Healthcare
has changed significantly over the last several decades. It used to
be that you had a Primary Care Physician (PCP), which may have been
referred to as your "Family Doctor", that took care of all
of yours and your families health care needs. He (and in rare
circumstances she), would see you for the common cold, deliver your
baby, and possibly make a house call if you were too sick to come to
their office. And, if you had to be admitted to the hospital, your
PCP would most likely be the one who cared for you the entire time.
Nowadays,
it's a new ball game. You may have a PCP, but if you need specialized
care, you will most likely have a different physician for that. For
example, my daughter had a perinatologist for
her entire pregnancy care. (I had my Family Doctor.) When it came time for her to deliver her
baby, her perinatologist wasn't on call. It was actually
a midwife that
delivered her baby. Her perninatologist never even saw her during the
time she was in the hospital. She did see her for her six-week
postpartum check up, and that will be her last visit with her. Also, if you get admitted to the hospital, you might have
a hospitalist to
take care of all, (or most), or your medical needs and never see your
PCP. You also will probably have a barrage of doctors to take care
of your different healthcare needs.
I'm
also sure that you're used to having to pay a co-pay or your portion
due now at the time that you're seen. It used to be that you could
pay when you received your doctors bill in the mail, and if need be,
make payments on it.
Also,
remember when your doctor could just order a test if you needed it?
Now it usually has to go through a whole pre-authorization process with your insurance company,
and even at that, it could get denied.
What
do you think? Do you like all the health care changes or would you
rather see it go back to the "Good 'ol Days"? I for one,
prefer the way it used to be. I had my family doctor from the time I
was two years old, until the time he retired. He took care of four
generations of my family and was not only my doctor, but a friend as
well.
