Health Insurance Companies Are a Pain in the You Know What

[spicedogs]

I had an appointment with my endocrinologist today, and afterwards, I had to have a blood test. I am an insulin-dependent diabetic, so I have to have my blood taken often, and I must be fasting before the blood test. I started fasting yesterday after 9 pm. I had no food from then on and had nothing to drink from 11 pm on.

My doctor’s appointment was at 10:45 am. By the time I got to the doctor’s office, I was bit hungry. Every office visit requires that the nurse check my blood-sugar lever by using the finger-pricking method. The result at the doctor’s office was at normal reading. The visit with my endocrinologist ended at about 11:30 am. I was starving. Off I went to the lab to have the vampires remove my blood.

It used to be that you could go to the doctor and have the nursing staff in the doctor’s office take your blood. It was pure and simple. You saw the doctor, and in five minutes, your blood was taken, and you could go and eat.

Today, because of the provisions that health insurances put on my life, I have to go to a lab. I used to have a choice of two labs to go to. One was extremely disorganized and took forever to get to you; the other was better organized and took less time to get to you. My insurance company took away my choices. Now I have to go to the disorganized one. It took them 1.5 hours to get to me. I was dying.

It was not as if the waiting room was full. There were only six patients waiting when I got to the lab. I thought that I was going to be taken right away. WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you know any diabetic, then you know that when the sugar is not stable, the diabetic is irritable. I try not to let my sugar level rule my personality, but after waiting, while starving, for over 1.5 hours, I couldn’t help it. I asked them why it took so long to get to me. In fact, all the other patients who were sitting there before I came in the office were still sitting there. The line was not moving. I asked them how long it would take them to get to us. You know what the receptionist replied? He asked me why I couldn’t be as patient as the other people in the waiting room. I told him that maybe if more people would make a rumpus, the phlebotomists would get their act together and not have people wait for so long.

I can understand if the waiting room was loaded with people. Then, there would be a reason for the turnover to take so long. But there were only six of us waiting for the phlebotomist. Needless to say, as I made a rumpus, I was taken right away. The phlebotomist took 5 huge vials from me. By the time, I got back to the waiting room, there were only two people waiting. One of them was a new patient. I made a rumpus and I accomplished something.

I could hardly wait to eat. My sugar level was down to 50 (70 to 90 readings are normal). At 50, some people start being incoherent. Luckily, I was OK. I drank the juice I brought with me, and drove home to eat.

As I write this entry, I am well fed and happy. But I still hate health insurance companies.

Comments

[boheme06.livejournal.com]

I'm with you in the hatred of insurance. I keep changing doctors and it just sucks. I do know some diabetics but not exactly what they have to go through at the doctor. It obviously sucks, but it sounds more agonizing that I'd have imagined.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm with you about having waiting forever at a doctors office. Last week I went to get checked so I could get some sinus antibotics. Needless to say that my appointment was 30 minutes late and all I saw were people coming and going, coming and going. I went up to the counter and said that my appointment had long passed, why didn't they see me yet? All I got was, well she's busy. Apparently those who come in coughing more than you get bunped up. So the guy was coughing more, well I felt as if I had been punched in the face several times. Besides, I got there first with the appt., what the hell?

But sorry to hear about the long wait. I've had a few friends that are diabetic or low blood sugar and when it dips, they can't help but to get a little irritable. Hope you're feeling better!

Katie

www.katiescrazyride.com

[twisk.livejournal.com]

Sorry You have to go through all of this and this people that won't make it easy for You :/
It actually sounds like clinics and doctors are normally in my country, if You're going not to the private, but normal one, social. Always waiting long, receptionists always rude or bored, and also helth Insurrance won't never make it easy for you :/ If I know I will be going there for some tests or to see the doctor, I know I will be angry in some point :P

Glad You're ok now with Your sugra level and all!!