I don't know how to put the effect of my chronic insomnia into words, but my pharmacist (hereinafter referred to as, "Kind Pharmacist") tried to do it for me today. She changed the words to the Emily Dickinson poem "Success is counted sweetest by those who ne'er succeed," to "Sleep is counted sweetest by those who ne'er succeed."
She articulated how I felt when I found out that I had finally been referred for a sleep study and learned I would be treated with medication that I had been unable to afford. My doctor gave me hope. I was so happy, and ridiculously tearful, that my husband cried, too.
(more later)
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Welcome to the McDonalds of Health Care!
Today I realized that my HMO (or at least the "Physician's Group" who approves my referrals, and the health care group I have to go through to get referrals ...) has less in common with McDonalds than I had previously believed possible. My health care system, after all, is so "fast-food," it's unbelievable that they don't offer a drive-through ... yet; however, it turns out that I was wrong. It turns out that there are glaring differences.
1) Most of the time, major fast food chains at least attempt - to appear - to provide service with a smile. Although my health care group may hire a few rare employees who dare to be different, it seems that as a whole, they provide service with a can't-miss motto of, "You need health care. We don't need you. You bought the HMO plan --- now suck it. Suck it hard!* Service with a smile? There's a McDonalds down the street. Now get going!" I get all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it.
2) Fast food only appears to take forever at the least convenient times. My health group has "forever" down pat. 24/7 they never seem to fail to find the longest possible connection between you and your solution.
3) Fast food doesn't pretend that it's good for your health.
On the other hand, neither fast food nor my health care system always gives you what you paid for. On occasion, they do, but other times you're like, "I would never do that to my body!"
This can be as simple as unintentionally receiving the new Angus burger, or as complicated as my phone message requesting a referral to a sleep disorder clinic - returned days later - as "You got off the sleeping pills, but you'd like a refill now, right?" ("What!?!") And I'm thinking, "'Ref' probably means referral - not refill. Hey! Wait a minute - don't you work at the burger place down the street?"
Finally, if I was mad at McDonald's, I wouldn't be afraid to mention them in my blog - truncating my writing, and cowering as I go - for fear that my sleep clinic referral will be rejected, and my dermatology referral lost. Not so with the Greater (bleep) Group ; )
They scare me. As such, they are being discussed, in broad stokes --- as just one more sad failure of the HMO system.
~Mo-joy
* Chelsea Handler could probably trademark this phrase. ; )
1) Most of the time, major fast food chains at least attempt - to appear - to provide service with a smile. Although my health care group may hire a few rare employees who dare to be different, it seems that as a whole, they provide service with a can't-miss motto of, "You need health care. We don't need you. You bought the HMO plan --- now suck it. Suck it hard!* Service with a smile? There's a McDonalds down the street. Now get going!" I get all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it.
2) Fast food only appears to take forever at the least convenient times. My health group has "forever" down pat. 24/7 they never seem to fail to find the longest possible connection between you and your solution.
3) Fast food doesn't pretend that it's good for your health.
On the other hand, neither fast food nor my health care system always gives you what you paid for. On occasion, they do, but other times you're like, "I would never do that to my body!"
This can be as simple as unintentionally receiving the new Angus burger, or as complicated as my phone message requesting a referral to a sleep disorder clinic - returned days later - as "You got off the sleeping pills, but you'd like a refill now, right?" ("What!?!") And I'm thinking, "'Ref' probably means referral - not refill. Hey! Wait a minute - don't you work at the burger place down the street?"
Finally, if I was mad at McDonald's, I wouldn't be afraid to mention them in my blog - truncating my writing, and cowering as I go - for fear that my sleep clinic referral will be rejected, and my dermatology referral lost. Not so with the Greater (bleep) Group ; )
They scare me. As such, they are being discussed, in broad stokes --- as just one more sad failure of the HMO system.
~Mo-joy
* Chelsea Handler could probably trademark this phrase. ; )
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