Doctor Shopping Forbidden under ObamaCare
An acquaintance allowed me to convey her story to my readers, asking her name not be used:
My youngest child was born 5 days late, 8 lbs 14 oz with 20 minute’s labor.
Although I was really sick during most of my pregnancy he was considered very healthy at birth and passed all of the tests with flying colors. I had some problems after he was born and they had to give me some additional medicine to stop my bleeding and cramping (and some other things) so we stayed in the hospital a few extra days.
When we brought him home he was sick. He spent some time in the nursery and caught a bug in addition to being jaundiced and needing a belly ring.
At two weeks he was diagnosed with pneumonia. He had pneumonia twice more that year. Our doctor (a personal friend) said that the scar tissue in the lungs can stay for six months or so and make it easier (more susceptible) to get repeat bouts of pneumonia (it is an opportunistic secondary infection). Because of my son’s size at birth and term (he was not a preemie) no red flags popped up.
We moved the week he turned one (he had pneumonia again for the drive). He had pneumonia 10 times by his second birthday. My friend the doctor told me once “trust your mommy sense, if you think something is wrong trust it and find out”.
I kept asking the new doctor why he was so ill… he was having trouble breathing… and when he did not have pneumonia he had croup (over and over again). Just before his second birthday he had his first belly breathing episode. No words can describe the sound of a tiny child frantically squeezing every muscle in their body just to try and get air in, to breath. It is terrifying! In the ER you are rushed past admittance, triage, and every doctor and nurse in ear shot come running to save your child.
Ironically the medicine that they administer to open the lungs has a common side effect of disintegrating bones (usually in the hip) so for 6 – 8 weeks you have to monitor the bones.
I knew something was really wrong. I was told my son had asthma (although he had no other symptoms). I started doctor shopping. When my insurance would not pay for another opinion we paid for it ourselves (by scraping and doing without).
The year my son turned three he had 58 doctors visits, 4 ER trips with belly breathing, and 4 specialist visits. Just before his fourth birthday we had a diagnosis with a theory. The theory was that when he was born he was exposed to and came home with the RSV virus (he was not tested for it because of his size and term) the diagnosis was underdeveloped lungs… they were not growing. They had tons of scar tissue that could not heal and an ever increasing demand on an ever more limiting size.
His biggest growing problem was not that he had trouble breathing in, it was that he was growing less effective (every day) breathing out. Co2 is not your friend. I found one doctor who figured out the best mix of medications, one! Now my son is breathing free and clear. He has not needed a breathing treatment in a year!
What I know (having read the new Health Care Law) is that doctor shopping is strictly forbidden. You can not pay for it yourself. I also know, that Special Needs kids (such as my son), have “managed care” where the decision making power is removed from the parents. The medications are reviewed and if it is not approved you can not get them (even if you want to pay for them yourself) – two of the medications my son took would have fit that scenario.
So for my two cents, my son’s life is worth it! I will do all in my power to help repeal this law that would have cost him his life.
About John C Wright
John C. Wright is a practicing philosopher, a retired attorney, newspaperman, and newspaper editor, and a published author of science fiction. Once a Houyhnhnm, he was expelled from the august ranks of purely rational beings when he fell in love; but retains an honorary title.
