bush's daughter getting addicted to opiates. Everything a Dr.
prescribes now is reported to the local Medical Board and both the prescriptions, patients and physicians are tracked. I need a much less addicitive
script (not an opiate) to stop uncontrolled muscle locks and spasms. Why should a Dr. deal with the scrutiny of prescribing something that will call
attention to themselves? This particular drug is one of the reasons many Drs. have just sent me letters telling me to move on, even though the
insurance company and my history of use (8 years beginning in NY) clearly provides the evidence that I do not take enough to either get addicited or
reach tolerance. It's irrelevant, they will get watched if they are giving it to me and it's a hassle they just don't need. There was an incident
where a I received a counterfeit batch from a local Walgreens. Confronting that incident led to a bizarre scenario where I lost a Dr. from the
pharmacy denying all knowledge of the incident where I had arranged for the manufacturer to retrieve it through the pharmacy (which they refused to
do) and then ended up with being handed a script under the table instead of retrieving what I had and swapping what was left from a different lot. Yes
I said under the table. I still have a few pills left from the sample if I ever find a way to prove it.
Meanwhile, no one is going to bother researching anything down here and have the you know whats to prescribe anything that studies show may be
effective therapy even if I report to them the improvement I have had on these therapies in NY. Nope, again, why should they stick their necks out?
I rely heavily on my supplements and alternative treatments off the internet and my health food store. It's kept me at least a functional and
contributing member of society. That's really all I can do.
P.S. My Sammie baby is responding drastically to his treatment and is back to his usual Aussie behavior, non-stop energy & exhuberance. Had a rough
few days on the initial response, but is his old self again. Being that he is really my biggest comfort in life, I am glad the Vetrinary practice is
on the ball down here.
Wish they could educate the DO's & MD's about tick born illness - but heaven forbid they should be educated by a
Vetrinarian.
[edit on 8/29/2006 by Relentless]