My final physical therapy appointment was this morning. It was supposed to be a re-evaluation and discussion about my options going forward. Should I continue PT? Should we try something else? Should I just workout on my own? Unfortunately, the therapist didn't get the memo so it was just a regular appointment of walking me through the different weight machines. I thought maybe that was her way of assessing me, but at the end it was clear that she thought I still had a bunch of appointments scheduled and she'd see me next time.
I did my own re-evaluation at that point, because I'm super-qualified. I think the first month of appointments was great - they spent a lot of time doing trigger point therapy and giving me exercises to do at home. The second month has been almost all working on the machines, which was okay, but not as helpful. So in my expert opinion, I'm done with PT. There's no point in continuing to pay them $20 per appointment in addition to my gym membership fee, which gives me access to all of the same machines.
I also used my expertise to decided I'm not going back to the doctor that originally prescribed the PT. This is mostly because my last appointment lasted only ten minutes, in which I never saw the doctor but the nurse gave me two shots in my lower back. The shots made a nice difference. But not a $940 difference, which is what they billed my insurance for the visit. This included $800 in charges for "surgery". When I questioned the billing department about it, they told me not to worry about it because I wouldn't have to pay all that, that's just what they were billing the insurance. Oh, ok, that makes it totally ethical and acceptable then!
In place of this medical care, I prescribe myself four days a week at the gym and twice daily continued pt exercises. I also prescribe cardio by way of cleaning this pigsty we call a house. In addition, caution shall continue to be exercised with my back. And some weight loss certainly wouldn't hurt.
I'm taking charge now. It's a whole lot cheaper. And hopefully a whole lot more beneficial.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
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7 comments:
Yay for no more paying of ridiculous amounts of money! (You or the insurance!)
Good luck with your continued self pt. :)
i think you should be a doctor.
then you could bill your unethical doctors office back for their insurance bilking.
i'm not sure bilking is a word, or whether you would go to a doctor if you are already a doctor...
...but it sounded funny in my head so whatever.
i'm glad your back feels better<3
Best of luck that you are on the track to getting your back better for good.
It is amazing what doctors offices bill insurance just because they can. I have called out our local ER for their billing practices twice before. I refuse to be involved in their billing "scams" trying to get more money from my insurance company. This is the reason insurances costs us so damn much.
In insurance speak, an injection is considered "sugery" because they break your skin. Not that it makes any difference. Just fyi.
Sounds like a good plan to me. Good luck! :)
I think your self-assessment is pretty self-aware. :)
The "surgery" thing is CRAZY.
Isn't it amazing and (cheaper at times) just by arranging things differently! Good for you! I've been lucky to avoid real allergies except for the last few years, (my daughter's first road test) (silly are you serious juvie court)where first one lip swells, then maybe an eyelid, then the entire bottom lip, if I'd been blue I could have been on Star Trek! I only have had this a few 6 times maybe, but once when my son and I were on our way to face the music a health care person over the phone said , Lady you're in 911 mode, but being too busy to accept that she said ok try Benadryl which so far has done the trick once the turmoil has ended too! Aren't the little joys of life so THRILLING!!! ;)
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