02 December, 2009

First take on American healthcare

I have been in two minds about entering into this subject as it is controversial in some circles over here. And cards on the table, I love the NHS. As with all Brits I know that there are things wrong with it, but fundamentally it is a system I appreciate deeply. However, I also recognise that it is a system born of a particular period in post-war Britain, and had we not developed it then, we almost certainly wouldn't have the system as it is today. Giving the USA the NHS couldn't be done, whether they want it or not.

Anyway.

Here we are in the USA and so we have health insurance and health care providers to find and register with and so on. This post isn't going to be about doctors. I have only met one so far and she was lovely. I have no opinion in general on the quality of the care offered here. I am hoping that I won't have to use too much of it.

But here are some things I don't understand.

I don't understand why the whole family was assigned a physician who doesn't see children under 14, when the insurance provider knew we had two young children. Actually I also don't understand why such a doctor can be called a "family doctor" when they don't see half the family. But that's just language.

I don't understand why the insurance provider would be surprised that I wasn't happy about this, and that I still wasn't happy when told any change in physician would only come into effect in January.

I don't understand why the insurance provider then made me feel as if they were doing me a huge favour by backdating a change to a paediatrician for the girls.

And lastly, I don't understand why the man on the phone had to ask if my daughters were pregnant, given that he knew how old they were.

1 comment:

Garden Girl said...

Poor you.

And you know what? Just when you've started to get the hang of things you'll be transported back up your Welsh mountain!

Keep going. Breathe. It'll be ok. Go spend some time in your bookshop and you'll feel much better, I promise! :)