I had a big scare this week when I discovered 2 swollen lumps in my breast. Oh my, was I scared. My mother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer about 12 years ago so anytime I find anything strange with that area of my body I immediately go to see my doctor. Unfortunately my "female" doctor is in the US not in India. So, I called the company doctor (a doctor here in India that helps all associates in the company get referrals, comes for house visits when we are sick, etc). He is always very helpful.
He refers me to a Breast Surgeon who knows cancer and the breast very well. He makes an appointment for me for the next morning. What service! I noticed the bumps one night and the next day I had an appointment to see someone. That never happens in the US.
So, I arrive on time and complete some paperwork. 5 minutes later I meet my doctor who is a gorgeous Indian woman who attended medical school in the US. She speaks flawless English is extremely thorough. She tells me is probably just swollen lymph nodes but she wants to do an Ultrasound on my chest to be sure. She tells me that they have an open Ultrasound time right now which means I just have to go downstairs and they will do my Ultrasound.
I stare at her with my mouth open, "You mean I just go down there without an appointment and they will do my Ultrasound."
She responds, "Yes," and laughing says, "It is not the US." I smile at her happy for the moment that it is not.
She hands me my file and tells me to take it with me. Again I am like, "What, I can see my own file and carry it around the hospital with me."
"Yes."
Shocking!!!!
I head down stairs and immediately get in to have my ultrasound done by another doctor who is a very skilled Indian lady from the UK. She shows me the images and explains the lymph node network to me and shows me why she doesn't see anything wrong aside from the swollen nodes.
She then says something shocking, "I am sending your results to your doctor upstairs right now within our system so change your clothes and head back up there and she will review them with you in detail. Do you want a copy of the pictures too?"
"Sure."
I do as I am told and my beautiful Indian doctor reviews the images with me again in her office on a state of the art computer. She welcomes me to my 30s by saying, "This is very common in women in your age." She recommends some things that will help with the pain and reviews with me how to tell if a bump is a lump or a lymph node. I thank her for her time and head out to pay my bill.
I hand the guy at the desk my insurance card and he says, "No, mam. We don't submit to your company unless you are checked in as inpatient."
Naturally I was thinking, 'Oh god, how much will this cost me?'
Then he says, "955 rupees."
I stagger backwards. What???? That is like $17 US dollars for all the doctors visits and an Ultrasound.
I respond, "Really? No way." I am pretty sure the Indians in line behind me were rolling their eyes at the crazy white lady!
Side note: The US has a large debate going on right now about the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare for some) that forces everyone to carry insurance. I don't normally post about politics because I despise people that PREACH about politics or religion for that matter. But this experience got me thinking, I understand that the 955 rupees to a lower income person in India is a lot of money but how can they give this kind of quality medical care for the equivalent of $17. What is the US doing wrong? How can they do this when the US would have charged well over $1000 for the same thing? The REALITY is that I know one new US Act is NOT going to make a visit like mine miraculously cost $17 in the US. But somebody needs to realize other countries are doing health care services better than we are and stopping using Insurance as the answer. Remember in my story, he didn't run my insurance...and it still only cost me $17. Think about that!!!
He refers me to a Breast Surgeon who knows cancer and the breast very well. He makes an appointment for me for the next morning. What service! I noticed the bumps one night and the next day I had an appointment to see someone. That never happens in the US.
So, I arrive on time and complete some paperwork. 5 minutes later I meet my doctor who is a gorgeous Indian woman who attended medical school in the US. She speaks flawless English is extremely thorough. She tells me is probably just swollen lymph nodes but she wants to do an Ultrasound on my chest to be sure. She tells me that they have an open Ultrasound time right now which means I just have to go downstairs and they will do my Ultrasound.
I stare at her with my mouth open, "You mean I just go down there without an appointment and they will do my Ultrasound."
She responds, "Yes," and laughing says, "It is not the US." I smile at her happy for the moment that it is not.
She hands me my file and tells me to take it with me. Again I am like, "What, I can see my own file and carry it around the hospital with me."
"Yes."
Shocking!!!!
I head down stairs and immediately get in to have my ultrasound done by another doctor who is a very skilled Indian lady from the UK. She shows me the images and explains the lymph node network to me and shows me why she doesn't see anything wrong aside from the swollen nodes.
She then says something shocking, "I am sending your results to your doctor upstairs right now within our system so change your clothes and head back up there and she will review them with you in detail. Do you want a copy of the pictures too?"
"Sure."
I do as I am told and my beautiful Indian doctor reviews the images with me again in her office on a state of the art computer. She welcomes me to my 30s by saying, "This is very common in women in your age." She recommends some things that will help with the pain and reviews with me how to tell if a bump is a lump or a lymph node. I thank her for her time and head out to pay my bill.
I hand the guy at the desk my insurance card and he says, "No, mam. We don't submit to your company unless you are checked in as inpatient."
Naturally I was thinking, 'Oh god, how much will this cost me?'
Then he says, "955 rupees."
I stagger backwards. What???? That is like $17 US dollars for all the doctors visits and an Ultrasound.
I respond, "Really? No way." I am pretty sure the Indians in line behind me were rolling their eyes at the crazy white lady!
Side note: The US has a large debate going on right now about the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare for some) that forces everyone to carry insurance. I don't normally post about politics because I despise people that PREACH about politics or religion for that matter. But this experience got me thinking, I understand that the 955 rupees to a lower income person in India is a lot of money but how can they give this kind of quality medical care for the equivalent of $17. What is the US doing wrong? How can they do this when the US would have charged well over $1000 for the same thing? The REALITY is that I know one new US Act is NOT going to make a visit like mine miraculously cost $17 in the US. But somebody needs to realize other countries are doing health care services better than we are and stopping using Insurance as the answer. Remember in my story, he didn't run my insurance...and it still only cost me $17. Think about that!!!
Nasty business that is but we're glad you're safe!
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