What the healthcare?

Some days I really hate being part of the healthcare system. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of great things..... medications that cure diseases or alleviate symptoms, technology to make early diagnoses, skilled and caring nurses and doctors, the list goes on. But just in the last year I can think of more than a dozen of what I would consider healthcare failures.... some due to people, some to process and some to technology. Maybe this is what my blog should be about, because only when we recognize and acknowledge failure do we ever have an opportunity to improve.

Two personal examples in the past 30 days:

My daughter had a 6:30 pm knee MRI scheduled at an office where our insurance would cover 100% even though it was an hour away. The office called that morning at 11 am to confirm the appointment. I informed them that her grandmother would be bringing her since I had to work and to let me know if that would be a problem - that will be fine, I was assured. 5:30 pm I receive a call that her grandmother cannot bring her to the appointment. Really. She is 17 and could take herself to a Planned Parenthood clinic to receive an exam, birth control pills or an abortion but cannot consent to receive an imaging exam and I could not give consent over the phone.

Picked up a prescription for my son at the pharmacy yesterday. We won't have to make a call to the office for a refill request any time soon. He has 998 refills left before next year.

Get it together healthcare.