peregrinerose

This is called insurance fraud and should be reported to the medical board of your state. It is a felony that can be given jail time/high fines/loss of medical license. This kind of thing should not happen. It does happen, but it shouldn't. If your doc is doing this, fire them and go to someone more ethical. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Do you want to go to a business or a doctor? Do you want the cheapest guy in town or the best? Using eye examples, there's a TRUCK in Harrisburg, a freaking semi trailer, that offers $299 LASIK per eye. Same kind of ads from some of the places in Canada. Would you trust your vision to either situation? If you do, hell will freeze over before I take on the responsibility of your follow up care. I could do better LASIK with a flashlight and chainsaw than some of the results I've seen out of these places. You want references, ask. I'd be happy to send you my CV. I've been published twice while still in school and lectured at the American Academy of Optometry convention, while still in school (EXTREMELY rare for a student to do this). I've been all over the country doing lectures on low vision rehab. I graduated with honors from both undergrad and grad school. My MS degree was paid for with grants due to my background. I chose to do two programs at the same time to be the best low vision doc I could. One of only a small handful of docs with the same credentials. Oh, I worked over 40 hours per week during undergrad, payed my own way at Westminster College. Worked at least 30 hours a week on top of two full time graduate programs at PA College of Optometry. If you call area eye docs, you will hear very good reports on my skills. If you call my patients, they will tell you I pay attention, take my time with them, give them one of the best eye exams they've ever had and am adept at translating doctoreese into English. Plus I never fail to send a patient out blurry as hell from drops but still smiling and laughing. See how easy that was? All you had to do was ask. You trust us with your bodies, you have the right to ask for credentials, and we have no problem letting you know our backgrounds. The best place to find out who the best is for any field is ask other docs. We see the very best and very worst of other doctors. And we will tell you where to find the best ones. After all, it makes us look really good when you are happy with the care you received from a doc we referred you to. As docs, we are on YOUR payroll. If you are not happy, fire us and go elsewhere, just have all charts forwarded to the new doc to keep your medical history up to date. It makes our lives far easier knowing how testing came up years in the past rather than having to start from scratch with baselines. Very important with glaucoma, for example. If you want a second opinion, tell us that, we will refer you to a doc that will provide one you can trust. We don't take it personally, and I often encourage it. If you have a question, call. There IS competition in medicine. It isn't the same kind of blatant 'buy one bypass surgery get one free' kind of advertising, but it does happen. Check the yellow pages you'll see ads. Doctors often court each other for referrals, making their specialties known. That is where docs often get patients, from other docs. The other place we get new patients is word of mouth from other patients. This is the best advertising I could get. If 'the best' doc doesn't take your insurance, either switch insurances if possible or talk to the doc personally to find out if other arrangements can be made. I like my neurologist (brain tumor/seizure disorder), but when my insurance changed, he didn't take it. He made life as easy as possible for me so that I could pay out of pocket while still keeping the student loan people happy. The most important things to remember are: 1. You are in control of your health care. You are the boss. 2. If payment/insurance is a problem, talk to us, we WANT to help people or we wouldn't be in this field. I've never turned a patient away. 3. If you have concerns, research the health condition, ask questions, get second or third or whatever opinions, it is your right. The more you know about your health, the better you can make decisions regarding your own health care. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Good points. The other thing is to tell the freaking doctor. In the exam room, we don't know what insurance you have, or if you have insurance. We treat everyone the same whether you are dirt poor or filthy rich, you get the same amount of time and respect (at least at my practice). If we don't know that you are in a pinch financially, we don't keep you stocked with sample medications that we get free from the companies to get patients trials of them before prescribing. We don't know that you have 8 starving kids who haven't ever seen a doctor unless you tell us. We are not inhuman beasts out to make a buck. I just got home, at 8pm tonight, after leaving for work at 630 am. The reason I am home so late is because I drove 2 hours out of my way to see a patient with MS who is homebound and in need of eye care (due to ocular manifestations of MS). I charged him all of $30 to cover gas for my car. That's all I will get for 5 hours of my time. I chose that because I know this family needs the help. I am signing up for InfanSee, a program where I will be doing FREE eye exams for children under 12 months of age. It will be heavily publicized by Johnson and Johnson beginning next spring. I have given away more low vision aids and exams over the 5 years I've been in practice than I ever really wanted to count. If someone is in need I will take care of them, even if I never get a dime. I encourage patients to donate old glasses to the Lions club. They will be used. The last doc I worked with spent at least 3 months a year on mission trips. He would see 15,000+ patients in a 2 week period in various contries, providing free eye care and glasses. I work with area docs who do pro bono work as needed, all I need to do is call, tell them this person has no insurance, no money, but will go blind if they don't get whatever treatment it is they need. This is the norm in doctors, not the exception. I'm not spewing these examples to make myself look good. I'm doing it to prove a point, that help exists if people make their needs known. But we can't help if we don't know a problem exists. Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Hmm, besides self defense ever hear of target shooting, skeet shooting, hunting of various varieties, or pellet gunning the freaking cat that keeps trespassing in my yard and killing stuff? Anything can kill. I can do just as much damage with a sledge hammer as a gun (and have the torn down walls in my house to prove it). They are tools, nothing more. Tools that can kill, but tools that can benefit as well. Just like any other tool, not everyone needs one, that is a choice. A choice that I have chosen to have multiple firearms for multiple purposes in my house. None of them are loaded. And generally are not kept loaded in my house. But there is a gun with a full clip next to it very accessable. Safety is important. My kids will know gun use and safety as soon as they are strong enough to hold my .22 Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

They HAVE to do blood tests with accutane because accutane can affect liver function, they need a baseline. Acne is not just about skin, it affects eyelids, oil and tear production, and eventually can cause a bulbous looking nose. So often the general public thinks we are trying to rip them off when there is real medical reasoning behind the way we do things. Of course, my feeling as a doc is that it is our own damn fault for not spending more time in patient education. Which is why I spend most of my exam time actually talking with and educating my patients, and I always encourage phone calls with questions. It's the most important thing any doc can do for her patients. But if we could afford to give you more time in the exam room, it would be easier, instead of pumping through patients to meet overhead costs. Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Insurance companies are a big part of the problem. I'm an eye doc, so will use eye examples. Let's say it costs $300/hour to keep my doors open (salaries, utilities, rent, continuing ed, all kinds of insurances, materials, etc) .. and this is hypothetical, I have no idea what it really is. If I sign up with BC/BS, they pay me a whopping $32 per eye exam, no matter how much time I spend with a patient. I'd have to see 10 patients an hour just to meet overhead costs. That cuts down on face to face time with the doc, which gives you shitty care as a patient. This is how a lot of chain optical places stay open, being eye exam mills of crappy care. (I worked in more than one...) Patients who don't have insurance are charged say $100 an exam, as normal fees. This way I can meet the same overhead with only 3 patients an hour, much better for quality care. However, most patients have insurance. So how are we supposed to handle it? Insurance companies are out to make money, so pay as little as possible. Docs don't want to lose patients because of insurance coverage, so we have to take at least the major carriers in our areas just to serve our patients. But doing that cuts the income, so we don't meet the bottom line. As a result, we spend less time on patient care, which doesn't make us happy or patients happy. Nobody wins. A national health care service would actually make this problem far worse. Medicare pays crap and denies so many claims that we often have to write off unpaid fees. I can't imagine that a national health care system would be any better. Yes, med type schooling is expensive. I pay $2000/month to the student loan people. Well over 1/2 of my pay. I started in debt for $126K, now down to $79K, but at 8% interest, still will be in debt for another 4.5 years. I had more extra income when I midnight waitressed than I do now as a doctor. How sad is that!! Jen Galbraith, OD, MS (damn it feels weird to sign that way on here!! Just proving I know a thing or two about this.) Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I did not join a sorority. The biggest two advantages of being GDI is that you are exposed to a LOT more people on a regular basis than those in your sorority. With sorority functions and sisters, etc, it does make you closer to them, but distances you from others to some degree. Sorority sisters from the experiences I had in college tend to be pretty independant individuals the first year, but the farther in school the more cliquish they became, they lost a little of their own unique identities. No right or wrong on it, just decide for yourself what works best for your personality. My choice was to be GDI. I'm far too independent and tomboyish to fit in with a sorority, they would have driven me up a wall. And I probably would have done the same to them. That doesn't mean I think there's a darn thing wrong with them, it just wasn't right for me. Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Hmm, good point. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

That's just cruel. There's a big difference between slaughtering people and ranting and raving in an internet environment with no violence behind it. I don't care how pissed off PJ gets, as long as he doesn't come hunting everyone who disagrees with us down. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Hey, watch the comments on the kitten. Don't you know that it is a creation of God sent to deliver us all from certain damnation? Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I'm laughing at this one too. Can't imagine just having 'A' gun in the house. That's like having a screwdriver and no other tools and expecting to build a house. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I agree completely. There's no reason that people like this deserve to live. Unless they are very slowly tortured until they finally die. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Flew to Vegas to marry my husband. After meeting him on the internet. And dating for 4.5 months. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I keep the things from my husband. We just got a dumpster to get rid of the byproduct of extensive home improvement lately. Cleaned the crap out of the house at the same time. All the shit from ex's went in there too. I don't miss it in the least. The question is what do I do with the old wedding band/engage ring? Both together worth maybe $200. Anyone want them?? Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

White Castle hamburgers. Those little things. From the restaraunt, not the frozen ones in the store. My grandpa used to take my brother and I out for them almost every time we stayed over. When he died, Andy and I toasted him with burgers. Our spouses thought we were nuts, but grandpa would have smiled. And no freaking places within 3 hours of here. Best wings in the entire world are from Quaker Steak and Lube. Based out of Sharon, PA but a couple other locations in western pa. Mmmmmmm, good stuff. Damn, now I'm hungry Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Change your number, or have his blocked. Hang up on him EVERY time he calls or you are giving him mixed messages. If he emails, delete them without opening. Worked well on my ex. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Not really. Men just whip it out and pee anywhere they happen to be standing when they get the urge to go. I've seen more weenies when I do a jeep trail ride than are at your average picnic. Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Ummmmmmm..... I meant beach balls and basketballs and baseballs, etc. What a filthy dirty mind you have, hon. I can't believe an innocent such as myself is married to such a creature. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Well, I'll take it, I guess, I'm at work, so any nakedness is better than none. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Okay, if the guys get to see the bras, I want to see the balls and everything attached. So let's see 'em guys!! Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Me too. If it was my husband, he's my best friend. Although I could do nothing, at least I could be there for him. Even if it is to say goodbye. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Talk to a surgeon, they occasionally will do pro bono work if the situation truly warrants it, or discounts, or payment plans, etc. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

No metal detectors and no armed guards just seems like idiocy to me. So what if I decided that Gov Blagojevich needs to be bumped off in order for everyone to have all the guns they want? I can waltz on in fully armed with no opposition, shoot him, and walk out. That just doesn't make any sense. If he runs for president smack me silly if I decide to vote for him. Jen PS I have no homocidal tendencies so won't be shooting anyone. Except the fucking neighbor's cat that is always in my yard. I have very good aim with a pellet gun, as the cat is finally figuring out. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I know I'd sure like it if my husband had his tongue pierced and had a vibrating ring in it! Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I'm Corporal Dangleberry Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda