This could be a GQ question, but I might get varied responses so I figured I’d post here:
Not necessarily a “need answer fast”, but if it’s not crazy I’d like to go soon.
I don’t feel right. There are a couple of different symptoms that are coming and going, and have for a couple weeks, and I am usually pretty against going to the doctor (since I honestly don’t know how they could help) but the symptoms aren’t going away. Basically my chest feels a constant (but relatively weak) tightness all the time and I kind of feel out of breath and dizzy and whatever.
I’m not really looking for answers on what I actually have, I just want to know where I could go that would have equipment to look at my chest/breathing. Hospital? MedCheck kinda thing? I don’t know. Although my symptoms nonwithstanding, the problem is I have no insurance whatsoever and won’t for a good long time, so where could I go to get my chest looked at and is it going to cost me as much as I think it is?
If I were you, I would go to one of those walk in clinics at the pharmacy or grocery store and see a physician assistant. They could listen to your chest and prescribe meds within reason. Usually $100 or less with no insurance.
Another possibility would be to check if your community is having any health fairs or free health screenings. Your local newspaper would know.
I had a period of unemployment and was between insurance coverages. I went to several health fairs to get at least a basic checkover - blood pressure, pulse, breathing test, etc. Sometimes they even do blood tests for free or reduced rates. If you are genuinely ill, they will refer you to a clinic with a sliding scale of payments.
First, go for a doc-in-a-box - they are reasonable. Call ahead to check.
As for private practice: bad news. Every office I call about establishing a doctor-patient relationship (they may treat one-off’s differently) has gotten, as first question: What kind of insurance do you have?
There may be low-cost clinics, but a doc-in-a-box is quicker.
Tightness in the chest, short of breath, and dizzy? Yeah…you need to see a doc. Could be gas. Could be a heart problem that might kill you. Could be something between those extremes.
Cost will vary, but I suspect you may be looking at an EKG, blood work, and possibly other tests. All sold separately. Batteries not included. Could be $100, could be thousands. Hard to say.
I’d start with one of those pharmacy minute-clinics. I’m sure they can refer you somewhere low cost. Sounds like you might qualify for Medicaid or something that the low cost service place can probably help you with applying for.
Just a regular old doctor’s office, well, based on my visit last month it could run you $300 and that’s just to say hi and go over history.
When you initially make contact be clear you have NO insurance whatsoever.
Some clinics have MUCH lower prices for “self-pay” patients than for other people. I’ve encountered discounts of up to 40% off the usual price. Being upfront about your finances and willing to work out payments will help considerably. If you start the process up front, on your initiative, your far more likely to get positive results.
Maybe they have another name wherever you live, but in my state the hospitals for the indigent are called “county hospitals.” Do you have something like a county hospital (or whatever name it goes by in your area)?
They treat poor people and people without insurance for free there. Lines can be quite long.
Your symptoms are scary-sounding to me. I would drop everything and head to the county hospital right now.
I’m not a doctor, and don’t even play one on TV, but I’m really chalking it up to stress (I lost my job and am moving to Florida with no job in hand) and lack of motion (a longer story, but trust me I don’t move much anymore).
After work yesterday I went to a trail and ran a mile to see what that would do to me. It actually felt really good to go out and run and move and do something…and I didn’t die (which is always a plus).
This is my last week of work here, and I have all next week to go pack, I’ll probably seek something out next week
My primary care physician charges $85 for a self-pay office visit. Assuming you’re still living down here, you shouldn’t be paying more than $100 unless they have to do blood draws or X-rays.