I have issues with medical "Procedures"

[woody1]

Does anyone else? Just what the heck is a "Procedure?" Regards, Woody

[William Yanda]

A procedure is what a medical practitioner "practices"

Bill-duckin and runnin

[KCSO]

That's where yo go in with a nail through your foot and the first thing they do is weigh you and take your blood pressure.

[osteodoc08]

Is it the term procedure or the actual doing of the procedure?

I do procedures all the time. Stitches, cutting off moles, yanking out nasty ingrown toe nails. For me it shouldnt be called procedures, but called funcedures. I've always enjoyed working with my hands. Should have been a surgeon....at least then I'd be able to afford my student loans. Anyone have issues with student loans? :wink:

[FISH4BUGS]

The "procedure" is take a quick look, and then the actual "procedure" starts".... send the bill....fight with insurance to get paid, then write it off, and then get you pay the out of pocket right away.

[s mac]

Don't forget, Dr's are just practiceing anyway.

[sparky45]

By definition: A medical procedure is a course of action intended to achieve a result in the care of persons with health problems. Got health problems, you're going to get a "procedure". Then your Dr. will give the procedure a "procedure code"; then the office staff will submit that procedure code to the insurance provider; then the insurance providers clerk will write of between 50-80% of the charge assigned to that procedure code and send the payment to your Dr. Then the Dr's office staff will sent you a statement to pay the allowable balance. That's the real Medical Procedure.
Sparky

[w5pv]

I find that when they say procedure it means some type of surgey or invasive exam some simple as a emma or as bad as seeing how pain you can take like doing a pulling a tooth without novicane.

[dbosman]

What's Novocaine and should my dentist know about it?

... pulling a tooth without novicane.

Procedures became the norm when insurance companies started deciding what got paid for.

[btroj]

Procedure is a generic term for some sort of medical process. It allows people to say they are seeking medical attention for a health related issue, or problem for those with issue issues, without divulging potentially awkward information.

I prefer to hear about your procedure instead of discovering you have hemorrhoids, anal fissures, or a prolapsed bowel.

Think of procedure as a polite way of preventing over sharing of information.

[Rex]

When the Dr. walks in with a rubber glove and jar of vaseline you know you are going to get a "procedure".

[square butte]

Procedure = Wallet Vacuum = Boat Payment or Tropical Vacation

[Zymurgy50]

"Procedure" is when you realize that your Doctor still has both his hands on your hips during your prostate exam............ just sayin'

[woody1]

[QUOTE=btroj;2588676]
I prefer to hear about your procedure instead of discovering you have hemorrhoids, anal fissures, or a prolapsed bowel.QUOTE]
But when I go in and nurse GoodBody asks me if I'm here for my "Procedure" I want to know if I'm going to get my anus rotorooted or my appendix removed. Both would be a "Procedure" wouldn't they? Regards, Woody

[btroj]

Woody, that should all be well known in advance!

Medical lingo is a Bit short on real descriptiveness. Sort of like when getting an injection of local and they tell you there will be a slight pinch, that really mean this is gonna hurt like hell!

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

Hmm. I took a procedure shortly after breakfast this morning

[Recluse]

I've had enough medical procedures since age eighteen to last me several lifetimes. Some were necessary, others I continue to have my doubts over.

The one thing in common for each and every one of these "procedures" is that they were expensive as hell.

$26,000 per day for a hospital room, IVs, bad food, no functioning television and a four-minute visit from the quack--for an appendectomy? And then they botched it, sent me a bill for $12,000 to have to go in and correct THEIR screw-up, and then threaten to sue me when I told them they would need a colonoscopy to recover the bill they sent me?

This last bout of medical stuff topped six-figures again. Yeah, insurance pays for it--but who pays for insurance? Everyone.

Just got off the phone with a specialists' office who wants to do some "scans and probes and looking around" at the end of the month. "What are you looking for?" I ask.

"Oh, just a good idea at your age that we put you under, stick probes into every orifice of your body and then bill you and your insurance company unmercifully for it," was the paraphrased answer.

MY answer is not printable here.

I've canceled ever stinking "preventive care" doctor's appointment this year except for two routine dental cleanings. The howls of protest I'm getting from these damn lawyers with stethoscopes is unbelievable.

I don't take my pickup to the mechanic until something is wrong. Why the hell should I go to the damn doctor if nothing is wrong?

We've been so brainwashed by the medical industry. . . we have more pills than we have problems for them to solve, so we have to look for new syndromes and disorders and diseases in order to justify big pharma and big retail pharmacies to continue with their obscene profit markups in order to satisfy Wall Street.

Every damn doctor's office you sit in these days seems to have those closed circuit televisions with tales of doom and gloom if you don't get your rectum scoped at the same time you your ear/nose/throat doc rams his poker up you while the urologist pounds on your kidneys then surprises you by saying their bruised.

Medical procedures? Hell yeah I have issues with them.

:coffee:

[Rex]

Recluse, how do you really feel about Dr. check-ups?[smilie=1:

[square butte]

One thing that is true in the medical universe - Testing leads to procedures

[wlc]

Medical "procedures" are kinda in the same boat as folks having "issues". They aren't "issues", they are PROBLEMS. Its not a "procedure" it is a money sucking racket.

[MtGun44]

Ya'll are having a lot of fun with this, but for myself - I've had my life and ability to function saved a number
of times by docs. Not all are great, and there have been a few duds in the bunch - like the one I threatened
to punch out if he tried to touch me again, and I really would have, too - but the guy that put a stent in my
heart artery is a real hero. No problems at all in 8 years, can do anything I want to, and have hiked up
mountains to 11,000 ft with a 55 lb pack and hunted up and down in Colorado for elk. Bike for hours
with no heart symptoms, EVER.

Say what you want, I LIKE doctors. Don't like it when I have to go, but beats the heck out of being
dead or crippled.

Bill

[Lloyd Smale]

procedure is a bs word used to describe mri and ct scans and lab procedures that doctors want done to pad the bottom line at the hospitals that buy this equiptment and couldnt afford to if they only used it when it was really needed.

[sparky45]

procedure is a bs word used to describe mri and ct scans and lab procedures that doctors want done to pad the bottom line at the hospitals that buy this equiptment and couldnt afford to if they only used it when it was really needed.

You're quite wrong Lloyd. Along with DRG's - Diagnostic Related Group - came standardized testing. In other words if such and such test WASN'T performed as your diagnosis indicated, payment was withheld or diminished. Sort of a catch 22. When I first started in the Healthcare field, Dr's and Hospitals and other providers DIDN'T get paid for doing lots of tests, they were deemed unnecessary and not reimbursed. Then along came DRG's and then everything was reversed; you couldn't get reimbursement unless you DID THE TESTS.

[gwpercle]

When a doctor told me I had to have some kind of colon procedure, which I had heard about, the one involving a camera up your but, I told him NO...wasn't going to do it and I would let him know when I wanted one. He never brought it , or some kind of stress test he wanted done, again. So if they want to do something you don't feel necessary or needed, tell NO...what they going to do. Same thing goes for medicines they want you to take, you don't want it ...just say no.
Gary

[MtGun44]

If you have ever had a friend die of colon cancer, the colon check won't
seem like too much to do to avoid it.

Bill

[montana_charlie]

Medical "procedures" are kinda in the same boat as folks having "issues". They aren't "issues", they are PROBLEMS.You can go to the doctore to have an 'issue' checked out, and that is when you will be told if it's a disease, condition, syndrome, or disorder.

It isn't something that can be fixed with a 'pill', you will need a 'procedure' to remedy the 'issue' you came in with.

A procedure is a series of activities that has a 'start' and an 'end'. With luck, the 'end' will not coincide with the demise of the patient ... or the disappearance of his financial well-being.

[osteodoc08]

Procedure = Wallet Vacuum = Boat Payment or Tropical Vacation

Ha, I wish I could say that. More like a fraction of a payment for Sallie Mae, damn crooks.

Recluse, sorry to hear of the bad experiences. I find that my older patients fall into 2 catergories, tons of health problems such as heart disease, CHF, diabetes, or pretty damn healthy and leave them the heck alone.

Unfortunately there are more than a fair share of unscrupulous docs that "procedure" everyone to benefit themselves. You gotta find a good ole boy country doc. Not all of us are out to get you or your wallet.

[osteodoc08]

And since we are talking about procedures, ALL YOU SMOKERS AGE 55+.........

The USPSTF recommends annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography in adults ages 55 to 80 years who have a 30 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. Screening should be discontinued once a person has not smoked for 15 years or develops a health problem that substantially limits life expectancy or the ability or willingness to have curative lung surgery.

Thats as of last month.

[Geraldo]

By definition: A medical procedure is a course of action intended to achieve a result in the care of persons with health problems. Got health problems, you're going to get a "procedure". Then your Dr. will give the procedure a "procedure code"; then the office staff will submit that procedure code to the insurance provider; then the insurance providers clerk will write of between 50-80% of the charge assigned to that procedure code and send the payment to your Dr. Then the Dr's office staff will sent you a statement to pay the allowable balance. That's the real Medical Procedure.
Sparky

Winner winner, chicken dinner!! Doc talks to you-no code for that=no money. Doc talks to you and sticks his finger somewhere you wish he wouldn't (procedure) but there's a code for that=$$.

[osteodoc08]

You're quite wrong Lloyd. Along with DRG's - Diagnostic Related Group - came standardized testing. In other words if such and such test WASN'T performed as your diagnosis indicated, payment was withheld or diminished. Sort of a catch 22. When I first started in the Healthcare field, Dr's and Hospitals and other providers DIDN'T get paid for doing lots of tests, they were deemed unnecessary and not reimbursed. Then along came DRG's and then everything was reversed; you couldn't get reimbursement unless you DID THE TESTS.

True. So true. Especially in the hospital setting.

Not to mention all the "lawyer medicine" we do.........we know in our hearts we dont necessarily need to order it, but if you dont that one patient will die, you'll get sued and lose everything youve worked for......so I just tell my patients what their options are and advise them. Document the conversation and what the patient wanted to do. Thats all we are, glorified advisors (at least in primary care)

[Baron von Trollwhack]

It is really easy to go to Mayo Clinic .com and do an alpha search on your problem of intrest and learn quite a bit. Then once the paperwork starts flowing to you from medical
procedures and tests via the billing from your provider or insurance company you can search out the billing codes via a search engine. Back to MC.Com to help you figure out what is going on.

It doesn't pay to be a low information patient. Then you will be able to communicate better with your DOC, or caregivers.

BvT

[mold maker]

Before pulling a tooth, the doc took an xray. When I went to pay it was exactly what I had in my wallet. Just saying.

[popper]

Ding, ding - Rex wins -even if you don't need that 'procedure'. Is it a 'procedure' when they ask you to rate the pain from 1 to 10 before getting an annual chest xray?

[TXGunNut]

My last chest X-ray resulted in a CT scan, PET scan and another CT scan yesterday, 8 months later. Chest X-ray was covered by insurance, guess who paid for everything else?

[geargnasher]

I have to have a "procedure" done every so often that involves a 30-gauge needle, a syringe full of stuff that looks like perch eggs, and my left eyeball. Somehow I can still mostly see the sights in spite of, or because of, this. I always joke with the doc that since I walk in seeing 20-30 and have to be led out, face in a wad of bloody tissues, and $700 dollars poorer, I really just need to find a bum on a street corner who'd stab me in the eye for only fifty bucks. His retort is usually something about charging me the "insurance rate", which is about $3K so he can clear the same money. Over the past few years I've paid out of pocket just to cut the BS and get exactly the diagnostics I need and nothing I don't, it frees the eye doc up quite a bit, too. I joke about it but he's first-class, and I went through a couple who need to be behind bars and nearly let me go blind while billing my BCBS unmercifully and doing all sorts of (what I found out later were) non-indicated tests and "procedures", including six laser surgeries to "fix" the same, 1/8" retinal tear.

If there's one thing I would like everyone in the world to know about medical care, it's WHEN IN DOUBT, GET A SECOND OPINION. Another thing so many people don't realize, it's YOUR body and YOUR life, YOU make the ultimate call. You also have the right to ask a potential care provider if they are the best choice for the job, and ask them to show you why if they say yes.

After many years of disappointments and misery, I finally found a good dental practice. The head honcho is a kind, empathetic, and gentle man who teaches advanced dental classes and surgery at two universities, yet encouraged me to seek an oral surgeon to remove my aged wisdom teeth. He took the better part of an hour to discuss it with me and explained that a "specialist" could do it much faster, and that speed was key to successful recovery. I really wanted him to do it because I knew he would do it right, and he said he would if I insisted but to trust him that any of four other surgeons who do nothing but wisdom teeth all day would be a better choice. After all that he didn't charge me a dime (I'm a regular there). Of course the oral hackemup busted a perfectly good 12-year molar and knocked out too other fillings in the process, not to mention buggared the instructions for pain meds to my wife, but hey, it only took him 20 minutes.

If you can find a good doctor, lawyer, dentist, and mechanic and don't manage to outlive them, count yourself lucky.

Gear

[MtGun44]

+1 on gear. Haven't yet found a really good mechanic, still do more myself
than I want to, but really sick of getting garbage work for high prices. Gear has
helped me a few times with his knowledge.

Had a really good orthopedist for about 25 yrs, but he up and retired on me. Now
I have a knee going slowly south on me and trying to find another good one
before it needs an overhaul.

Did manage to find a really good financial advisor, so I can pay for the other
guys!

Bill

[Frank46]

Medical procedures is what separates you from the money in your wallet. Frank