What frustrates you about the health care industry?

That insurance companies can decide against my doctor's professional opinion whether I need certain tests and procedures, and which drugs I need to treat my ailments.

Too much conflicting information. Carbs are good, carbs are bad. You need 8 glasses of water, no we don't. We need more protein, too much protein is hard on the kidneys. Eggs are bad, eggs are good. Eat fruit, no fruit has too much sugar. Fat is bad, no you need fat & plenty of it. I think it is hard for the average Joe or Jane to know what to do.

I feel like doctors often prescribe drugs to alleviate your symptoms, but don't do anything to find the real cause of your issues.

Prices for things are ridiculous! I can see tests and such costing more, due to the high prices of the machines, etc, but paying $1000's just for a Dr's opinion in an ER? CRAZY!
Last July, I had stroke level BP. If I didn't feel it was a super emergency, I wouldn't have been in the ER cause I don't have health insurance. I received bills from Dr's that I didn't even see, who claimed they apparently just read my chart or something. Even left there with my BP still kinda crazy high, with a RX for meds that never did work for me. I spent a week at home frustrated and crying everyday cause I was scared to death, because I couldn't find a Dr in our town that would take a new patient who was self pay and I couldn't afford to just keep going to the ER, especially when I felt that didn't really do anything to help me. My OB/GYN, who my mom works for, so probably why she was willing to help, agreed to see me free of charge and called in new meds for me, which lowered the BP w/in a few days. Still to this day, over 4 months later, I still haven't found a family Dr. I believe all the bills from the ER have now come in and are totally over $4000 and remember I said their treatment did nothing for me. Waste of money and 5hrs in the ER waiting room!

My Grandma broke her hip and is now in a rehab hospital. The communication between everyone is useless. I had to tell the nurse that her foot wasn't looking right and now she might lose it. She had a blood clot. I would think at her age (94) the nurses would check her out head to toe daily. Nope.

They are too quick to suggest drugs instead of diet and lifestyle changes. To be fair, a very small percentage of people are willing to make the diet and lifestyle changes but I still think it should be the first suggestion.

My Grandma broke her hip and is now in a rehab hospital. The communication between everyone is useless. I had to tell the nurse that her foot wasn't looking right and now she might lose it. She had a blood clot. I would think at her age (94) the nurses would check her out head to toe daily. Nope.

Sorry. you are right, they should. But they are given so many patients. They tedn to focus one they problem they were admitted for..... Oh they stories I could tell

Thank you.

for what its worth my father passed away this year. he was in the hospital for 2 weeks, then a rehab center for a few weeks then he came home and received home therapy and then finally went to a hospice until the end. every step along the way we encountered wonderful people. every dollar of every bill was covered by insurance/medicare.

i was expecting the worst and we got the best. so as of now i have a very good view of the health care industry.

I feel like doctors often prescribe drugs to alleviate your symptoms, but don't do anything to find the real cause of your issues.

sometimes that is what people want. i have a doctor mentor who declined prescribing medication (side effects), because all the patient had to do was eat healthier. she got a warning for doing that.

After seeing some of your stories I feel we are lucky....I am in Alberta, Canada and ya we ***** and complain about our health care and it definately could be better, but I don't think that many people realize how lucky we are. Here you see people at emerg just for a cold.....because we don't get charged and we can..... I think we are very lucky. Thanks for reminding me of that!!!

The first time you see a specialist you wait months, but after your first visit they all of a sudden have an apointment next week if you need it.

My husband was put on Nexium, the insurance said it was too costly even though it got my husbands stomach healed right away. Then they make him shoot the hoops with several generics to see if they work, and they did not and not after his stomach getting worse they finally let him go back on Nexium.

The fact that Australians have to pay to see doctors and for health cover, whereas other countries don't!

I've had a lot of experience with the American health care system in the last year, most of it unpleasant.

Long story short, insurance companies stink. They are a business first and foremost and are out for profit more than anything else. Most of them reserve the right to reject coverage for various situations and some even outright issue rejections on anything they consider even remotely "questionable" without review. You have to badger them to pay what they owe, and if they drag it out too long, they end up sending the bill to collections. It's a nightmare. Medicare can be just as bad as well. I had to learn that when my grandfather was hospitalized three times earlier this year.

Many of the doctor's I've encountered don't seem to give a crap about you or your situation. They just issue you a prescription for something and toss you out, never bothering to address the underlying problem. Thankfully, my cardiologist is not one of these doctors. He's been the only one who was able to help me with my heart condition. Previous doctors told me that it was all in my head, no big deal, and sent me out the door. I also had a primary care doctor tell me that viral bronchitis, which put me in the hospital in March, was "just in my head." Ridiculous.

All the nurses I've come across have been amazing though. These people should be paid more.

that my ob/gyn tries to make me change to a birth control my body cant handle because she gets a % every time she writes a perscription for it. And the $80 bill my fiance got for a dr to tell him, "hmm. Looks bad. Hope you feel better soon." and walk out. Ugh.