Home Forums Discussions General Discussion She Should Have Gone to Cornell...

Hey Everyone,
Well for the second time in half a year our wonderful fluffy male cat, Pepe Lemuiex got very sick and scared his daddy. I left him sitting in front of the water dish at about noon yesterday and he hadn't moved 5 and half hours later.

When Nancy brought him home to me 4 years ago for my Birthday he was barely 8 weeks old, all black except for a perfect white racing stripe starting at his forehead running staight down his back and spreading out into a silvery bushy feather duster tail that was yet black on the bottom. As you all know I am a hugh fan of the sport of hockey, he looked just like a cute little scunk much like the girl cat in the Looney Tunes Pepe Lepew, so hence his name, part French Canadian hockey player, looked like a scunk and he was really a cat. This cat is so tollerant of our kids, he is the ultimate snuggle bunny, and comes and begs for tummy scritches very morning. Nancy calls him the perfect cat. Mellow as can be.

Anyway, so there I am at the largest Animal Hospital in all of Liverpool NY, getting him an office visit, with urine and bloodwork, because he is absolutely sick to his stomack, not eating, puking and dehydrating, and like I said second time in just about a perfect 6 months. While I'm waiting for this young doc to come and see Pepe I start thinking about this kid (young man now) that I coached almost 12 years ago now when we first moved here. He is getting married this very weekend, and has a year left to become DR Adam Kane. Soon to be a graduate of the near by "Cornell School of Vet. Medicine", one of the best schools in the country. He was one of my two best, most creative and intelligent defenseman that year and possibly ever. That was a great season I had two really talented, and intelligent defenseman to put one on each pair. Nancy and I moved here with our $500 Dodge Dart and Plymouth Scamp because she was to study Medicine here at SUNY upstate....And just where are coach Paul and his wife Nancy as compared to this guy 12 years later....

Now I know I'm about to get "banged" here. The ER visit the first time at 12:30 am was over 300 bills. But this time I wanted a good workup so I would know for sure just who this cat is and does he have any lerking issues arising. Well thank goodness except for a some what high white blood count he is perfectly healthy, but dehydrated. Once again daddy takes out the Visa card and gets banged for just over 300 bucks. Twice in 6 months. Next time mommy the doctor who knows how to set up an IV and has some no less, is just gonna pump in some fluids and let him ride it out an extra day or two....

I ask you this: How many level 3 and 4 office visits would we have to do to not just charge, but to actually take in $600 Bucks!!! Think about... Now last time he got a film or two to check for blockage and this time some interesting labs, but none the less, they charged a good percentage above cost I'm sure, and recieved proper compensation for their services.

But here is my real point after the long around ground work... Leslie, you spoke about being able to remember and being luck enough to have been able to practice medicine "back in the day". Well when you think about who has it more like back then, than Vets??? The are almost 100 percent cash and carrier and nobody in the right mind begrudges them that fact or their right to be properly paid for the time, knowledge and expertise. This really smart and wonderful young man will probably be way better off than coach Paul and his wife in just about half a dozen years. he's gonna be doing cats, dogs and horses while we are all doing PEOPLE! And yet he will be treated better and with more respect, and earn a living that is on par with his knowledge and training. Now obviously I'm a sucker for my family member pets, I've got nothing against Vets or people who take good care of their animals, who do too.

But why can't my wife and all of you good folks, after all your training and studies be half as well off, and left alone to practice medicine as you know how, than the local vet right down the road from us??? People don't want to cough up a stupid co-pay or go to a doc where their insurance isn't accepted, to pay cash and carrier, and hope to get something back from their plan later, but they don't even think twice about wiping out the plastic or the checkbook for their vet, for the dog or cat.... That my friends is truly insane. Until you guys can be treated at least as well as the local vet in your own communities, I think we should all tell the world to take a hike!

That's it from now on, we all need to talk in these plain and undeniable terms and examples. The Food Stamps one I posted earlier and now the local Vet one today. Is that really asking so much? If society wants to give healthcare to the poor, great! I agree with the basic idea, I am sort of way left of center, with a common man, blue collar twist. I don't fall for the bogus half of the Liberal arguments, like open boarders and the like. But just like I said Danny Wegman of the Wegman's supermarkets gets paid the same on every food item he sells, whether it is cash, credit or food stamps. If you can pay up front for Fido or Kitty, then why won't you show the same basic economic respect to your PCP??? Get paid the same rate for the same service every time, charge your charges and get paid your charges, and have a promise of payment in full at time of service. The basic fundimentals of any other American business.

A patient of ours just got arrested for passing bad checks and her husband called because they won't give her, her meds in the county lock up. Now some other business person when they get scammed gets to call the local county sheriff and have that other party arrested for fraud. Try filling up your tank tonight and see how far you get if you try to drive off without paying. That business is well within it's rights to expect payment in full at time of service and can use our tax dollars and public servants and courts to enforce it. But stick your doc for 6 months for their $20 copay or the entire bill because of deductable and that is just fine... Tough doc. What Bull.

My wife who loves dogs so much should have been a vet. Just imagine where we would be by now. Not here that is for sure.
"She Should Have Gone to Cornell"
I'm late for dinner and I'm all pissed off and faklempt...talk among yoursleves....

Good Night and Good Luck
Paul

Paul:

I read this the day you wrote it; it just resonated with some of my own recent experiences and left me too demoralized to respond.

I'm still too demoralized to respond.

But, I am listening. Keep your chin up. Hope your kitty's doing okay.

Brian,
Thanks for your support and your concerns. Ya Pepe seems to be doing just fine. It's amazing how sick and dehydrated he gets over basically nothing. Like I said now that I know he doesn't make crystals to block his pee and the rest of his BW is normal so he doesn't have any other nasty hidden issues, now I know I can go a little slower next time. Have Mommy pump him with some fluids.

But all of us need to just keep hammering away at anyone who will listen about food stamps and vets. Good common sense analogies that any person can understand.... Nancy and I are pretty pissed off and depressed too...Keep the faith.

Good Night and Good Luck
Paul

Finish your Checks and Check your Finns???
BUMP. Just thought that this thread needed some more viewing and input from the crowd.

Nancy really wants to go out on that limb of NO insurance. Does anybody know the legal ins and outs of whether or not a doc can own two separate companies, two separate practices. One that is stuck in this sucky old model of PAR and HIPAA and one that is totally off the grid, non-par, and bill for different services based on the business model of each particular business. I know that you guys can own one that that is one tax ID number and moon-light at another, with both practices Parring and not Parring with different carriers. Work here during the week and work some place else during the weekends. Any thoughts here folks?

Anyway, I think that all of you great docs should go back to medical school. Vet Medical school that is... What a message that would send. 33% of all PCP have quit people medicine and returned to school, vet medical school to escape the maddness of present day modern insurance. What a headline.

Well, I've got to go pay some bills to get some creditors off our backs. Can't avoid them forever.... Not with King George's new bankrupcy reforms... Debtor's prison returns! Remind me again why Nancy and I put so many years of our lives on hold, for delayed gratification and reward? And I guess I've got to go to the driveway again this weekend to fix that rusting out old Jeep too.

When I grow up I want to have a BS degree so I can be a provider rep with full health benefits and regular hours, to help insurance companies oppress hardworking doctors for my own personal gain. "Luke, you can not imagine the POWER of the Dark Side."

Good Night and Good Luck
Paul

Well, depends on how depressed you want to get.. lets see now..

NY State Medicaid - $30 / visit = 20 visits
Medicare - $50 / visit = 12 visits

Our PRIVATE payers range from 77.4% of medicare to 115% of medicare. I shoulda been a vet - the patients don't complain, the hours are much shorter, and the money is definitely much better.

Next career - heating and air conditioning.

Depressingly,

V.

Vinny,
Ya know I kind of self taught myself automotive HVAC and have serviced a number of tough issues on my own Mopars and Jeeps already... Should we open a shop together??? I think your math is sadly accurate. Anway, I just thought in light of the other subject matter we have been discussing the last few days that this thread needed a good "BUMP!!!"

33% of all human single species PCP's return to Med School to become Vets.... I want it on the front page of the NY Times and the Wall Street Journal. And don't forget Lou Dobbs. Pleeeease.....

I'm looking for a Gig so Bump!

I wonder if some forward thinking vet school could provide pathway for us human docs to retrain on other mammals so we could become vets. I'm ready.

Hey John,
Good One!!! Actually we used to joke that the Ex only worked on One Species. Heck I even toyed with and try to investigate it for her... See if they would allow her a year or two off for her already extensive training and experience...

Heck if I could become a Practice Manager at a nice Vet Hospital without all the added insurance and Gov't crap I think I'd JUMP on the opportunity!!! Really. Hey anybody know of a nice Vet Place in my area Central NY, CNY that could use some extra help??? I'm about ready.

Here's an interesting Link about the similar costs increases and greater increasing Employment for Pet Docs over Human Docs... Just something more to think about and add some more sauce to the mix...

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-your-dogs-vet-bill-says-about-americas-healthcare/

Hey Folks,
Guess What?!?!?!?!???? I found and spoke with my old player Dr. Adam Kane!!! He's doing great specializing in Cardiology and working in what seems to be a very nice place in Rhode Island. It was so good to hear his voice and talk about that original team that was my first real Ice Hockey Coaching experience. That was a great team with a special attitude and bound for the most part, that never seemed to quit or give up on each other and their coaches. Some very special kids who will always be near and dear to my heart.

So, I told Adam about my present horrible "Tail" and how the kids and I are struggling so badly under the continued failures and abuses of my Ex. I called him because I had hear that he practiced here and if he could recommend a decent place that did cheap or pro bono vet work because another one of my cats, Jack, was having symptoms all to similar to Pepe I mentioned in this post originally. Anyway, I told him that I wrote this post and where to look for it, so I wanted to give it a bump here so hopefully the good Doctor Adam Kane could find what his old Bantam Youth Hockey Coach had written with him as the juxtaposition to modern overused and neglected PCP human docs that I know and care about here.

So, if you're out there Adam (My youngest son's name too I might add) here's your post. It was great to hear from you and all my best for your continued success and good health.

Coach Paul