Taking charge of medical issues

A friend of mine has had a lot of problems with his neck. Nine years ago he had a neck operation that prevented him from becoming paralyzed. Unfortunately, now the doctor who did the operation is retired to Alaska. My friend is stuck dealing with a whole new group of doctors.

That's bad enough. His problems are compounded by our horrible insurance system. He's been to the doctors enough this year that he's paid his $5000 deductible. He drove a long distance to see a specialist while in great pain. The specialist wanted to do an MRI but the insurance wouldn't let him. (isn't that practicing medicine without a license?) It appears for all the world that the insurance company wants to wait for January when the $5000 deductible resets. That's the sort of thing that drives me crazy.

This past year I've had to deal with medical issues and paid totally out of pocket. It was worth it as I would not have gotten better on my own. I even recently went to the doctors to follow up. Now I know what things to watch out for in the future. This is the point where I decide what my future involvement with the medical system will be.

My doctor mentioned that he wants me to see a sleep specialist for my sleep apnea. Not gonna happen. I can't afford it and don't need it. Consumable parts, hoses, filters, masks, and headgear can be purchased on-line for a lot less money than what insurances are willing to pay. It's the exact same stuff. The machines themselves require a prescription so I can't get a new one. However, there are a lot of used machines out there. People get them and find they can't adjust to using them. They are free for the asking.

The machines have hidden settings for the therapist to set. Once I found out how to get into those, I was able to adjust the machines for my needs. It's a little know fact that therapists rarely dial them in perfectly. They can get into the ballpark, but informed users can fine tune them to work better.

Sometimes you need a doctor. Sometimes you are better off dealing with things on your own. Sometimes you can't afford a doctor and have to deal with things on your own. It's pretty disturbing that the so called richest country in the world cannot provide its citizens access to affordable health care.

-Sixbears