The most disturbing things that I learned during my family practice rotation was that doctors lie to their patients. I had always suspected this when I went to my own internist in Chicago, but when I saw it first hand, it was very upsetting.
This lie happened when the office received its supply of the flu shot in early September and the office administrator had a giant freak out.
IT WAS TOO EARLY IN THE YEAR!!!! WHAT IF INSURANCE WOULDN'T PAY FOR IT????
Apparently, Medicare will pay for the flu shot only once every 360 days. I'm not sure why they felt the need to place this restriction since who goes to the doctor repeatedly during a year to request the same vaccine over and over again? But that is how it is. I can only think that the goal of the rule is to make sure that patients cannot get coverage from time to time, or to force them to pay out of pocket or forgo care occasionally.
So what did the office I was working in do? They told patients that they indeed had the flu shot in stock, but that if they got it in September, IT WOULDN'T LAST UNTIL THE END OF FLU SEASON.*
I.e. They lied to their patients.
To all of their patients.
Even the ones that didn't have Medicare as their insurance.
They simply told their patients that they had to make another appointment to come back for the shot in a month. How convenient! What an ingenious way to increase revenue! Kind of like giving an ECG to every patient over 40 at every yearly physical from then on, which this office did also.
I think what got under my skin the most wasn't that they told patients they had to come back, but they made up false scientific information and disseminated it to their patients rather than telling them that they had to come back for insurance reasons. They also wouldn't allow patients who couldn't come back in a month the option of getting the shot now and paying out of pocket if their insurance ended up denying coverage.
I just thought the whole thing was morally reprehensible.
Welcome to socialized medicine!
*Just in case you're confused, the reason that you have to get a flu shot every year is NOT because it becomes ineffective. It is because different strains of flu virus are in circulation every year. Nobody really knows how long vaccine conferred immunity to a particular strain lasts, but that period of time is certainly more than 4 months (confirmed by my husband the virologist).
3 Pearls of Wisdom:
Now, now. I wouldn't call it socialized medicine. Sure, this particular SNAFU is Medicare's fault (and I wonder: if you got the flu shot one year in November, ie a bit late, would this rule prevent you from getting a flu shot the next year in October, ie right on time? it sure seems like it. WAY TO GO MEDICARE), but equating Medicare and socialized medicine is like equating... oh, I dunno, a soup kitchen and a drug lunch. You know, they're both *free*, but the former involves angry homeless men and the latter involves someone selling you something. I think.
Please understand that my fear of socialized medicine stems from a) my experiences at the VA, and b) my experiences at student health. I wouldn't wish either on anybody (except maybe 18 year old college girls).
How crappy.
I would rather hear the truth, and the truth makes sense. Medicare has rules---you don't want to pay out of pocket for the shot? then wait until it has been 365+ days since you last had it, and we'll all move on. Chances are if Medicare has that rule---other insurances either do too, or are soon to follow. Who knows...??? But---be truthful about it. That way if it's worth $40 to some person, they'll pay the $$ then, get the shot, and save themself the time of another appointment, and free up some space in the schedule book for someone who happens to be SICK that day.
...so frustrating. I don't blame you for being turned off to that kind of behavior...
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