How does your G.P. treat you?

[Wildflower]

I think it might be different in the US. I know here, you have to see your GP first before being referred to another docotor. As far as I know, you can't just call up some specialist doctor, you have to be refered.

Ahhh...I see. Well, here we obviously do not have anything close to free healthcare, so depending on which insurance company/policy you are with, they may require you do this or otherwise they won't pay for your specialist visit. My insurance is not one of them, you just pick whoever you want to go to, make an appointment, show up, pay your copay, and then argue with your insurance company after getting a bill 6 months later from the doctor with something billed incorrectly making the insurance company refuse to pay it.

Yeah, it works well.

[veganwitch]

Hi Tigerlily. I was off to bed but then saw this post. Yep it's the same here. We see our GP and if we need to see a specialist they have to refer us. x

I think it depends on your insurance plan. The one I have allows me to go to any doctor, specialist or not. Like Wildflower, I've never seen the use of a GP either. Basically, I have no use for doctors period, I avoid them as much as possible.

[catalina]

Hey Lydia, that's really awful. Can't you get yourself and Seb registered somewhere else? I know they always make it sound like it's impossible to change GPs, but it is possible to get transferred to some other surgery in your area.

Wildflower, I know the grass is always greener on the other side, but I do miss the freedom of being able to just call up anyone I want, whether it's a gynecologist, gastroenterologist, whatever, and make an appointment. Getting a referral here in my area in the UK is really hard, almost like pulling teeth. Also, it takes months before you get an appointment with the specialist you want. Or you can go private and just pay for it yourself, but you STILL need some sort of a referral letter, or the consultant's secretaries get all weird on you.

[xwitchymagicx]

I think it might be different in the US. I know here, you have to see your GP first before being referred to another docotor. As far as I know, you can't just call up some specialist doctor, you have to be refered.

Yeah I'm meant to be referred but I have something wrong with my skin since I was 5 and have yet to see a specialist about it. I guess they just want to feed us loads of pills these days.

[Wildflower]

Wildflower, I know the grass is always greener on the other side, but I do miss the freedom of being able to just call up anyone I want, whether it's a gynecologist, gastroenterologist, whatever, and make an appointment. Getting a referral here in my area in the UK is really hard, almost like pulling teeth. Also, it takes months before you get an appointment with the specialist you want. Or you can go private and just pay for it yourself, but you STILL need some sort of a referral letter, or the consultant's secretaries get all weird on you.

Sure, I understand. If my insurance wasn't so expensive and limiting in how much they pay, I would have no complaints about my personal situation (others who suffer without insurance is a different rant). I am very fortunate that I am a healthy person and never need to go to the doctor for much. But when I do, I am always cautious as they will recommend tests and precriptions that will cost me a fortune and not really help me much in the end. But I am lucky that I have insurance, so I will shut up now.

/rant

[ravenfire]

I'm one of those Americans who suffer without insurance. I have hypothyroidism but can't afford to have bloodwork done every six months so I just do without my meds. The good news is that since going vegan a few months back I've started to see a great improvement in my symptoms and I've even started to lose some weight which is amazing with no meds!! But it does suck to need to go to the doctor, dentist, etc and not be able to because of being poor.

[Lydia_Sorrow]

Yep. Is health care free?

Sure is here!

Hey Lydia, that's really awful. Can't you get yourself and Seb registered somewhere else? I know they always make it sound like it's impossible to change GPs, but it is possible to get transferred to some other surgery in your area.

I know but our surgery is LITERALLY on our road where as the other surgery in our town is two busses away! And besides she not even my GP; My real GP is never in! What good is that!

[Tigerlily]

But it does suck to need to go to the doctor, dentist, etc and not be able to because of being poor.

Well, dentists aren't free here. And neither are eye doctors. So we have to pay for some things.

[Lydia_Sorrow]

Well, dentists aren't free here. And neither are eye doctors. So we have to pay for some things.

Both free here.

[Wildflower]

Well, dentists aren't free here. And neither are eye doctors. So we have to pay for some things.

Really. How much does it cost to go to one of those doctors? Is it affordable? Here, not much is affordable without insurance. Sure, you can cough up the 2-3 hundred dollars to see the doctor and have a test run, but it is pointless when she will give you a prescription that most likely will cost $200 or more for 1 month. Noone can really afford that...

Nothing is priced for people to pay out of pocket. Everything is inflated because it is the insurance company paying most of it to the doctor.

Ravefire - I feel for you. Most of my friends are without insurance, and in the past my job didn't offer insurance, so I bought my own emergency policy. It didn't cover day to day stuff or drugs, so it was pretty worthless unless I was in a horrible accident.

Now, I have real insurance, but all my money goes to paying for it, and copays and prescription drugs for me and my boyfriend. it sucks, but like I said, at least I have it now. I just still can't afford to go to the doctors.

[Tigerlily]

Really. How much does it cost to go to one of those doctors? Is it affordable? Here, not much is affordable without insurance. Sure, you can cough up the 2-3 hundred dollars to see the doctor and have a test run, but it is pointless when she will give you a prescription that most likely will cost $200 or more for 1 month. Noone can really afford that...

I have no idea. My mom deals with it all.

[foxytina_69]

dentists, eyedoctors and such are covered about 80% depending on the insurance you have. but this isnt covered in health care insurance. if you have a good job with health benefits, then you get health care covered and dentists/eye doctors etc. are covered about 80%.

health care isnt free here unless you make under 26000 dollars a year. if you make over that, you have to pay monthly about 50 dollars.

steev just got health benefits with his job, which means we now have health care and coverage for other doctors. (money still comes out of his paycheck for this however)

ive never seen a gynecologist here. we dont even go to seperate doctors for regular pap smears. just our family doctor.

if you dont have any coverage for dentists etc. they usually cost around 150 dollars for a cleaning, depending on the dentist. and a ton more for other things. eye doctors are about the same.

[foxytina_69]

even my naturopath is covered somewhat.

[sandra]

Hi Smell, I'm from Glengormley, do you know it? Sandra

[Kitty]

When a doctor says to eat red meat to get more iron, say "Iron is a mineral. It comes from the ground." Same goes for calcium. And if the doc keeps on, say "Cows don't create iron. They get it from the plants they eat."

[Wildflower]

When a doctor says to eat red meat to get more iron, say "Iron is a mineral. It comes from the ground." Same goes for calcium. And if the doc keeps on, say "Cows don't create iron. They get it from the plants they eat."

I like that Kitty - good point!

I was reading or watching something simillar that said, "there are no foods you have to eat - only nutrients." Kinda along the same line...

[Smell]

I know a very good doctor in the Carryduff area, who's vegetarian if it's anyway near you Sandra.

Dr Clarke? She is mine, and she is great & veggie!

I lived in Carryduff for most of my life but I don't anymore.

Sandra yarrr I know loads of people in Glengormley!

[sandra]

Hi Smell, was it just by chance you got a doctor who was veggie or did you have to look for one?

[Hemlock]

How do people in the USA cope with the healthcare costs? I used to do medical and travel insurance and we'd regularly get million dollar claims from people who had car accidents abroad and had to spend a lot of time in intensive care or whatever and couldn't be flown home for treatment.
We'd look at the bills the hospital sent and scream
My mother lived in Maryland for a while and she used to say don't bother visiting unless you have really good travel insurance!

[xwitchymagicx]

I was watching that programme with the two people who we in that fast food nation where they had to live on minimum wage or whatever and god they both ended up at hospital and the costs after! God it makes me appreciate the NHS a little though.

[sandra]

When a doctor says to eat red meat to get more iron, say "Iron is a mineral. It comes from the ground." Same goes for calcium. And if the doc keeps on, say "Cows don't create iron. They get it from the plants they eat."

That's brilliant Kitty, I must remember that the next time I need to put some G.P. right!

[feral]

I was pleased this week when my blood results all came back as normal, I take some supplements for a health condition but haven't taken an iron supplement in over 20 yrs. I don't even panic too much about getting enough iron foods so it's good to know my diet's providing enough.

I'm intending on reducing my suppliments over the summer and will ask my Gp for another round of bloods in about 3-6mths just to see how I'm doing. It's great having a vegetarian doctor, I used to have an omni gp who said that we should all be vegetarian.

[sandra]

Hi Feral, that's great about your blood results, I'm thinking of getting my blood checked as I've been feeling a bit tired lately, but that's probably just the stress of looking after 2 teenage children and 11 cats! Did you get your B12 levels checked? I've been reading about B12 on the forum and I am finding it all a bit confusing, I don't know whether I am taking too little or too much.

[feral]

Yes Sandra I got my B12 checked and it was fine. I got B12 injections for a health condition about 18mths ago so the levels will be ok for a while. Try this link to the vegan society site which should help http://www.vegansociety.com/html/food/nutrition/b12/ .
They also have some important advice on Iodine which is essential too http://www.vegansociety.com/html/foo...ion/iodine.php hope this helps.

[eclectic_one]

I was watching that programme with the two people who we in that fast food nation where they had to live on minimum wage or whatever and god they both ended up at hospital and the costs after! God it makes me appreciate the NHS a little though.

Are you talking about Supersize Me? That was Morgan Spurlock and he did an episode of his show "30 Days" where he and his fiance took minimum wage jobs for a month, but they couldn't last the month because they were "in the hole" after both had to make hospital visits. I saw it too and it made the point quite clearly (IMHO) that the U.S. needs both a higher minimum wage and free healthcare for people w/o insurance. I don't really see that happening though

[vegan1969]

My GP is pretty cool. She is from the Philippines and goes back there every year for a whole month to donate her time for free to help the poor. I gave her a veggie starter kit and a movie a couple years back, I think it was 'meet your meat'. She's never commented on the veg kit or the movie but she has never said anything derogatory about my veganism. Oh, she let me bring my dog inside for my office visit once.

[tilly]

In my experience, GP's are just tossers whether they know you're a vegan or not. They don't listen to you....
God, I'm bitter...

[sandra]

In my experience, GP's are just tossers whether they know you're a vegan or not. They don't listen to you....
God, I'm bitter...

I tend to agree with you Tilly!

[xwitchymagicx]

Are you talking about Supersize Me? That was Morgan Spurlock and he did an episode of his show "30 Days" where he and his fiance took minimum wage jobs for a month, but they couldn't last the month because they were "in the hole" after both had to make hospital visits. I saw it too and it made the point quite clearly (IMHO) that the U.S. needs both a higher minimum wage and free healthcare for people w/o insurance. I don't really see that happening though

Yes I am. I think they need a higher minimum wage as well. It must suck not having enough money...

[moochbabe]

well, i haven't gone to my g.p. in a long time, but the last time I went they seemed nice enough, but they (the people in the office and him to some extent) were rude to me becuase I was recovering from an eating disorder--that's what I needed when I was already hating myself

[sandra]

Yes Moochbabe, some people in the 'caring' profession are just not that 'caring' at times are they? I don't know why some of them go into the profession at all.

[Jamie]

Lyds is it free for everyone in Bucks?? I'm in Essex and I have to pay for Dentist and Optom. I think they just changed the billing for the dentist now so there are three fixed price bands for NHS patients, which I think makes things a little clearer. I paid about £15.50 for a check up & clean the other day. And when I go to the optom, it's usually about £20 from memory, depends where you go though. I think I got it done at Tesco for £15 before, and possibly even £10 at Boots once although they kept me waiting over an hour past my appointment time so I didn't go there again!

[Jamie]

... She then said to me "youre significantly overweight." even though i know that. she knows that. anyone who sees me can see that. she didnt weigh me but obviously her powers of sight determined the weight she entered into the computer. THEN she weighed me! ...

LOL If that was me I'd want to have said "what?!!!" then looked down at myself and then back up and say "what are you talking about???!!!" as if I were actually obviously underweight and she's a complete nutter. But that's just me! I'm somewhere 15-16 stone but luckily my doctors have never said anything to me - they know I know I'm overweight! I want to lose it but it doesn't want to leave me!!

[hyperactiv]

I have 3 doctors (I like to have different approaches and perspectives so I have an eastern medicine doctor, an ND, and a western MD). All three of them are very supportive of my diet. The western MD did at one point raise the "possibly low on b12" issue, but the bloodwork showed to be fine. My ND believes in eating according to your bloodtype and me being 0 he said I would do better with meat in my diet, statistically. He is supportive of my choosing to not eat meat (he thinks everybody should eliminate dairy from their diets, and that 80% of the cancers we face are linked to the herbicides,pesitcides,steroids, and growth hormones found in commercial meat).

[Tigerlily]

LOL If that was me I'd want to have said "what?!!!" then looked down at myself and then back up and say "what are you talking about???!!!" as if I were actually obviously underweight and she's a complete nutter. But that's just me! I'm somewhere 15-16 stone but luckily my doctors have never said anything to me - they know I know I'm overweight! I want to lose it but it doesn't want to leave me!!

When I used to be over weight, my doctor never mentioned it to me. But I lost weight, and I went back a year later. I casually mentioned I lost a bit of weight, and he was like "Oh yes. I can certainly tell!"

[foxytina_69]

doctors wont usually say anything about your weight unless youre 'of age'. my doctor didnt say anything to me until i hit 19 and than it was all over lol. *rolls eyes* but hey it worked. he said to lose 25 pounds so i did. lol. now im hoping my new doctor doesnt say something like that or else ill do it and i dont want to be skinny lol.

[DianeVegan]

Here http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...306.DTL&nl=fix
is a humorous yet informative column about naturopathic medical doctors in the U.S. I have found a vegan doctor who practices conventional and alternative medicine in my new home town. It will be interesting to find out where he trained.

P.S. - If you like the way the author writes, you should really check out some of his other columns.