Class Discrimination In Prescription Dispensation

[GuitarNGamerGirl]

Why are doctors today so quick to diagnose-and flatly assume, with no proof at all- drug-seeking behavior in a chronic pain patient just because she/he is on public health insurance (Medicare or TennCare, Medicaid, etc)?

If I go in wearing nice clothes with an expensive private insurance, first of all, the doctor that I will see is NOT the same Dr. you will see if you are on Medicare.

If I have expensive private insurance, the Dr. I will see will pretty much give me whatever script I want for the asking.

The one that I see if I am on public insurance will first give you Torredol, then Ultram, and if you are having a major procedure he MIGHT consider giving you Darvocet. If you are having your lilver cut out. sometimes, they are known to give you something like 30 5mg Lortabs a week.

This is ridiculous, and isn't all the Dr.'s fault, cuz the one that takes public insurance is monitored FAR more closely than the one who takes private.

It's Class-ism, it's the JIm Crow of medicine, and it's WRONG. Why has no one besides me noticed this?
Hello?

Courtney Patricia "GuitarNGamerGirl" Parsons

[ChronicPain1]

It's horrible...it really is.

[nick30]

It's OK to be riled up over this Jan. This kind of stuff makes all of us pretty angry. There are just so many people in the world who think that people going through hard times must have been reponsible for bringing it on themselves. so ignorant. and so hurtful. I certainly don't claim to be the worst off person i the world but what do they think? that i like living like this? Do they want to try it for a few decades? probably not.

[BOK2Bjan]

My blood pressure is up!!!!!  I can't believe these horrible things have happened to you!  Montana - what a nightmare, and Ghilly, I hear you - when it's rare - many doc have no idea what to do (they're caught with their pants down), and nick - what can I say - your AAAAAAARGHHH!!!!!!!!! says it all!  I used to be an upper middle class "lady" with great insurance etc., but my ex's indiscretions and abuse took care of that.  I'm now divorced (I had him arrested and he was put in jail - only for 3 days though - since he ruined 3 lives, it should have been at least 3 years, but I digress!), and on SSI, foodstamps, and Medicaid.  Very different experience.  I still have my education, clothes, and demeanor, but my insurance card is very disrespected.  I have to fill out charity applications when I can't pay a bill etc, and it's horrible.  My Pain Management Doctor doesn't take Medicaid, so my PCP has to handle it with behind the scenes advice.  He puts me in the hospital when I need to see several specialists - since have such diverse dx.  ANYWAY - I'm glad I was already prescribed all my meds before all this happened in 05.  Now, since I'm disabled, no matter what I would ever do, I'll never be able to get off Medicaid.  There isn't any insurance company that would take me.  And I didn't work enough quarters while married before the illness, to qualify for regular Soc Sec and Medicare.  So, I'm stuck.  Talk about hell!  I get my home, car, and anything I own or have that puts my total value above 2K, kicks me off the program!  AND, when I die, my house gets sold, and the proceeds go to the state to pay them back for their good care of me with the Medicaid.  It AINT FREE!  My poor kids - they've been through so much -

Sorry, I got off the subject - feeling a bit riled up!!!

Blessings, Jan

[nick30]

I CANT STAND BEING JUDGED ON LOOKS BY DOCTORS. normally i try to look presentable but when my pain is bad I honestly can barely make it to the dr as is. the worse i look the more pain i am in, yet they see it the other way, AAAAAAAARGHHH!!!!!!

[MontanaGurl]

I have had similar experiences.  I have always suffered with migraines - since puberty.  And, several years ago I had a headache beyond belief (wound up getting bells palsy), and at the start of the headache I had gone to the doctor in the regular clinic and they gave me a shot of imitrex in the back of my arm, I came home and layed down, woke up at around midnight with an almost paralizing pain in my head and I went back to the hospital but this time went into the ER.  The ER doc told me he wasn't sure what to do with me and than he asked me if I worked and if I was educated, I proceded to tell him that I was an attorney and yes I was educated I had several degrees.  I was dressed in my PJ bottoms and top with slippers, and after I told him what I did for a living, he said that I wasnt a drug seeker and he could help me out and than he went on to tell me that he has to deal with welfare people coming in and seeking pills.    And not very long ago - about a week to be correct, I have been having problems with my pelvis and I already have pain pills from my pain doctor, and we got dumped on with 6 feet of snow in less than 12 hours and they closed all the roads coming into town, we went around the road closure sign to get into town to bring me to the ER as I could not make it through the mountain pass to get to my regular doc because of the snow fall.  Anywho -  my surgeon in Seattle, Wa and my regular doc 2 hours away wanted Xrays of my pelvic area because of the problems I am having and I never go to the local hospital for anything and they are not familiar with me at all, nor do I know any of them.  I am not able to walk at all now because of my problem and I was in my wheelchair with my brace on and I had sweats on with a sweatshirt and snow boots when I went to  the ER, the doctor looked at me and my shaggy hair and sweats and told me that I borrowed the wheelchair and brace from someone and I was only there to seek drugs.  The doctor forced me to lay down, which my hubby had to pick me up like a baby to lay me on the very small exam table as the doc would not let me use a regular room with a bigger table and take my brace off to make sure I had a surgery scar on my spine.  Needless to say I turned the doctor in to the medical board of the hospital and I have since made a complaint with the medical licensing board with our state and I also turned him into our state senator as well as the hospital and I told our attorney about it.  I also whipped out my slew of medicine which included my narcotic pain pills.  I made him look on the computer, as this facility was the ER that flew me out on Mercy Flight when I was almost dead from my motorcycle wreck.  He told me a couple of days later in a meeting with the board and administrator that I didn't look like a sick person and the way I was dressed made me look like a drug seeker.  I wasn't sure that an addict or drug seeker had a specific look.  So, needless to say, I agree totally and 100% that doc's are already pre-diagnosing people based on how they looked.  The doctor is now suspended from practicing pending an investigation and I have received a written apology from the hospital administration as well as the doctor himself.  I do have a problem with the hardware in my pelvis and am needing to fly back to Seattle and may need to have surgery again on my pelvis.

Sorry this is so long but, I understand completely where you are coming from and it is totally unfair that chronic pain patients are treated like this.  We did not ask for this to happen to us, nobody does and it is a shame when we turn to the medical community for help and support and they treat us like dogs, I think we may get better treatment if we went to a Vet clinic  =)

Just my morning thoughts.   Have a good day everyone.
montanagurl           p.s.  we still have alot of snow and right now I am watching a herd of about 9 elk cross our front yard.  They are wonderful creatures and they are all fuzzy like big teddy bears.

[Ghilly]

Why go to a clinic?  Why not go to a regular pain management physician?  The only insurance I have is Medicare, but I go to one of the premier neurologists / neurological oncologists in the state.  And Texas is a big state!  I wasn't referred to him, I found him in the phone book.  DH called his office and we found out that he did accept Medicare, and we made me an appointment.  That was six going on seven years ago and he has done me a world of good!  He has taken me from being bedridden to working a full time job, and it's all in the pain management, because adhesive arachnoiditis, the neurological disease that I have, is incurable, so it's not like I have gotten any better with regard to the problem.  I just have my pain adequately controlled and it's all because of him.  Before I found him I went to several small clinics and I got the same reaction that you described in the first post.  Everyone was basically suspicious of why I was there, even though I was armed to the teeth with MRI films and a file from my former doctor that could choke a horse.  My co-payments with my doctor are usually somewhere between $12 and $18 a visit, so it's definitely affordable to go that route.  Also, the doctors at the local clinics told me that my problem was "beyond the scope of their experience".  I don't know if they were really admitting defeat in the face of the arachnoiditis, or if that was a nice way of telling me "go away, I don't want to deal with you", but they did me a huge favor, whether they realize it or not.  :)

Ghilly

[sandee1818]

I hate to say this and may get some remarks from my statement but....
The reason is profiling. The doctors ( state, government etc ) assume that because your poor and in need of monetary or medical assistance then you MUST be a drug abuser looking for narcotics. They assume that if you are poor then you should not be seeking help for pain but spending your time and money on becoming someone who is not poor. Make sense?
I have tried this theory out myself. I am one that dresses to the nines and always looks well put together and spend alot of money on clothing and accessories and such. I was in sooo much pain when we moved and I had to see a new doctor I was not myself and though I was dressed well I was not dressed like I am usually and the doctor refused to give me my medications and I had to call my doctor in Al to mail me a prescription until I could find a new PM doctor. Needless to say when I went to the next doctor and was feeling better and not in excruciating pain I was dressed like I usally do and I had no problem what so ever.
One could say well thats just coincidence but I know it was not. It is profiling and yes it is WRONG but it happens!