Ohhhhhh yeah. Indeed! I just read the hilarious comments on Dr. IBear’s “Words that Should Never Be Said In An Emergency Department.” I was still laughing about the cute story that Dr. Scan Man shared in the comments there, when I was forced to utter the same words he ended the post with: “Thank you Mr. Murphy.”

I usually keep this sort of thing off my public blog - but really, this is just too much. Turn off your whine meters … pull on your hip boots … things are gonna get deep!

A week ago today, I developed what I recognized as a neuroma under my left foot. I rolled my eyes in disgust, and went on with my day … in fact, I went on with my week. It was not the first one of those, and it will not be last. I hobbled and hopped … and for the better part, tried to minimize the “turning the air blue” phenomenon that seemed to accompany activities like putting a shoe on.

By Thursday, I realized that the fun had only just begun. My little ouchy was rather quickly being obscured by something far ouchier. By Friday I wondered if I’d ever wear a shoe again, and by Saturday, I had that awful: “Why do these things always happen on a week-end?” feeling …

I was having my first ever experience with … gout. I was grateful to the foresight that caused me to remove my cute little toe rings on Friday, because by Saturday, it would not have been possible.

It was late yesterday before I realized that I still had the darn neuroma - same foot - but the gout had taken so much of my attention that the neuroma was completely obscured! So … if you ever get a neuroma, I have great advice for making the pain seem as if it’s not even there … *cough* …

Anyway, I was still surviving, and things had begun to improve a bit by this morning. Ayuh! I was starting to feel pretty cocky!

I hop-hobbled into the kitchen, avoiding every obstacle along the way … and managed to make it all the way into there without resorting to too much, erm, “colorful language.” Once in there, I looked down at my poor sore foot, and noticed that I had a bunch of bruises I hadn’t seen before. One more thing to wonder about …

I raised my poor, angry looking foot, and bent forward just a wee tiny bit to point out the bruises on my leg to my son, when I felt something *FLASH* somewhere in the lumbar region of my back. Hoo yeah. And I thought a little sore toe was a big deal!

Feeling completely defeated, I decided that whatever I’d gone to the kitchen for wasn’t all that important after all.

And now … all I can do is join the chorus with Dr. Scan Man and say “Thank you Mr. Murphy!”

Accompanied someone to a Medicare Part D meeting today. What a disaster! This is government “efficiency” at its best.

This lady, whom I will not name, has congestive heart failure, hypertension, kidney failure, hyperparathyroidism, anemia and diabetes. At the moment, her medications cost her about $2,400 a year - that’s not counting the Aranesp injections for the anemia, which are extremely exspensive, but are not funded in the same way as the other medications.

As soon as the lady helping my friend realized that I was ready to take notes, she took my friend off by herself. I knew what was coming when that happened … so did my friend.

Anyway, let me relate the practical aspect which was garnered from today’s expedition.

If my friend takes the least expensive of the plans she was told actually covered most of the medications she needs, it would cost her $1,600 a year. Then, she would have a $250 deductible. (Brings it up to $1,850 so far.) Meanwhile, she would have a variable co-pay for each medication she buys, and the ones she really needs the help with were the ones she was told she would only get if she called the insurance company, and then had the doctor justify prescribing them to her.

The insurance would pay up to a certain limit, and then she would reach what the woman called the “donut hole.” Beyond that point, my friend would have to pay all of her medications right out of her pocket, for about another $1000 … a bit more, actually. (Now, were up to $2,850 … NOT counting the copays!!!) After that $1000, the insurance would kick in again.

Meanwhile, the insurance company could change anything - including her copay, the amount the policy cost her, etc., at their discretion at any time, and if they did, she was still forced to finish a one year contract with them

We got into the car, and worked it out quickly without a calculator - but the upshot was clear … and she asked me: “Why on earth would I want to pay an extra $1000 or more just to involve the government in my life???”

Duh!

Why indeed?

She decided that she’s just going to continue paying out of her pocket. I don’t blame her. I told her that I intend to lay down and die before I deal with the government for health care … since I’d probably end up doing just that in their care anyway.

We agreed to forget all about it, and went to eat at a friend’s house, and then watched a movie. I came home late … still have my school work to do. It wasn’t wasted though … I now have a firm idea of what I think about Medicare Part D …

Dr. Bob has posted Part V of his series: Medical Coding: Compliance Penalties. We’ve been through three mazes, waltzed with a gorilla … and now find ourselves cornered by a Rottweiler.

“Welcome to health care in the new millenium.”

Man! Am I glad I went into Medical Informatics (Health Information Technology) instead of Health Information Management …

Doctor Bob over on The Doctor is In is giving us lessons on how those poor MD type Dudes and Dudettes make out their bills. This is not easy reading … and it’s not for the faint hearted! This is “bust your brains” sort of nasty!

As much I hate the idea, I understand more and more why so many docs are going for hospitalist careers … getting a paycheck sure beats dealing with Government regulations and Insurance claims!

Those of you who are brave and daring … sit in on Doctor Bob’s class:

scan man’s notes » Chicken Soup NOT for the Soul…

Want to see what sort of dreams Dr. Scan Man has? Delve into the mind of a sleep deprived radiologist (who later overslept) at your own risk!!!

As a side note … I honestly can not understand what would be wrong with that Chicken Soup … 0.o

Grand Rounds is up at Big Mama Doc’s blog! And what a line up she has!

Our Dr. Flea is rejoicing that there is at least one other Flea represented … and we get to dance with Dr. Bob’s medical coding gorilla … again. *cough*

Do we have any podiatrists out there? *blink!*

Mama Doc picks out her favorite, and it’s none other than our very own Dr. Hebert! If you haven’t read his Slings of Fortune post, you are seriously falling short of your daily dose of exquisitely embarrassing humor!

So - get over there and take a peek!

As for me, I’m blogrolling Big Mama! I’m delighted that Grand Rounds has made me aware of her blog!