Let's Talk About American Healthcare*

I never told my anonymous blog stalkers, but this summer I started training for a half marathon. The plan was to walk/run 13.1 miles in October in Maine. But jumping into training and wearing flip flops for months on end caught up with me and left me with a nagging case of posterior tibial tendonitis.

After two urgent care appointments, I was referred to orthopedics for plantar fasciitis. One month and a hefty copay later, the orthopedist (who is only there Monday mornings) referred me to physical therapy for plantar fasciitis. One month of PT later and she re-referred me back to orthopedics with tendonitis.

On Monday I went back to the orthopedist. He told me I need to wear a walking boot for four weeks. But his office didn't have any in stock. So he sent me to the cast office (across town) with a prescription for a boot. Yesterday I picked up the boot and brought it home, only to find it dug into my calf so badly that I had a bruise within a half hour. I womaned up and returned today. The casting guy went to a different office (in the same complex) to get me a new boot. Then he had to cancel yesterday's boot and walk me to the new office to do the insurance paper work.

Well...even though the new office is in the same complex, and my referring doctor works there, they refused to give me a boot without a referral from the original office. Could the referral/network/insurance system be ANY MORE COMPLICATED? (Chandler Bing reference.)

To top that off, the boot (which costs $60.00 on Amazon) costs $425.00 from the doctor's office. And insurance won't cover it until I reach my deductible...which after all the copays I've paid I must be almost there. But my insurance did notify me that I can have a baby for only $638.00 out of pocket. I have to pay hundreds of dollars to deal with a tendon but I can bring a life into the world for not much more!

So here is my lovely space boot that costs half a month's rent:

SO FANCY!

*I'm aware that compared to others this is a very minor inconvenience but there has to be a better way to do things. It's no wonder people go bankrupt so quickly after receiving medical care.