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With all due respect to the HMO concept (none), I saw an interesting cartoon today in a doctor's office. A woman is talking to a man in a coffin, telling him she is almost finished getting a written referrel from the HMO doctor to allow him to go to a specialist. Is that funny? I think not, is it too close to the truth? I say yes. With all the modern advancements in medicine, i am afraid that the HMO style of letting businessmen administer medical treatment, or I should say administering the PREVENTION of medical treatment, is a step back to the dark ages! the mindset that the bottom line rules, puts medical treatment on the same level as appliance repair. If a dishwasher breaks down after it is a few years old, and the repairman is slow in arriving, and parts are hard to get, the manufacturer will quickly suggest "buy a new dishwasher, this one is hard to fix, obsolete, etc." Great, they can't fix the product and now they get to profit from the sale of a new one! With an HMO, using that logic "Well the patient is getting old, the disease is hard to treat, or cure, so we'll just let him die, and we can save a lot of money for our stockholders" I am not anti-business, or against a fair profit for providers of medical care, I just don't think it should be a cash cow at the expense of the patient or his/her family. In a restaurant the person who handles the "unclean" cash, is not suppossed to handle the food. I think the medical profesionals should not be involved with the the finances of the institution, when they have to deny the best treatment to save money. Remember, these are the folks that send a mother home in less than 24 hours after giving birth! [OO] LOOKING FOR RADIOS! Ken Becker [log in to unmask] On Fri, 14 Mar 1997, Elizabeth Leslie wrote: > Thanks to you all for responding on this. > > Ken, full marks for lateral thinking. But if ever I was faced with a > choice that made me emphatically opt for 'improper' medication this is it. > I did joke to Ernie recently that 'I need a wife,' but this is not quite > what I had in mind! But it did make me chuckle. > > Beth > > >Beth, just tell him you demand a sex change operation, so you can get > >proper medicationI If he is working for an HMO and trying to save money > >by giving you cheaper meds, he'll have to realize the meds will cost his > >employers much less than the surgery! (Just kidding!) > > > > > > > > > >[OO] LOOKING FOR RADIOS! > >Ken Becker > >[log in to unmask] > > > > > >On Thu, 13 Mar 1997, Barbara Mallut wrote: > > > >> Beth... I was appalled to read that you're being WITHHELD l-dopa! > >>(Sinemet or > >> the equivalent). This seems like an issue of _CONTROL_ to me, rather than > >> the practice of a responsible and caring physician. > >> > >> Since PD is a disease which effects each individual is a somewhat different > >> manner from every other individual having the disease, what possible > >> difference could I take if you were a male, head of household, working to > >> support a wife and kids, and going to lose your job because of the disease > >> making dramatic inroads into your life?! The disease IS terrible, and > >>you DO > >> have it, and you're YOU... This is NOT a gender issue or an occupational > >> issue, and your physician MUST be appraised of that!! > >> > >> If the MD then won't prescribe what IS the drug of choice for most > >>people with > >> PD then get another doctor! Even an internist or family practitioner .... > >> heck, even a PEDIATRICIAN can prescribe you Sinemet!!! (or the equivalent) > >> > >> This is NOT a "gender-related" disease, its' a HUMAN-related disease. Your > >> life IS your life. You'll NEVER be that male your MD has declared you not to > >> be. You're going to be YOU for the rest of your life, and your physician > >> SHOULD be treating you with the most useful drugs for YOU... the person you > >> are, not this fantasy he THINKS should get this valuable drug! > >> > >> And Beth... don't you DARE trash your research project! WHEN you're on the > >> right medication, and possibly also an anti-depressant,, you'll be raring to > >> finish that research and to move on with your life. > >> > >> YOU GO GIRL!! > >> > >> Sending a buncha love your way.... > >> > >> Barb Mallut > >> [log in to unmask] > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> ---------- > >> From: Parkinson's Information Exchange on behalf of Elizabeth Leslie > >> Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 1997 3:20 AM > >> To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN > >> Subject: Symmetrel > >> > >> I'm seeking a bit of guidance on this. I've seen the neuro today. He > >> agrees I need treatment. He agrees l-dopa would make me fully functional. > >> He sent me away with a script for Symmetrel! He told me it could take me 3 > >> months to feel any benefit from it. He did agree - a touch reluctantly, > >> perhaps even a little sheepishly - that if I were a guy with wife/family to > >> support and at risk of losing my job he would not withhold l-dopa. (One > >> good thing tho' - I did find out from him how/where to get my Selegiline > >> cheaply. That's a relief.) > >> > >> Guess what folks? I'm not feeling so :) Getting ready to trash my research. > >> > >> I'd really like to hear from anyone who takes/has taken this med. And any > >> other advice you care to fling my way will be welcome. Off-list is fine. > >> > >> Thanks, > >> > >> Beth > >> >