The healthcare industry in this country is absolute shit.
I scheduled a routine foot surgery for June 17th. I needed blood work done and a pre-op physical by my provider. OK, fine.
My primary provider’s office can’t get me in to see him. They suggest another of their clinics or an urgent care. Tried three urgent care clinics - all refused me saying they don’t know me or my medical problems, but another location of my clinic could just look it all up. Fair enough.
So finally, on June 15th, my clinic managed to get me in to see a provider at a different location. First, I’m told only my actual primary can do the physical and clear me for surgery. Then, after I tell them I’ve been cleared by my primary’s colleagues before, say I’ve never had a pre-op physical with the clinic before (I’ve had TWO prior to this). Then they say that while a colleague can clear me, it has to be from the same clinic location. Then they finally decide to just call my primary and ask if he minds. He says to go ahead and do it.
They look at my chart and, I shit you not, tell me that because I saw a cardiologist THREE YEARS AGO for a routine check to make sure my heart is OK to use an ASV machine for sleep apnea (a standard procedure for trying a patient on an ASV machine), that ONLY the cardiologist can clear me for surgery, write it in my chart, AND write it on the form my surgeon wanted me to bring her back.
My surgery was cancelled and now I’m getting a run around from the surgeon’s office - they want the clearance from the cardiologist before they’ll reschedule my surgery. The cardiologist needs the surgery date to clear me because it has to be on the form they send the surgeon to clear me for surgery, and when I tell the surgeon’s office that, they tell me again no clearance = no new surgery date. I tell them again no new surgery date = no clearance.
And the medical community wonders why people avoid getting care when they have insurance and/or money… because the fucking run around is enough to make you wish you’d never tried. And don’t get me started on the cost for those who have no money and no insurance… it’s 10x worse for them!!!!
