Mail Call

[rolanni]

Remember that MRI scheduled for this evening? Today's snail brings News! from Anthem Blue Cross. After due consideration, they agree that an MRI is reasonable in the case and will allow the appointment to stand.

WTF? Anthem gets to decide if my knee hurts bad enough for me to Do Something About It?

Ghod, we need a health care system in this country. Please.

Comments

Re: Check out the VA

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Am not "anonymous" above, but we have a single VA hospital for the entire State of Maine. I am a veteran. I don't know of any veteran who uses that VA hospital if they have a choice.

I've never been in it, so I don't know if that reflects distance or quality of care. Togus is about a two hour drive from here. The major regional hospital is about half a mile . . .

Re: Check out the VA

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Togus is by all accounts a disgrace: it's out-moded, badly staffed and a last resort of the hopeless.

I hear that not all Veteran's Hospitals are like this. We have to remember that Maine is a third-world state.

Re: Check out the VA

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Do we make as high as third?

Re: Check out the VA

[mtz322.livejournal.com]

Twenty-five years ago that was the situation at Fresno. It serves an area about the same size as Maine (in square miles) including the poorest county in the state.

The improvemt didn't come from above. A few stubborn, dedicated staff members, and a lot of volunteers worked hard and eventually it did percolate up so that now it has support from above as well as on location.

For models of what can be done best to look at the good, not just the failures.

Another VA hospital I have (one) experience with is in Portland, Oregon. From what I saw it is also one of the best.

The biggest difference between the VA experiences I've had and the others is that at VA I'm treated with respect.