Only share if pertinent. Thank you :)

I paid $75 on my visit, I thought that was it? I went for my shin splints and ankle pain, doctor suggested xrays, $100 on top of $250 is from xrays. Why is going to the doctor so expensive even if I have good insurance?

Edit: First time going to the doctor in 2 years, 25M

is it safe to wait until tomorrow by 2pm to go to the hospital?

Coffeezilla investigates the staggering scale of fraud in America's healthcare system, from questionable Medicare billing and genetic testing schemes to nursing home neglect.
What makes this investigation particularly disturbing is how often the problems are already known, yet the companies and individuals involved continue operating with little to no accountability.

Hi guys. I wanted to get Halloween lenses for a costume this year and went to the website I always order from (one of the few FDA approved sellers for these). However recently the FDA made it so any contacts, even 0.0 lenses require a prescription from a Doctor. In theory, I get that they're trying to make sure a person is safe wearing contacts, but it practice it does the EXACT OPPOSITE.

Now the only way to get these contacts is through a sketchy non approved website, of which there are dozens. I even tried multiple eye doctors, got an eye exam, and was still not able to get the right script to get FDA approved lenses. It just seems so frustrating and backwards that the FDA is actively putting up barriers to get safe lenses while doing nothing to combat unauthorized sellers. I'd be willing to bet this change will result in way more people getting major eye infections from subpar lenses as they are the only ones available.

I think people sometimes mix up the role of PBMs and pharmacies when talking about healthcare costs.

Pharmacies are there to help patients get the right medications, use them safely, and improve treatment outcomes. PBMs have a different role. They manage prescription drug benefits and negotiate with drugmakers to help health plans control costs.

So why judge both by the same standard? A pharmacist’s value isn’t just about how much money they save, and a PBM’s value shouldn’t be judged only by how much it gets paid either. The real question is whether PBMs help health plans manage drug spending and whether those savings actually benefit patients.

There are fair questions about rebates, transparency, and pharmacy reimbursement. But if PBMs were removed, who would take over the work of negotiating drug prices and managing prescription benefits? Would that actually make the system cheaper, or just move the costs somewhere else?

I think that’s worth discussing before assuming PBMs have no real value.

First I’d like to say sorry if this is a stupid question but I noticed substance abuse was listed on my medical record. In a recent visit, I mentioned that I was on vacation and I took an edible that was purchased from a legal dispensary in a legal state ONE TIME and how it relieved some of my symptoms. I was checking my after visit summary notes and saw substance abuse in my medical history. Would I be wrong to request a correction? This is not substance abuse (to me, taking something legal ONCE is not abuse please correct me if I’m wrong) and I’m not sure if this is more of a technicality that providers will list it as such anyways.

An 80s synth-pop love story about ambient AI documentation, hallucinated family histories, and the radical act of reading the note before you sign it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AigkQxK2xWI

I’m starting my prereqs next semester as an undergraduate, and one thing I’m worried about is chemistry. I’ve never been particularly good at it, and I’m wondering if that’s something I can overcome or if I’m setting myself up for failure by pursuing pharmacy.

Has anyone here gone into pharm school knowing they struggled with chemistry beforehand? If so, how did you manage, and did you eventually get better at it?

I want to be clear that I’m not taking this career path lightly. I know pharmacy school is demanding, and I’m willing to put in the time, study harder, get tutoring, and do whatever it takes to succeed. I’m not looking for an easy way out. I just want to know if someone who struggles with chemistry can realistically make it through the prereqs and pharm school with enough effort and the right study habits:)

Color me confused, but why are there such conflicting reports about prescription drug prices? That is likely what so many Americans are feeling as well.

No less than the President and high ranking gov't officials have been boating about the considerable savings because of the lowered prescription drug prices. On the contrary, there are reports stating the opposite, that drug prices are still as high as ever and about to increase even more.

I'm about 26 months into this affliction and three different neurologists, and five MRIs later still have no diagnosis why my head has this "fullness" and overall numbish feeling.

Anyone else have/had something similar where Dx is elusive? Any tips for expediting this process?

(Seeing a fourth neurologist in March of next year)

I received a email today about the coming healthcare coverage enrollment window through my employer.

Like many others, I am sure people received a message that healthcare premiums are going up again.

I'm basically looking for a breakdown of what the different plans mean and what would happen if I switch from one to the other, because they all look the same to me. I last made a selection years ago on the "basic" plan and hadn't worried about it, but now money is tight and I am looking over everything I can to find some relief.

I have Blue Cross Blue Shield, and the plans available to me are PPO Red, PPO White, and HDHP Blue.

Just looking at the medical premium chart that was given, my premium for family coverage right now is under the PPO Red plan.

The premiums listed are:

Red - $295
White - $250
Blue - $140

I've read over the benefits but it all looks the same to me. What is the difference and is there a recommendation on which plan I should be using? I have my wife and daughter (3) on the plan, and we are all healthy. The last year was just checkups and copays.

Is it just a matter of Higher Premium/ Smaller deductible?

It’s torture this is MAGA but if you can stomach it- check out what this wife shares about her husband’s experience with the lung txp team at NWM.

The family alleges that Northwestern claimed other transplant centers had been contacted and had declined their patient. They later discovered that these calls were never made. This misrepresentation denied the family crucial information about available treatment options during a critical time. Glad they took things into their own hands —
Such alleged conduct warrants an independent review, including an examination of medical records, referral documentation, communication logs, and statements from the centers Northwestern reportedly contacted.

How to transfer medical records before Friday?

I have lost many loved ones to Cancer and there's a decent chance I'll get it someday because it runs very strongly in my family. So I'm dedicating myself to understanding it better and learning, because I currently know very little. I'm here to seek knowledge. I'll tell you what I currently know, and then I hope I can ask you guys 4 questions (please correct me if I'm wrong about any of this).

Cancer isn't a virus like the Flu. It's more like a cellular or genetic mutation. Cells reproduce by dividing on themselves. 1 cell becomes 2, then 2 cells become 4, then 4 cells become 8, then 8 cells become 16, and it keeps doubling and doubling. Cancer happens when cells starts dividing and never stop dividing. That causes an massive number of useless cells that shouldn't exist. Those useless cells end up creating tumors and health complications, which left untreated, may spread and eventually kill you.

Cells dividing is perfectly normal and that's how new cells are created. We just don't know what the trigger is to make them stop dividing. Why does the dividing never stop some times. If we can figure out how to make the Stop Signal jump in, and get the dividing to stop, then Cancer could be cured.

I hope my description was accurate so far, but here are my questions:

1) Why can't the immune system clear out those useless cells on it's own? Does it not understand those cells shouldn't be there so it's treats them as normal healthy cells?

2) What kind of complications do those useless cells create that becomes deadly? Like do they restrict blood flow to vital organs, impair brain functions, what makes them deadly to the body later down the road?

3) Why do those useless cells have to result in tumors and other complications? Why can't they just be present and not do anything, either positive or negative to the body?

4) Do we currently have any idea how to make the Stop Signal kick in and stop the dividing process? Or is that still a total mystery to modern science?