This lab “draw center” is going to kill me.

It's all labs. Before surgery my surgeon ordered a bunch of baseline labs. I took the printed list to the navy base to have the tests done. I tried to give the woman my printed list and inquired on at least 3 occasions from getting to desk to leaving and she kept assuring me all labs were in the digital system and she did not need the paper copy. Even when she pulled less vials than I thought were enough she insisted she had them all. About a week later I was still missing about half the results. Bet you can guess what comes next...... She did not run all the tests and I had to go back. Why don't health care professionals treat us like we might actually know something?

They don’t even treat EACH OTHER like they know something. (After my recent experience, I don’t really blame them.). But where you are, they allow SOME coordination? The Feds and the Real World? I’m impressed!

Not with the VA.

MrSue uses biologic drugs for his RAGING psoriasis. His drug, with no insurance, cost $12,000+ (yes, twelve thousand) per month. We had Medicare primary and a REALLY, REALLY good secondary (not supplemental) insurance. So, with the insurance, our cost was $95/month. BUT…the VA copay is $11.00. Yup. Eleven dollars. But wait! There’s more! There is a system-wide, COVID-19-related, copay waiver, through September 30th, so $ZERO.

OBVIOUSLY, we decided that the VA was his best choice.

Of course, the VA won’t accept non-VA blood work. So he has to ask for a refill, drive to our closest VA clinic…only 17 miles each way, but in LA, that can take about 45 minutes each way. THEN, when that clinic enters the results into the system, he gets to go to Long Beach, 30 miles, about an hour each way, but last time we met DianaCox and Charles in that city, it took TWO HOURS for the 30 miles to get there, maybe only 45-60 minutes to get home. He sees the doctor, who looks at his spots and orders the Rx. MrSue goes home and a few days later, the phone rings telling him to come get his Rx. Another 60 miles round trip.

Like I said, we have REALLY, REALLY good insurance. And we are fortunate enough to have sufficient retirement income that means the $95/mo wouldn’t leave us ”food insecure” or anything. And he doesn’t have to go on this stupid scavenger hunt more than twice a year. And we ARE eligible for VA benefits, so we probably should use them.

But really. I suspect that it doesn’t have to be this complicated.
 

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