Sicko

So I've run into a first-hand experience of what Michael Moore's Sicko is all about. My aunt lost her balance and fell outside our front door on June 23. We brought her in the house and put ice on her wrist but it really started to swell so we took her to St. Mary's emergency room. They put a splint on her and wrapped it up but did not put a cast on her. They gave us the contact number for Dr. Boiardo (Cross County Orhtopedics, 769 Northfield Ave., Suite LL-20, West Orange, NJ 07052; 973.669.9595) and told us to make an appointment w/ him to get the cast put on.

We got an appointment for 12:15pm on June 26 and got there a half hr early but ended up waiting about 2 hrs before they took her in. They took x-rays and Dr. Boiardo then told us that it doesn't look bad but he wanted a catscan done. At this point i started to think that this guy is looking to make money but I didn't want to create a situation in which we didn't do all we could for my aunt so I got an appointment for a catscan for the same day at 3:30pm. It was at their imaging center across the street so it wasn't far to travel. We waited til about 4pm before she was called in. My poor aunt was in so much pain from all the cramped sitting she did that she was about to cry. So after the catscan we were given an appointment to visit the doc at his Secaucus location on Sunday July 1. We got there a little more than a half hr before her 10:30am appointment but there was still a huge line. More waiting! When he finally called her in, they told us that he needs to set the bone and since he couldn't accommodate that in the office we were in, he instructed us to call a number and schedule a time for Thursday July 5 at St. Mary's so he could set the bone and put a cast on her. When I called for said appointment, I was told that she needs to get her preaddmission testing done asap. So I scheduled it for 9:15am today and my father and mother took her.

When they got home, they got a phone call from Dr. Boiardo's office telling us that my aunt's insurance will not cover the operation and that if we want to move forward w/ Dr. Boiardo, then we have to pay for the operation out of pocket. I was FURIOUS when I found out. What else will we be charged for? We had given them her insurance card 3 times (once for the initial appointment, once for the catscan and again for the last appointment on Sunday). Why couldn't they tell us then? What is wrong w/ these people? When I called and got mad, the lady had the nerve to give me an attitude. These people do not understand what they put the patient through. My aunt is physically and mentally handicapped. She has limited motion as it is and all of this running around was a lot for her to handle. And after they make us run-around they say they can't do it.

So now the surgery for this Thursday is off and my aunt is still in pain. She's still got a broken wrist and no cast. It's been 1 and a half weeks since she broke it. Why do we live in a country where we treat those in need like this? And she's disabled for God's sake!

I've made an appointment with another doctor for Monday at 3:00PM. I have to bring in my aunt's xray and catscan film with us to get his diagnosis. After that, the earliest appointment he can make is for Friday July 13. That will be about 20 days after her injury before she'll get help for a fractured wrist. When I came home today, my aunt was crying. If we get a bill for even 1 cent from Dr. Boiardo's office, all hell is going to break lose.