As I have ranted and rambled about before, Brian has rather crappy insurance, which I unfortunately had to get on at the beginning of the year because we could not afford paying the monthly Cobra payment. But, as I learned in econ or some other class, "opportunity costs" or something like that. So to save several hundred dollars a month for the right (er, privilege) to have insurance, we have to hope we don't need much of it. If one of us gets sick, well, then, it may have made more sense to pay more money monthly.
When I went to my annual day of torture on Friday (i.e., the gynecologist), I was surprised that my copay was $25. On my insurance card, there is a line for Office Visit Copayment, for $15, and there is another line for Specialist Office Visit Copayment, for $25. There is nothing special about going to the gynecologist. It is something that I am pretty sure women should do yearly once they become "grownups" or younger, if they start doing the horizontal mambo (I know, I am so 12 years old). I realize that there is only a $10 difference between the regular and special office visit, but it is the principal as much as it is the extra cost.
I hate going to the gyno. During the prying open part, the doctor always asks if I am okay, because my whole body tenses, my blood pressure skyrockets, and I pretty much liken the pain to labor, though it is a lot shorter, fortunately. The first time I went to the gyno, I swore I would never do the deed again; it just was not worth it. Now that I am married and pretty sure I am done procreating, well, that idea is looking better and better. Just kidding, Brian. Mostly.
But seriously. Doesn't this seem a little wrong? Why is it considered a special office visit? Way to discourage women from preventative health care.
Grr.
When I went to my annual day of torture on Friday (i.e., the gynecologist), I was surprised that my copay was $25. On my insurance card, there is a line for Office Visit Copayment, for $15, and there is another line for Specialist Office Visit Copayment, for $25. There is nothing special about going to the gynecologist. It is something that I am pretty sure women should do yearly once they become "grownups" or younger, if they start doing the horizontal mambo (I know, I am so 12 years old). I realize that there is only a $10 difference between the regular and special office visit, but it is the principal as much as it is the extra cost.
I hate going to the gyno. During the prying open part, the doctor always asks if I am okay, because my whole body tenses, my blood pressure skyrockets, and I pretty much liken the pain to labor, though it is a lot shorter, fortunately. The first time I went to the gyno, I swore I would never do the deed again; it just was not worth it. Now that I am married and pretty sure I am done procreating, well, that idea is looking better and better. Just kidding, Brian. Mostly.
But seriously. Doesn't this seem a little wrong? Why is it considered a special office visit? Way to discourage women from preventative health care.
Grr.
Comments
I called my health insurance, and the CSR said that only family doctor visits are considered regular office visits. I said, "So I guess I should stop seeing my gyne and just go to a PCP every year." Of course, she said that would be up to me. But she did say that anything that happened during that exam, including routine testing (there is some test you get every three years), s/b covered. We will see.
Oh, and thanks for your suggestion about having a PA or MD do a routine exam; I have been looking to leave my practice for years.