A Rant

It is hard not to rant about the health care system, especially now while it is such a hotly debated news item. My rant is not about the individuals who are employed within the system, but at the absurdity of the basic structure of the system. How can anyone think this health care system works when a patient is left in pain because the insurance company will not approve the doctor's written prescription because it is a Friday afternoon?

After a long week of watching Dennis manage his pain with his best western flair, a mixture of stoicism, denial, and curmedgeonlyness, the oncologist doubled the pain medication dosages to help Dennis manage his escalating and persistant pain. We were down to his very last pain pill as we rushed to the pharmacy with the new prescription in hand, hopeful that we would be able to get the medications needed before the next wave of pain washed over Dennis.

The pharmacist compassionately explained the prescription could not be filled until the insurance company approved it, which could happen only during regular business hours, and then usually took 2 to 3 days to complete. After some dramatic eye-contact conversation, we paid out of our own pockets the $200.00 for the pain medications, feeling relieved and fortunate that the next pain wave would start to be managed uninterrupted.

The cracks in the health care system are huge, even with the best private insurance. The system is massive and unwieldy, preventing the very thing it promotes: care.