Health Insurance/Health Care System Anxiety.

[DylanD]

It's a travesty - living here in the USA where some of the most advanced health care exists - yet it's only truly accessible to those who have the best health insurance. The difference between "Gold Plans" (if you can afford it or if it's provided by your employer) and medicaid managed plans (such as mine) is like heaven and hell. I think an entirely new classification of anxiety is being created - you could call it "health access anxiety." The other day I called my "primary care provider" to schedule an appointment - and was told her next available opening isn't for FOUR MONTHS!! Hearing this reply from her office generated frustration, anxiety, anger, fear, and hopelessness. Generally, if you need to see a doctor, it's for a problem that can't wait for 4 months! But only the privileged few with the "top shelf" insurance plans can see their doctors MUCH sooner. And let's say I need to see a specialist. Since my plan requires me to FIRST see my primary care doctor, I'd then need to wait a month or two to see the specialist after I am referred!! With my recent health issues which require testing (tinnitus, apnea, headaches, chronic nausea) it seems almost IMPOSSIBLE to see the specialists I need to see. So....getting back to my original point, "health access anxiety" has added to my pre-existing anxiety. Do any of you feel this way too?

[Peacewithin1]

I don't know if you tried or not but do you think maybe you can get a referral from the ER Dept? Or do you need to go through an entire physical with a PCP?

[DylanD in reply to Peacewithin1]

Months ago i scheduled a physical...but the wait time for THAT was 6 months! It's scheduled for June. And problem with ER visits is that my insurance company won't pay unless it's truly a physical "emergency." And ER's here charge us thousands of dollars if the insurance won't pay.

[Hidden]

Yes!

In my case, I pay thousands, monthly for a, we call it, Medical Aid and I can't make use of it because I am being penelised for not being on a Medical Aid for about a year, when my husband was unemployed. This adds extreme pressure on my already bad anxiety but what can I do, apparently it's the law.

It's sickening that people do that to sick people and it makes no sense.

[DylanD in reply to Hidden]

It just seems so unfair.....we should all have a RIGHT to equal access to affordable care.

[Funkyfaerie]

DylanD,

I feel for you, I really do, it must be quite scary and adds to your worry.

I am in the UK and although I do have to wait, its not as long as that for the Doctor, I had to wait two weeks, but I have now waited three months to see a specialist and I am still waiting!

I too have tinnitus and all day nausea and terrible muscle aches, I think the muscle pain in my neck, is causing my nausea and the tinnitus. If I find a way out I will definitely let you know.

Hang on in there At least on here you know you are not alone Jen x

[Pat9]

That's awful I do feel for you it must be anxiety provoking for you ☹️ not much help to you I am in the UK so unsure or the procedures there I do hope they replace it with something else soon

[Bluswife]

I am.in the USA and I had the same issues so I went around for weeks looking for a New family Dr and one day I chasms a panic attack next to a urgent care went in and the Dr was the best and he told me that they have primary care also so I started seeing the Dr there and he treated my anxiety and told me if I needed to come in ever day just to talk or see the nurse to get seen to reassure my self I was ok to come in and he is still like that it's been three months an he's on vacation now but he still text and emails the office bout my meds or if I need to come in and has a patient portal set up where I can message him I love that Dr office even the lady's at the front r great

[DylanD in reply to Bluswife]

Wow you are VERY VERY lucky. Doctors, generally, are almost impossible to maintain contact with these days!

[Bluswife in reply to DylanD]

Yes and I had actually seen the urgent care side and he told me I should see the Dr at the primary side so I did and he is one of the best I have ever seen and now my kids see him and this is my 3rd month with anxiety and he's not changed at all