America's Health Care System Sucks

I'm in Public Health. I KNOW the U.S. has a craptastic health care system. I've witnessed this first-hand a few times in my life - the worst was the fall of 2000 (Spice can chime in on that). But each bad experience with our disasterous system catches me off guard - and I'm reminded of why I got into public health in the first place.

Yesterday I finally got signed up with HealthNet - retroactive for September 1st. They signed me up for a primary care physician who, as it turns out, is NOT accepting new patients. So I call back and switch to someone else who, by the information given on the web site, IS accepting new patients. When I call that doctor's office, it turns out she's NOT accepting new patients. Fuckin' A. So now I'm calling every office that appears to have a primary doctor accepting new patients. My success rate is about 50%. The best story yet: calling an office of a doctor that doesn't actually exist. They acted as though I'm an idiot. I think HealthNet and their outdated crappy website is at fault here.

I wish I could return to my horrible, low-service, high-cost student health insurance. I never thought I'd say that. Blah.