How could the government possibly screw this health care

[doc03]

system up more than it is? Yesterday I took my 90 year old mother to the mall for some shopping. After about an hour she comes to where we were to meet up. She said she had a medical problem and she wanted to go see her doctor. So I take her to her doctors office, it turned out he wasn't in. The receptionist said she we would have to see another doctor at an urgent care center on the other side of town. I take her to the urgent care center. Upon arriving at the urgent care center first she was asked for an insurance card, then they give us about 5 pages of papers to sign and fill out. They wanted to know my mothers medical history, she has probably been in the hospital at least 20 times, in a nursing home 4 times, had about 8 operations and taking about a dozen prescriptions. Just how in the hell is a 90 year old women supposed to remember her medical history and dates and all her medications? We waited 3 hours in the waiting room before she was called back to the examining rooms. About 45 minutes after she went back to the examining room a PA calls me back and tells me the doctor wasn't there today and that she had examined her. She tells me basically there was really not much she could do since she didn't have access to her medical records and wasn't sure what medications she was on. The PA said if she had any more problems take her to the emergency room (the emergency room always takes a minimum of about 12 hours to get in and out of).
Anyway here's the rest of the story. Today I see my Republican Faux News junkie neighbor and what is she all upset about? She is worried about the (government) having a data base with your medical records. I told her what had happened the day before and said wouldn't it have been better if the PA was able to access my mothers medical files? I said what if you are out of town and have to go to an emergency room wouldn't it be better if they could just look up your history on line? After explaining that to her I think she actually agreed that it was a good idea. These people listen to Limbaugh and Faux and don't even think about what they are saying. It is starting to look to me like the right-wing nuts and the insurance industry are going to kill health care again just like in 1992.

[Historic NY]

1. Even my dentist has my records on a database,that the oral surgeon could access.

I had to get a wisdom tooth out and my dentist went out of town w/o forwarding my records directly. I would have had to cancel but he was able to get my dental records, xrays, etc. on his computer. I only had to give him permission. A few of the Dr's I see are really anal about getting the info exact into their computers. I have one that uses her lap top to make the notes before I leave & she reviews the key aspects. She told me it was part of a system to upgrade medical records in NY state. My foot Dr. was able to get the results of and review my ankle MRI w/o leaving his office all via computer. You are right about the paper work trail it become annoying trying to remember and filling them out.

[doc03]

2. Yes but what my point was is that wing-nuts

are claiming that Obama's talk of a national data base for medical records violates your privacy. I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer but it seems to me a national data base for our health care records could save tons of money and lives. The way things are now if you on vacation and get sick or injured the doctors have no way of knowing what medical conditions you have unless they can contact your primary physician. Wouldn't it be a lot more efficient if you had to go to an emergency room out of town the doctor could just bring your records up on a computer in a few seconds rather than calling your doctors office (providing it's even office hours) to look them up in a 19th century filing system.

[Historic NY]

3. Exactly, thats what the VA is trying to accomplish so it can deliver better service..

to our veterans. They can't access them unless you sign off now, it would be the same then too.