Medical costs rise - Page 4

Financialgrl · ‎03-13-2010

Articles say fewer doctors are remaining in primary care - more end up moving on to a specialty. Last home was in rural setting and a few counties south of us had no practices with MDs. They were staffed by PAs/NPs and their offices were all located in medical buildings on grounds of the small regional hospital. I see an NP for primary care and love it - she takes time with patients whereby, the MDs in the practice run in long enough to ask a question or two and send in an RN.

The practice I notice most that describes what you posted - dermatologists. Here offices always staffed with PAs/NPs and you rarely see the doctor. Went to the same practice for 8 years and saw the MD once - I had a spot on my scalp that came back basal cell so had to have MOHs surgery. First and only time I ever saw the MD was the day of MOHs. She spends most of her time in the office in the wealthier county about 20 miles away doing the more lucrative cosmetic services.

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

LOLOL Ok, we get it. You want to go back to the days he Old Doc Adams drove his buggy around and made his house calls...LOL The next time you get sick or injured, don't go to the hospital or to doctor if you hate them so much.....go to a museum.

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

@Cakers3 wrote:
I honestly have no idea what this thread was supposed to be about?

Other than rising medical costs, the rest is a bit of a word salad.

That's because it wasn't about anything. It was just the medical/hospital bashing that we see so much of on this board. A person has a bad experience and then trashes and bashes the entire profession. I do think that medicine and medical care have grown and expanded and become more complicated than some older people can understand. I've worked in healthcare for 30 years and professionally and personally, I come across things that I don't completely understand but I where with all to ask questions and I do understand the healthcare is a business, it's not an altruistic service. OP is complaining about physician extenders. But hospitalists ARE physicians, she doesn't understand that. All of the extenders exist to keep costs down and to get patients the care they need as quickly as possible. I had an experience myself. I have spinal arthritis, I needed my script renewed and they couldn't do that until I saw someone. I have new pain in my thoracic spine and I wanted to get that assessed. If I wanted to see my doctor, I couldn't get an appointment until early August. But if I wanted a NP or physician's assistant visit, I only had to wait a week for an appointment. I took a NP because I knew she could assess me and order the xray and renew my pain script. If I needed to see a doc or specialist, she could refer me. She did all of that. I didn't need to wait 2 months to see a doctor and she put my mind at ease, I have minor arthritis in my cervical spine and she recommended some PT. I got what I needed with a much shorter wait and the charge to my insurer was much less than a physician visit. Several years ago, I had pcp who had a personality that I didn't care for and she seemed to rush through our visits. I felt like she didn't really listen to me. I much preferred going to the nurse practioner who was more of a "people person" and she could do everything the doctor could do.

BirkiLady · ‎02-22-2015

@chrystaltreeWhy doesn't your pharmacy call your physician when medications need to be renewed? I don't get in the midst of any of my medications since I have regular appointments with each of my physicans. It wouldn't occur to me to make an appt. to have a med refilled. Seems like a waste of time and money for all concerned. Just asking a question.

Money screams; wealth whispers.

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

@BirkiLady wrote:
@chrystaltreeWhy doesn't your pharmacy call your physician when medications need to be renewed? I don't get in the midst of any of my medications since I have regular appointments with each of my physicans. It wouldn't occur to me to make an appt. to have a med refilled. Seems like a waste of time and money for all concerned. Just asking a question.

That's the way it works with all of my meds but the doc wouldn't renew the Gabapentin until I had a visit with her. I haven't seen her or my spind doctor since last summer, so it made sense. The NP gave me a 90 day supply with 3 refills so I'm set for a long time because I don't take it everyday.

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

@excpa

You lost me with your title "medical costs", and then go from costs to medical terminology of "whom goes by what title in the medical field". How you got from your thread title to "school budget, and administration raises"?

When our schools(that answer to no one connected to budgets) need(want) more money! They raise my property taxes. That I won't blame on my doctor/physicians assistant (PA) or nurse practitioner(NP/licensed(LN) or registered(RN) nurse.

Medical cost rise and school budget? Ya lost me!

hckynut(john)

suzyQ3 · ‎03-09-2010

@excpa wrote:
I remember when there used to be a doctor and a nurse. So many layers have been added: Practical Nurse, Nurses Aide, Nurse Practioner, Physicians Assistant and, a new one I discovered a few years ago, "hospitalist". A hospitalist apparently has no people skills at all, so he has no private practice. I have no idea if they have any medical skills because the ones I've met sort of slink in, make absurd pronouncements ( i was told I broke my hip. I hadn't.) and then slink out to make up the bill. It's like teaching has added many layers. And they all think they should make a ton of money. It's all very twilight zone. The school budget was voted down, so they decided not to give raises to some administrators. Good start.

@excpa, since you veered into school budgets, we almost always vote for school funding. Administrators are much maligned but absolutely necessary. They should be paid accordingly along with staff and teachers.

~Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

lovesrecess · ‎03-14-2010

I highly resent making a Dr appt.....then being seen by the PA and never seeing the dr....but being charged as if I did. The PA is great...but my insurance won't pay!

lovesrecess · ‎03-14-2010

They used to call it "bedside manner"; its how we judged a dr. I still find this important.

NYC Susan · ‎03-13-2010

@Spurt wrote:
Both professional and people skills vary based on that individual person---you can't make a sweeping blanket statement regarding each job and person in the medical profession!

In other words like the old Jacksn 5 song, "one bad apple doesn't spoil the whole bunch girl"....... Your bad experience and misdiagnosis of a broken hip--is on that ONE hospitalist--not ALL of them!

Exactly. As in any other field, some people are more competent and have better people skills than others. It's insulting to those who work hard and do their jobs well when they are painted with such a broad brush. I've never been a fan of generalizations since they make no sense and most of the time do more harm than good.