Friday I went to the doctor for an evaluation. The reason for this is the dentist saw a tiny little bump on my tongue that she said was probably nothing. Since I have insurance, she said I should get it checked out by a specialist. She gave me a referral to someone she knows. With some worry, I made the appointment. Unless I have the slowest growing tumor in history, it is a nothing issue, but you never know and the hygienist is right about having it checked out to make sure. Who knows? This could be my last post here.

I made the appointment and was told to show up 30 minutes early to do paperwork. I was given a clipboard and five forms. Half of it was the basic data a doctor would need in order to get a general history of the patient and get paid for services. The rest was data to defend him against future lawsuits. Liberals have argued for years that litigation is a tiny part of health costs, but they have a conflict of interest as most are lawyers abusing the court system. The rial lawyer lobby is very powerful in America.

Even objective studies cannot account for the millions of hours wasted filling out forms forced on us by the plaintiff’s bar.  A partner in a law firm filling out forms at a doctor’s office is a $1000 of waste. Multiply that over tens of millions of people and you have billions squandered in the morass of paperwork alone. That’s before you consider how many times you fill out the same form. Every visit to the doctor seems to require a new form, with the same data, but in a slightly different order with a new date.

I finish the forms and the whatever you call the people at the front desk took a copy of my insurance cards and driver’s license. Again, the scan of the license is about money. If they have to chase me, they now have my photo ID. This was something truck hijackers would do in the 50’s and 60’s. They would take the truck driver’s license and tell him to claim it was two black guys or two Mexicans. Since they had his license, he was under obvious pressure to cooperate. It’s an interesting comparison.

Then I wait and wait and wait. I had 12:30 appointment but did not get to see the doctor until 1:00. He was with me for 132 seconds. I know because I timed the great event. I then spent fifteen minutes checking out and paying my bill. That part was an issue because I learned they did not take insurance, but would submit the claim to my carrier for reimbursement. I tried to use my HSA VISA card, but that was declined for some reason. I then used my regular credit card to pay the $150 for the 132 second consultation.

The consultation resulted in another appointment. He will remove the bump and send it out for examination. He says it is unlikely to be anything but I will have peace of mind knowing for sure. He will also have $650 for the service. If I want my HSA to cover it, I will have to spend hours working that process. There’s a cost there as my time is worth something to me. I could pay out of pocket, but I have insurance for this stuff. They ain’t giving me a discount for not using it. It is another hassle for a service that is probably unneeded.

This is the problem with health care in a nutshell. It is something we all need, so it has attracted a special class of highwaymen. They stand between you and the product or service you need, demanding a toll. Unlike a stickup man, they force you to fill out forms and wait in line to be robbed. This is also why American health care will collapse before it is reformed. Those highwaymen have powerful lobbies to prevent laws curtailing their activities. We’ll just have to wait until we’re all bled dry, before there is reform.