Taking control of your medical care

Two recent medical experiences highlighted to me how if you're going to be a consumer of medical care, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, you had better not be shy about asking questions. We all have the ability to combat rising health costs and it starts with us asking our providers questions.

First, a friend was visiting an ophthalmologist for what she thought was a routine eye exam. This eye exam lead to:
a. the routine part
b. putting plugs in her tear ducts without discussing the dangers or alternate treatment options after her eyes were dilated and asked to sign a release she couldn't possibly read
c. being referred to get an MRI for an unrelated condition rather than being referred to the right specialist
d. an error at the providers front desk causing a trip back
e. another appointment to review the MRI where they did yet another routine exam and the doctor wasn't prepared at all for the consult

We complained to the practice manager about what had occurred because of a relationship I have with the manager and in the end the physician was "counseled" on the issues. The practice manager was appreciative that we took the time to complain because they never get that level of detail in their usual patient surveys.

Second, my son recently had surgery at an outpatient surgery center and I was told that they would be using a device to help circulation in his legs during the procedure. I was also told that this was optional and if we get billed, to simply ignore it. Well, my insurance company certainly did get billed to the tune of a few thousand dollars and smartly denied the claim. Today, I get a statement from them saying that the amount is my responsibility. Since the nurse told me to ignore the bill, I certainly will. And if they persist, I will also call the manager of that practice to make it go away.

But this all leads me to wonder how many people simply go down the path of health care simply nodding their heads like deer in the headlights. By the nature of what I do, I understand the path to care and perhaps are sensitive to the feeling of being taken. In our system, everyone is trying to make a buck because they only get paid if a service is performed or a device is used.

It's up to us to ask, "is this necessary"? And if we all begin to do so, maybe we put providers on notice that we won't be charged for things that simply run up the bill.