> As important as health is, and as much as Americans spend on it, it is shocking to me how gated everything is.
Agreed I had this issue as an uninsured university student with an Xray, and as one covered by my employer's insurance with an MRI.
In both cases I was stone walled to just get either, in the former I had to go to a clinic see an MD, come back get a physical and then get a referral for imaging off-site. And in the latter, I had to see 3 specialists, get a physical, have several weeks of Physical therapy and Xray imaging before the Insurance would cover it.
> Again, I pay for health insurance, but I still feel like if I want a quick EKG, it will take me 3 weeks to see a doctor, and by then I might be dead.
It was so exhausting just trying to make all the appointments and follow ups with a full work schedule that I haven't been able to get that MRI after all. I just assumed the worst and started to take matters into my own hands and started to do my PT exercises into my daily gym routine and will monitor the results myself.
> What am I missing? Are there legitimate safety reasons these mundane diagnostics are so locked down?
Its a protected Industry, the very supply of MDs is drastically capped in this country, its a controlled cartel.
MRIs are actually very expensive. Like they are just expensive... even in Europe. They’re costly to own and operate and maintain correctly.. just the labor alone. Unless you’re willing to pay out of pocket, I don’t see a problem with exhausting other options before jumping to MRI.
Also as for X-rays.. I think people freely getting Ionizing radiation isn’t exactly the brightest thing ever.
Also who pray tell, is going to read these studies?
Agreed I had this issue as an uninsured university student with an Xray, and as one covered by my employer's insurance with an MRI.
In both cases I was stone walled to just get either, in the former I had to go to a clinic see an MD, come back get a physical and then get a referral for imaging off-site. And in the latter, I had to see 3 specialists, get a physical, have several weeks of Physical therapy and Xray imaging before the Insurance would cover it.
> Again, I pay for health insurance, but I still feel like if I want a quick EKG, it will take me 3 weeks to see a doctor, and by then I might be dead.
It was so exhausting just trying to make all the appointments and follow ups with a full work schedule that I haven't been able to get that MRI after all. I just assumed the worst and started to take matters into my own hands and started to do my PT exercises into my daily gym routine and will monitor the results myself.
> What am I missing? Are there legitimate safety reasons these mundane diagnostics are so locked down?
Its a protected Industry, the very supply of MDs is drastically capped in this country, its a controlled cartel.