So like any Expat Aussie living in the USA the one thing you know before you even come over here is that the Health system over here is farked. I don’t mean its dodgy, it’s just retardly complicated and expensive… or is it? Obviously back home we Aussies are all used to medicare and the fact that you have the choice to supplement this with your own private health insurance. Over here things work a little different. The quality of care is just phenomenal. But if you don’t have insurance. Bend over and prepare to take it… royally! Things will not be cheap if you do not have insurance, I’ve heard of bills of several thousand dollars.
Now I was a little bit intimidated the last few days, my throat had been acting up and I knew what was coming, Tonsilitis. I get it several times a year, know exactly when its coming and now what the treatment routines are here. What I was not really looking forward to was the fact that I would have to navigate my way through the US Health system for the first time. At the moment my cover provided by work has not fully kicked in yet, so I have some stop gap coverage (at least that’s what I call it) that means I don’t have to empty my life savings into the health system. So I was covered. But here is how a visit to the doctors works over here.
1. First work out what doctors you can visit thanks to your insurer. Using all their online tools I finally worked out what doctor I can use, thankfully, it was the Medical Centre in the same building I work in. Convienient++
2. Make an appointment as usual, be totally suprised they can accomodate you within a matter of hours and at a time that will mean very little time off work out of the very little sick leave i get… (looking good so far)
3. Show up 15 minutes early to appointment (as instructed) and fill out the mass amount of forms and paperwork for a first time visit, hand over all insurance cards etc
4. Visit Doctor
5. Walk Away treated
Now 3,4 & 5 are vague because I want to explain some peculiarities and some awesome things that happened today. I was pretty much knowing going into this morning what I was gonna be diagnosed/prescribed. It was a given. However going through the process of first visit was totally different. The set up of the surgery at the Clinic I went to was amazing. The technology was well beyond what I was used to back home. The thermometer for my temperature was connected to the same device that monitored my blood pressure, heart beat etc and all fed directly into the computer! So easy, no hassle of juggling through the doctor going back and forward.
Then there is the Doctor. Or in my case, the Nurse Practitioner. Essentially a more qualified Nurse who handles the easy stuff like what I had today, they can prescribe, treat do all the crazy stuff. Not a normal nurse, but not a full doctor. Awesome++ Then once all was said and done, I knew what they were going to prescribe because I have been taking the stuff to treat my tonsilitis for as long as I can remember. It’s cheap, generic and works a charm. What I did not expect was the fact that I wasn’t given a physical prescription. I said to the Dr/Nurse “Ummm so wheres my prescription” with a reply “O its already at the Pharmacy you nominated, you should be able to pick it up in about 10 minutes” I hadn’t even intended on going down for several hours till my lunch break but to know I could just walk in, give my name, show some ID and away I could go with my drugs… Convienient! Then as I was leaving, I was expecting to have to sign bills, fork over credit cards etc to still pay something I mean we did back home. Nope no extra money, no “CoPay” as they call it over here. I could of just walked right on out. Awesome++ I could not believe how easy it was! I was essentially bulk billed thanks to my insurance. Something I have not had happen for what feels like forever!
Today just made me think, If you combined Medicare back home with the Technology and convience of today. That would be one amazingly good health system. I know it might be a one off situation but for those Doctors visits where its simple and easy like this. I may not be so dreading off ever heading to the doctor… A win for the US Health system?