- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
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U.S. Gen Xer here about to give up on doctors again. In my 20’s it was pill pushers, 20 years later I had physical and mental health issues that are complicated and that I had ignored because I didn’t want to just have another pill shoved on me and decided to put trust in doctors.
At first, it was pretty good because I was seeing a NP who took time to listen to me and it felt like I was in on the decision of MY health. A couple of years later the hospital system decided in their interest of not making enough money to stop using NP’s in that location.
I tried…I really did. I’ve given it a couple of years and we’re not to the point of pill pushing (although with all the docs I have I’m on 8 different meds now 🤦🏻) but I’ve lost the ability to advocate for myself because either he’s too quick and I don’t think that fast or I do think that fast and he dismisses me. Testing that might be helpful in figuring out what none of the other doctors or him can figure out is denied by him, most likely because he doesn’t have the time to fight with insurance (in my case Medicaid/Medicare) rather than doesn’t see any value in a test. But instead of being honest with me he just says it’s not helpful, at least that’s what my cynical ass sees.
I’m getting my physical soon, they made a mistake with the bloodwork dates and I had to send them a message to get that corrected. I decided to advocate for a test that I thought could be useful that was just drawing more blood and he flat out denied it as helpful. Once I get my physical I’m going to try changing doctors, with the expectation that either none of them are taking new patients or have a year or longer waiting list. Oh and the message back was also just short of blaming me for their mistake.
Doctors (at least in the U.S.) are overworked, understaffed, and if you don’t fit neatly in a box they can check they throw their hands up and say who knows rather than working with you to figure out what’s going on. Better yet, they blame symptoms on mental health to deflect – only to have therapists (unless they are trained in addiction and trauma-informed) disagree and refer you back to the doctor. And the cycle repeats over and over again until you are worn down enough to stop caring.
I tried, but can’t bear to read the “article,” which, being Axios, is merely a collection of blips instead of actual writing and journalism.
As for the headline, I’m pleased to see plenty of common sense in the comments here. Seeing an MD in America is difficult, expensive, time-consuming, often preachy, and frequently not worth the co-pay if you’re lucky enough to have insurance. “Health care providers” have made it such a hoop-jumpy and slow process, that when I’m ill seeing a doctor is about my fourth choice.
Honestly, it’s about a similar standard of care. Doctors in the U.S. are too overworked to be helpful, most of my peers’ experience with doctors is getting ignored and belittled by them. Add on the amount of time and money that an appt can cost, and it’s not surprising that people are looking for an experience that at least gives them good vibes.
when you cant get or afford health insurance, you take what you can get.
It’s across 16 countries so I’d think many (or most?) of the participants are covered by their respective public health systems. And it’s not that they say they are looking for advice somewhere else but disregarding the medical advice.
There have been other times with a larger portion of society not covered by health insurance. So this makes less sense to be happening now simply based on access.
Having health insurance doesn’t equal having access to health care. I know a number of people who are technically insured but can’t afford a doctor’s visit.
It’s me! I technically have medical insurance but doctor’s visits cost too much to get seen when I want/need, and the insurance covers nothing…it cost me $60 for a 5 minute teledoc call for a nasal spray once. The spray was an additional $35. This was last year
50 million more people covered with ACA and that doesn’t mean anything?
That’s a fantastic change that happened, but it doesn’t change the fact that people like me have to spend 20k a year before my insurance actually starts paying for anything.
That really only matters for massive cost care, like hospitalization and surgery. ACA does not matter for the majority of people, as the deductible is usually significantly higher than the median net (post expenses) income of people.
Misinformation feels good and makes you feel like you have special, hidden knowledge. Professional advice is boring and mundane.
Professional advice costs your rent and is unironically tailored to white males (major acknowledged problem in medicine right now).
Its much cheaper to ask someone you know that has your issue how they treat it, since you know they also haven’t been to a doctor since they finished childhood vaccinations.
Given that my experience with the US healthcare system has largely been terrible over the last 20 years, cant say I’m shocked. Seems like every doc I visit is either a legal drug dealer or a damned rolidex. “You need to see a specialist”. Please. Every damned specialist I need has a waiting list 6 months long.
you’ve heard of vibe coding, now introducing: vibe diagnosing!
… then vibe vibing and, finally, death.
Yikes.
