Insurance Company Madness

[GregoryJoseph]

Is your love like Weird Medicine?

Because Weird Medicine is what I need.

[GregoryJoseph]

Dr. Steve,

Do you agree that the medical/insurance game is absurd?

Basically, I wanted a steak. I was told that in order to get the steak, however, I had to go to the hot dog stand and get a referral note.

The hot dog stand made me wait an hour and a half, FINALLY asked what I'd like to eat, and I said "A steak."

They said "Fine. Here's a note. Now make a reservation at the steakhouse for some time next week. Oh, and you owe me $30."

That's what we deal with these days.

[Mitch&Murray]

Dr. Steve,

Do you agree that the medical/insurance game is absurd?

Basically, I wanted a steak. I was told that in order to get the steak, however, I had to go to the hot dog stand and get a referral note.

The hot dog stand made me wait an hour and a half, FINALLY asked what I'd like to eat, and I said "A steak."

They said "Fine. Here's a note. Now make a reservation at the steakhouse for some time next week. Oh, and you owe me $30."

That's what we deal with these days.



I thought posting in the Ask Dr Steve thread was your primary physician.

[Dr Steve]

Is your love like Weird Medicine?

Because Weird Medicine is what I need.

What is the sound of one hand clapping? :smile:



Dr. Steve,

Do you agree that the medical/insurance game is absurd?

Basically, I wanted a steak. I was told that in order to get the steak, however, I had to go to the hot dog stand and get a referral note.

The hot dog stand made me wait an hour and a half, FINALLY asked what I'd like to eat, and I said "A steak."

They said "Fine. Here's a note. Now make a reservation at the steakhouse for some time next week. Oh, and you owe me $30."

That's what we deal with these days.

It is asinine. When I was in Aruba, I visited a private doctor-friend's clinic down there. She showed me how they do it: they have a sheet of paper and there's 25 lines on it. They write in what the diagnosis was and the charge to the patient, send it in to the government of the Netherlands and they get a check back.

This insanity in our country stems from the govt (Medicare) and the insurance companies assuming that everyone is a criminal...doctors, patients, vendors, everyone. So the system is set up to avoid fraud by demanding so much documentation to back up every claim it's wacky. And there's STILL fraud. Of course, if they DIDN'T do this stuff, people WOULD defraud them even more than they do, so it's hard to know how to fix it.

We need unlimited funds and unlimited resources...then we could do stuff like StarTrek where everyone seems to get exactly what they need all the time. So get working on cold-fusion, wouldya?

your pal,


steve