dfqforever, I agree with Boyo Jim’s curiosity. Is Joe’s back problem a disk or is it a muscle strain/spasm? Was he able to walk into the ER? Had his legs gone numb? Were there shooting pains down his legs? Was he sweating from the pain and barely able to talk?
What was he seeking by going to the ER? And what did he do when he was turned down by the ER doc?
Most people who’ve suffered back troubles seem to: 1. develop a high pain threshold, and, 2. know that most back problems are not going to receive high priority in an ER.
Did he belong to an HMO? I know my HMO has has all my medical information in a computer file, and each person I see can call it up and see my history ever since I’ve been with them. I know there is even some information from previous medical records that have been put in there. ( I don’t know if they do that usually, but I joined in the middle of a pregnancy, and my OB naturally wanted to see my records from my previous OBs.) I know that if I am vacationing in another area of the country where the HMO also operates, and I have an emergency, I can go to my HMO affilated hospital there and not have to pay more that I would at home. I would bet they can pull up records nationwide. Perhaps the doctor was able to pull up the whole medical record, if that was the case. Maybe he was testing the friend to see what his response was-- if he said “Yeah, I’ve been treated for A and B, but all of a sudden it’s become worse” he would have listened, but because your friend said he hadn’t been treated, he assumed your friend was trying to scam drugs.
If this hospital is affiliated with the hospital your PCP uses, there is a posibility that they have access to Joe’s patient records via computer (HIS ie Hospital Information System, I fix these things for a living). If they accept your insurance they can usually submit a prescription via computer and if you have had that same drug perscribed recently they may deny the insurance payout for the drug and make you pay retail value. I’ve run into this at the drug store when trying to refill a perscription but I’m there 1 day before 30 days is up, even though my supply has run out. The insurance company won’t pay for it unless I wait another day to pick it up. If this is some random hospital, not in your plan or that doesn’t usually take your insurance, then they just cased Joe based upon appearance and description of symptoms.
AZRob-
Joe was able to walk slowly, with help. He has been diagnosed with
spondolytheosis (I know I didn’t spell that correctly) and has been told
that he should have surgery. He can’t afford the time off work now. We
were helping friends move & he thinks that he overdid it & really aggravated
his back problems. He did not just walk in & say “My back hurts, give me narcotics”
He just told the nurse, then the doctor what was going on.
It was obvious when the doctor finally came in that he was irritated & pretty much
just wanted us out of there. He made it seem like he had some sort of
information that indicated that Joe just wanted narcotics…even though none
had been requested. Like I said, it just seemed bizarre.
In the end, I called a friend who provided Joe with another substance to help
ease the pain.