I wrote a
post in September, Doctors
Are Part Of the Problem, But They Can Also Be Part Of The Solution, about a
terrible appointment I had with my (previous) primary care physician (PCP), in
which I was degraded and basically accused of faking my illnesses.
But then the
situation got a little bit worse.
BECAUSE I
GOT BILLED FOR IT.
Not only
that, but it was a bill for $125 for an “extensive physical examination.”
When I get
bills, I pay them. Even when the amount
is painful. Even when the bill gives me
sticker shock and I see red.
AS LONG AS
SERVICES ARE RENDERED.
But if you
try and charge me for services that were not rendered – and that we both know
clearly were not rendered – I will fight back.
(Cue “Ferris
Bueller’s Day Off” – This is where Leslie goes berserk)
All I received
was a lecture, and a misguided one, at that.
And then, to add insult to injury, I was billed for it.
I still can’t
get over it. Clearly. The gull of the doctor. Apparently he didn’t realize who he was
dealing with.
I was so
angry that I handwrote a letter. I just
couldn’t stop myself.
I’ve
included the letter here, both pictures of the handwritten version (which I promptly
sent) and the text so you can read it (names have been redacted).
*****
To Whom
It May Concern:
I will
NOT pay this bill. On this date, at this
appointment, there was NO examination.
Nothing was done other than Dr. _____ yelling at me for no reason. I was accused of faking my illnesses. I’m sorry that your office staff sucks, but
as a patient, that is NOT my problem, and should not be taken out on me. You can send this bill to collections if you
are that petty, but I will fight it. If
Dr. ______ cares at all about anything other than the bottom line, this bill
will be wiped. It’s the right thing to
do and he knows it. My _____has an
established relationship with Dr. _____ and I don’t want this to impact their relationship. However, if this bill does not disappear,
there will be a big problem. I’ve never
been treated the way I was that day by any doctor ever. And I’ve seen a lot of doctors. I will not pay money for services that were
not performed. That borders on
malpractice. I sincerely hope other
patients will not be treated the way I was.
Leslie
Rott
*****
Should I receive a call from a lawyer or a collection agency, I
will be happy to them exactly why this bill will not be getting paid, and why,
quite frankly, this doctor should not be practicing medicine.
Additionally, I recently learned that, bloodwork I had put off
and then had done, even though I have since made the decision never to go back to
this doctor, not only did not confirm his belief that I was faking my illnesses,
but did confirm my belief that he believed I was faking my illnesses.
He ran a variety of tests, including anti-nuclear antibody
(ANA), which is a diagnostic test, a confirmatory test, for autoimmune diseases,
like lupus and RA. If he was really
curious, this is a test that he would have run when I first started seeing
him. But no. There’s something cold and calculated about
him running that test when he did that makes the situation all the worse.
I always knew that doctors like this existed, but I had never
experienced one firsthand.
Aside from the moral problems I have with this entire
situation, I also have a practical problem.
Unfortunately, sick people need doctors.
I am chronically ill, and as a result of this situation, I no longer
have a PCP. And based on my past
negative experiences – although this one being the most negative – I’m not too
excited about finding a new one.
But I need one. And it
feels like a lot of work.
So I am left to wonder.
Are we all just paying to die?
Are we all paying to stay well and avoid becoming ill at all
costs? And then when we get sick, are we
paying not to die? Which, in the end,
leads to the same, unfortunate, inevitable conclusion?
My Bubbie passed away at 90, and was pretty healthy until
almost the very end. But I watched the
end of her life become the most physically and emotionally painful, and also
the most costly. I am 31. I am not healthy. So by that calculation, I will pay and
continue to pay not to die. The most
costly times, health wise, are still in front of me, and in the end, I will die
anyway.
I can only fear that in our fast approaching new political
climate, this situation is only going to get worse. We will get poorer quality services at a
greater cost to us. And in the end, we
will be sicker for longer, and we will die, sicker.
We’ve already seen what happens when people in power use it against
those who do not have that same power. I’m
not trying to get political here. But I am
using my voice. And unfortunately, even
though one of my New Year’s Resolutions for 2017 is to get un-angry and to
focus on the positive, one power I do have is not to stay silent and to expose
medical “ills” where I see and experience them.
Therefore, I am sharing this experience, despite the fact that very
little good can be found in it.
Because doctors like this are not doctors at all. They
use their power for evil instead of good. They give the medical profession a bad
name. They make patients feel badly
about themselves, they accuse patients of faking their illnesses, when they,
themselves, in fact, are playing the system.
They are charging patients for services they did not render in the hopes
that no one will have the time, will be too sick, or will not pay enough
attention to take a stand and fight back. They also make those who are healthy feel
that doctors are too cumbersome, so they avoid them at all costs, until they
become sick and have no choice.