selective rationing of health care

[hensylee]

I have mentioned before that our health care is selectively rationed, thereby eliminating those 'too expensive' to keep around on this earth. Go here and read this so that you can get the most from your doctors, hospitals and insurance companies:

http://heartdisease.about.com/library/blhcs01.htm

 

[Ross]

We've been preaching that here right along. You simply have to be on top of the issues or your in for a world of hurt. Just look at how people are being told different things about Coumadin just as an example.

The thing that gets me is, when your sick, you need someone to be your advocate because you certainly cannot make clear decisions. Getting this advocate up to speed is of utmost importance but oh so hard or impossible to do.

 

[Nancy]

Once you get to a certain level of advanced healthcare needs, it starts to get very difficult to get the right answers in the necessary amount of time. Body systems can become exponentially involved and that sometimes means that one doctor does not have all the answers anymore. Joe's been there and is still there.

I do my best to be his advocate, but that means that I have to learn little bits about everything. It is difficult beyond words.

I don't blame the medical care, it's just a very, very complicated situation, and I don't see it improving, only becoming more so.

Sometimes I really don't know which medical discipline to call, and wasting time can be costly health-wise for Joe. Right now he has about 6 specialists that he sees regularly. I try to make sure they all know what the other is doing. Coordination is so important.

All of these things are very expensive, but what the answer is, to the expense question is an area I really don't want to go to.

My husband is alive, and with reasonable care he can remain fairly stable, but it requires close, timely and careful monitoring.

There are doctors who would rather not have a patient like Joe.