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| A Trip To The Dentist |
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by David Mittman, PA - May 16, 2011
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 Provided by Clinician 1
I am biased. I know, especially when it comes to medical care and how our citizens get it, I am more than biased.
I recently had a mucocele develop on my lower inner lip. It’s a pea sized fluid filled lesion and I wanted it removed. I went to see my dentist about it, who looked at it and said, “See the oral surgeon.”
I said, "You take it out. It is not that big of a deal. Some Novocain and a few sutures and a trip to the pathologist and it’s done. C’Mon, I know you can do it.
He said, “I am not trained to do that.” So off I went to another dentist who was trained to remove “that.” I checked in and had to bring paperwork before I walked in that easily took 30 minutes to complete. In it was a medical history equal to any I have done. And I signed about three sets of legal documents, privacy agreements and who I worked for, insurance information, etc. Once I got there I had to prove I could pay and give a copy of my driver’s license so they knew it was “me.” When I told them I never did that before, anywhere, the receptionist told me that “it was required by the insurance company.” And every paper had me give my social security number.
The oral surgeon was good. Very good. Within thirty minutes he excised the lesion and sutured me up. I was good to go.
As I left I had to pay in advance. $750.00 on my credit card. Money up front. You can see what insurance covers later. Funny, I just paid almost a thousand for my basal cell removal and that was after what the insurance company money did not cover. So close to $2,000 over the last two months for things that would not be affordable for many Americans. Things they would put off. Things they could not pay for “up front”. Things that should cost much less. One was cancer.
I have insurance that costs over $15,000 a year and I thank God it was not worse financially.
We really do need healthcare reform. Real reform. My trip to the dentist reinforced that for me.
Dave
 Dave has been a PA, and later NP, leader for thirty years. He strongly believes that NPs and PAs must work together to insure a better future for both professions. Most recently Dave has been busy launching another dream; Clinician 1, the first internet community for PAs and NPs. In October 2008, Dave was honored by the New Jersey State society of PAs with its “Lifetime Achievement Award”.
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
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