The Stupidity Of The Medical System

The medical community in this country is screwed. That has been made apparent to me over the last week. When I went for my neurological tests the doctor who performed these tests told my primary physician that he felt that I might have spinal stenosis. This is the shrinking of the spinal column which causes pain which shoots down your butt into your legs. I found this to be totally out there because I have absolutely no pain in my back. As a matter of fact some of back bends that I do in yoga shock even my yoga teachers. Not only that but I often feel that my body craves these back bends. I need to do them. This doesn't sound like someone with spinal stenosis to me however I was ready to have the back MRI that Dr C told my primary care physican (PCP) that I should have. My PCP (Bob) agreed and wrote the prescription and seeing that I was having an MRI on my right foot for the supposed plantar fasciitis I figured we could save some time and money and have both done at the same time. Yeah, right!!!!!!

My insurance company declined the back MRI because Bob wrote the order. He is not affiliated with my insurance company but because he has been my doctor for 31 years I pay to go to him. The neurologist that did the tests is affiliated with my insurance company but wouldn't write the order for it because he didn't consider me his patient. He was just the test doctor and not MY doctor. So what does this all mean?

I have to go back to Dr C's office (neurologist) and wave hi to him, talk to him, pay a co-pay to see him and have him bill my insurance company for a visit that I don't need so that he can consider me his patient and write the prescription for the back MRI that I didn't go to him for in the first place. I went to him for my foot pain. Now he can't see me until July 21. Are we confused yet?

Now, the latest in this ridiculous story is that Dr C's office called and said that now they think it's not spinal stenosis and probably a pinched nerve. I don't think it's anything. I think they are crazy.

The MRI of my right foot and ankle is scheduled for Monday so I will have to have two separate procedures. Double the price. Double the hassle. Stupid.