Record High Put off Medical Care Due to Cost

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record high medical cost in time and money

According to a news.Gallup.com poll over 1/3 of us are neglecting medical treatment because of the high medical cost and time.

This is causing fewer and fewer of us to seek the medical attention we need.

In fact, 12% more of us are putting off care than we did in 2021.

 

So what does this truly mean?

 

Well, it’s quite confusing since everyone wants access to care and yet, time and expense are getting worse.

    • Is the expense in the doctor’s office?
    • Is it in the lab tests and procedures used to evaluate the sugars in your blood?
    • Is it that your premiums are going up and you’re choosing not to carry insurance anymore?
    • Are the medications so outrageously expensive you have to choose between eating or taking your medications?
    • Perhaps you fear the hidden medical costs that nobody can tell you until the bill arrives in your mail and you are stuck with it.
    • Perhaps you’re too tired to call your insurance company and wait online to finally figure out they cannot tell you until the procedures have already been done and the codes have been given to them by the doctor.
    • Maybe time puts it off.  An appointment to see your doctor is 4 months away.

 

Well it’s all of the above

As a result, you can’t just go to an appointment.  You have to download the paperwork they will send you.

You have to read between the lines, fill out 10 pages of stuff they already know, scan it back in, and send it to them.

Then you wait for them to call you and when you finally show up for the appointment, they tell you that you’ll need to return for another visit.

 

Let’s look at the SIX Appointments you need in this example and the medical cost you suffer

 

A sleep apnea test should be incredibly easy.

You should go to a sleep lab and be evaluated.

Nowadays, you go see your primary care physician (Appointment #1) who sends you to a specialist.

You chit-chat for 10 minutes with the specialist (Appointment #2).

You now have to come back and watch a video on how to hook up your equipment.  You pick up the equipment (Appointment #3)

You learn that you need to bring the equipment back in to be sure it can be read by the doctor (Appointment #4)

You are told to come back for a follow-up appointment so the specialist can tell you if you have sleep apnea. (Appointment #5)

You are now told you do have sleep apnea and need a face-fitting mask so come back again. (Appointment #6)

 

From start to finish:  Primary Care Physician to fitting? 4 months, 17 days, 16 hours, and 6 appointments!

 

Now let’s look at what a better world of Medicine would look like!

 

You see your primary care physician.

He/she picks up the phone and calls the specialist.

Tells the specialist you are coming right over.

Your sleep test is set up for that night.

The results are given to you in the morning.

The face-fitting mask event takes place in a room next to the sleep lab.

From start to finish: Primary Care Physician to fitting? 24 hours and 1 appointment!

 

Well, this is truly how we used to do it. And you can still get it done this way but you have to know the right questions to ask.

Be sure to grab a copy of our eBook, Lower the Medical Cost of Diabetes.

It’s got all sorts of tips, tricks, and secrets in it on how to save time and money.

About the Author

Do you feel frustrated with your medical care? Do doctors spend 5 minutes with you, push you out of the office, with you wondering what's going to happen? Does your insurance deny paying? You're not alone. I'm frustrated, too. This is a growing trend in healthcare. Having seen pre-insurance medicine (yes, my dad was an old country doctor), I grew up watching him spend time with his patients, giving them the best care he had to offer. I saw families trust him to help them through hospitalizations and the next crisis. As a patient advocate, my job is to see that you get the right diagnosis, the right treatment plans, and the right supplies and education to make good decisions about your health. More importantly, I will teach you the tricks of the healthcare trade. We need more healthcare consumer protection, especially for chronic illnesses like diabetes. This is what I am passionate about. I make it happen every day with thousands of patients who now know what I know about beating the healthcare system and getting the best patient care...Patient Best.

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This blog provides general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment. If you or any other person has a medical concern, you should consult with your healthcare provider or seek other professional medical treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something that has been read on this blog or in any linked materials. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately. The opinions and views expressed on this blog and website have no relation to those of any academic, hospital, health practice or other institution. Nor does this material constitute a provider-patient relationship between the reader and the author. 

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