Back to the real world Bertier

I'm doing my best to be happy about the learning I'm experiencing since coming back from vacation. I've had exactly one day without one of my patients in the hospital since returning home. The patient I currently have in the hospital started feeling sick 2 weeks ago. Interestingly enough she had an appointment scheduled with me 1 month ago and an appointment with her nephrologist 6 weeks ago. She missed both of these appointments and now she's sitting in a bed in the hospital and will be there probably through the weekend at least.

I don't mind it when people get sick. It happens, but when patients repeatedly miss appointments and then get admitted to the hospital for things that could have been easily adjusted a few weeks previously it frustrates me. Interestingly enough this only happens to my patients who don't actually pay for their medical care.

You should care about this as well because the aforementioned patient is on government insurance (you know, the one Hillary thinks works so well). The government is currently footing the bill for her hospital stay that is thousands of dollars per day. The two appointments that she missed would have been billed under $400 together. She's probably going to get better either way, but one costs us as taxpayers quite a bit more money. The patient pays the same goose egg either way, though when my patient goes to the hospital she gets a taxpayer funded ride in a taxi with lights. She has to find her own ride to her appointments.

I don't know the solution, but free universal coverage will not improve this problem.