Three Strikes and You're Out

Sometimes you know better but you do it anyway. Things like choosing a doctor because his office isn't that far from your house. Although I used that strategy when I chose my dentist and it worked out really well.

I should have been suspicious last October when I had my first appointment with this doctor (a dermatologist) and I didn't actually see a doctor - only his staff. (Even when I go in to my GP for something that the nurse can handle, I still see him. But I didn't actually see this doctor - only his assistant.) That should have been strike one - but I let that slide reasoning medical costs are so high because doctors are doing work that could be assigned to a nurse, or nurse practitioner.

I'd gone in to get the full body scan - a check to make sure that nothing suspicious looking had cropped up anywhere on my body. At most ALL doctors' offices, you are told what to expect and if necessary, given a hospital-type gown to put on.  Even if there is a separate changing room the medical professional knocks on the door to make sure you're ready before coming back into the room. But not this doctor's assistant. He just opened the door. AWKWARD. Embarrassing for both of us. But I'm a big girl and I can get past this. But the lack of professionalism was strike one.

Then in December, the skin on my eyelids started getting flaky. I thought I might have developed an allergy to one or more of the skin care products I use. I went back to the dermatologist. Once again, I didn't see the dermatologist, only his "assistant" and nurse. They suggested that I start using Head and Shoulders shampoo. For the life of me, I could not understand how this was going to help my eyelids, especially since I always try really hard not to get shampoo in my eyes - and Head and Shoulders shampoo stings a lot worse than my Itely shampoo. When I didn't seem convinced that his treatment strategy was right, he offered to refer me to a doctor who specialized in eyes. A ridiculous recommendation was strike two.

 I declined the referral but thought that since I was there, I might as well have a few skin tags removed. When I went to make my copay, I was informed that my bill was $15. It seemed I had a credit balance on my account from October. They hadn't been familiar with my insurance so they'd charged me more than they should have and when my insurance paid they just kept the money on my account. They never sent me a statement with a credit balance or a refund check. If I'd never gone back to that office I am convinced they would have pocketed the money. That was strike three. I assure you, if I owed them money I would have received a statement.

So when the whole eyelid situation escalated until my eyelids were bleeding and so swollen that I could barely see, I decided to find a different doctor. I started with my GP who treated it like an allergy and told me that it should be cleared up in a week but if it came back I would need to see a dermatologist. This time I decided to base my choice on something other than office location. I based my choice on his age (over 60), his board certifications, his reviews, and his participation in my insurance network. I considered the location but it wasn't the prime factor. After just a couple weeks of the proper medication, my eyes are fine and I don't have to switch shampoo.