by Tricia
Normally whenever I start feeling sick, I take lots of vitamin C and drink green tea with honey. Usually, that knocks out whatever I was coming down with and I start feeling better.
Not this time.
As you know, I’ve been fighting something and it was time to get some help from a doctor. There is one place in the area open on Saturdays, so I gave them a call. Then they asked the dreaded question:
“What insurance do you have?”
My reply, “I do not have insurance.”
Their reply, “Oh. Hold on.”
I wait for a few minutes, fearing that because I don’t have health insurance they’ll decide not to see me. She returns to the phone.
“The doctor will see you today if you can pay today.”
I say, “That’s not a problem if you take credit.”
Yes, they took all the major credit cards so I was in luck.
Normally I do not complain that I do not have health insurance until I saw how much that bill was!! I couldn’t believe that the cost of a less than 10 minute visit (would have been less than 5 if I didn’t ask questions of the doctor) was that high. I guess since I don’t go to doctor’s very often I hadn’t realized how high the price had become. The last I remember, a doctor’s visit was around $50.00.
What did I end up having? A viral infection that has been going around as well as a serious ear infection in my left ear with my right ear not far behind. My hearing right now is greatly impaired and everything is very muffled. Drug given – penicillin which thankfully is very cheap. But the doctor hesitated before he wrote the prescription and asked if I had health insurance. My pills ended up costing $8.95 for 30 of them.
Which leads me to wonder…
Am I getting less care and/or less potent drugs because I do not have health insurance?
or…
Am I getting better & more simple care because the pull of drug companies and making more money isn’t coming into play?
It makes me wonder.
