How do I go about finding a female doctor in the US?

[MelissaG]

Wow, every time I read stories like this it makes me glad I live in Australia where all of this is covered by our medicare levy that is part of our taxation system. However our dental is not yet included because, you know, dental isn't really health care.......................

You have no idea.

 

[Gaisy59]

Thank you. I found one. I just wish I knew why everything has to be so convoluted here. Like, why do I have to go to a different building for my mammogram, blood work, to get any updated shots and urine tests. They are ALL in different buildings? Why is the doctor only looking at the testing results? This is insanity.

Seriously…I’m in Manitoba and nothing is in the same building. I have had to wait a month to see my GP (who is a woman) and have been waiting five months so far for thyroid surgery with no end in sight. I’m moving to Alberta if you say it is so much better there

 

[teresariedlinger31]

There you will be provided with all the necessary information regarding your question. My friend got sick 5 years ago and therefore came under a reduction at work. I have used the insurance service every year and try to get new knowledge. I learned new information on remedigap.com about insurance last week. Btw, you have to discard all stereotypes about the gender of the doctor. Your health should come first.

 

[Relle]

Wow, every time I read stories like this it makes me glad I live in Australia where all of this is covered by our medicare levy that is part of our taxation system. However our dental is not yet included because, you know, dental isn't really health care.......................

That's why I have private health insurance and wouldn't be without it, if you need an operation you get it pronto, no waiting and I still have to pay the levy on top of that, which annoys me, having to pay twice. I go without, to afford the health cover and I'm still out of pocket for specialists, while others who rely on medicare get everything for nothing.

 

[MelissaG]

Seriously…I’m in Manitoba and nothing is in the same building. I have had to wait a month to see my GP (who is a woman) and have been waiting five months so far for thyroid surgery with no end in sight. I’m moving to Alberta if you say it is so much better there

I never had to wait that long to see my GP. A week max. That was over ten years ago, but still. When I had to get my hysterectomy, the wait time in the US was 94 days, in Canada it was 82 with a likelihood of 74.

There you will be provided with all the necessary information regarding your question. My friend got sick 5 years ago and therefore came under a reduction at work. I have used the insurance service every year and try to get new knowledge. I learned new information on remedigap.com about insurance last week. Btw, you have to discard all stereotypes about the gender of the doctor. Your health should come first.

I just don't feel comfortable around a male doctor.

That's why I have private health insurance and wouldn't be without it, if you need an operation you get it pronto, no waiting and I still have to pay the levy on top of that, which annoys me, having to pay twice. I go without, to afford the health cover and I'm still out of pocket for specialists, while others who rely on medicare get everything for nothing.

Private insurance should be illegal. In Canada I can go to anyone I want no matter what. There are no lists of approved doctors. In the US, you get a list you have to abide by if you want to be covered. In Canada, all treatments are covered, yes you pay a bit on your taxes, but it's minute compared to the cost of private insurance in the US (it was $40 per family of 4 a month last time I lived in Alberta. We are paying $500 a month for health care in the US just for me and my husband and that's on the cheap side. If my husband didn't work for such a high end company, we'd be paying more. The last company he worked for wanted twice the cost of our mortgage per month for terrible covereage).

I know both sides of health care very well now having been in two countries. Universal health care is better. Even with a wait time. And the wait times in Canada are the way they are because there are fewer doctors, and especially fewer specialists. Cosmetic surgeons are particularly difficult to get in to see.

 

[Relle]

Btw, you have to discard all stereotypes about the gender of the doctor. Your health should come first.

It's not all about stereotypes about the doctors gender.

My female GP just retired and the male doctor that was left ,did not see women re women's issues. I also saw a male specialist for a while and mentioned to my GP I felt uncomfortable with him and told her why, found out she had other complaints about him. Little did I know, she put in a complaint to the medical board about him re the issues and he can't see a patient now without a nurse present. I found through talking to a lady at the gym about him, she had troubles as well. I left him long ago, he was just too creepy and found a female specialist. So I won't see a male if given the choice, I have been to the ER and you get who you get, but have luckily got females.

I'm on the hunt now for another GP who will be female, as I'm more comfortable talking to a female about personal problems. The health people I see that are women - pathologist, dermatologist, massage therapist, chiropractor etc.

 

[AliOop]

Private insurance should be illegal.

Very interesting perspective, and not one with which I can agree. I don't believe things should be declared illegal unless they are morally wrong or harmful. You may dislike private insurance, but it is neither morally wrong, nor harmful, IMO. Yes, that is a very American perspective - we do like our freedom of choice, and don't want to be constricted with laws created by people who have a different opinion than we do about what is best for us as individuals.

You are also way underestimating the cost of health insurance in Canada and other countries with universal healthcare. The monthly amount you paid is nowhere near the actual cost; the rest is baked into taxes paid through employment, sales tax, property tax, etc.

Finally, you absolutely do not know all about health insurance coverage in America. Far from it. You happen to live in a state that is quite well known for very poor medical care and lack of sufficient medical workers (as do my in-laws who are currently very ill). Many of us who live elsewhere in the US have very positive experiences with our health care providers. Not to mention, your particular type of insurance coverage makes a huge difference. My insurance covers 95% of the physicians who practice in my state, so I can see pretty much anyone I want, without needing a referral, and within very short wait times.

Bottom line, I don't mind that you are expressing frustration about your negative experiences, and that you preferred what you had elsewhere. But I do mind that, having had very limited experience in a very specific area of this large country (which is divided into 50 semi-autonomous states), and with what sounds like a very minimal insurance plan, you believe you know enough to speak for the entire population of this country, and that you understand how it works across the nation. Not so, friend.

 

[Relle]

AliOop, we can see anyone we want, but need a referral from a GP, that's how the system works here. The wait times can be months that's why my ongoing appointments I book 6 months in advance. I still need to get another referral after 12 months to keep the ongoing treatment happening.

 

[Gaisy59]

Very interesting perspective, and not one that I can agree with. I don't believe things should be declared illegal unless they are morally wrong or harmful. You may dislike private insurance, but it is neither morally wrong, nor harmful, IMO. Yes, that is a very American perspective - we do like our freedom of choice, and don't want to be constricted with laws created by people who have a different opinion than we do about what is best for us as individuals.

You are also way underestimating the cost of health insurance in Canada and other countries with universal healthcare. The monthly amount you paid is nowhere near the actual cost; the rest is baked into taxes paid through employment, sales tax, property tax, etc.

Finally, you absolutely do not know all about health insurance coverage in America. Far from it. You happen to live in a state that is quite well known for very poor medical care and lack of sufficient medical care providers (as do my in-laws who are currently very ill). Many of us who live elsewhere in the US have very positive experiences with our health care providers. Not to mention, your particular type of insurance coverage makes a huge difference. My insurance covers 95% of the physicians who practice in my state, so I can see pretty much anyone I want, without needing a referral, and with very short wait times.

Bottom line, I don't mind that you are expressing frustration about your negative experiences, and that you preferred what you had elsewhere. But I do mind that, having had some limited experience in a very rural area of this country, you believe you know enough to speak for the entire population of this country. Not so, friend.

Very very true. Canadians have high taxes and we still don't get great health care. Also, we pay extra with private companies and no one seems to get that (Blue Cross, Great West Life etc), and on top of that we have to pay out of pocket for what isn't covered. Yes Canadians are oblivious to all this and think our health care if "free".

If I could get better health coverage by paying a fee for service you bet I would!

 

[Shirley-D]

while others who rely on medicare get everything for nothing.

@Relle just want to clarify what you said. You are not talking about Medicare in the USA, right? Before people get riled up let me explain: Medicare here is paid for by a legally mandated deduction from our pay checks. I was paying it for 50 years. We cannot use it till retirement age, so we still need to pay for health insurance at the same time. When eligible to get Medicare coverage, it is still not free, it costs about 150 dollars each person monthly. Then there is a deductible--that is, you pay the first few hundred dollars of the costs each year. After that it covers 80% of the costs. Most people carry a supplemental insurance to cover that remaining 20%. If you want prescription medications coverage that is another plan that costs more again. Some things also have a lifetime usage limit, such as convalescence care. Together my husband and I pay 680 USA dollars each month for basic coverage. Our prescription plan is more again.
So I assume you didn't mean people like us get everything for nothing. You were referring to something else, yes?

 

[AliOop]

@Shirley-D Relle is in Australia, so she is talking about their healthcare system, not the US system.

@Relle wow, ongoing referrals and long waits... sorry to hear that. That can be the case here - all depends on where you live, and what insurance you have.

 

[Shirley-D]

@Shirley-D Relle is in Australia, so she is talking about their healthcare system, not the US system.

That's what I thought, @AliOop, but her badge doesn't say for certain. What I was thinking is someone might get upset by the comment and I wanted to nip it in the bud before they did. I'm guessing Medicare is some sort of welfare in Australia?

 

[Relle]

That's what I thought, @AliOop, but her badge doesn't say for certain. What I was thinking is someone might get upset by the comment and I wanted to nip it in the bud before they did. I'm guessing Medicare is some sort of welfare in Australia?

I removed my location on my avatar, most members know where I'm from, that's why I replied to sandiebrown who is also In Australia. No, medicare is not a welfare system it's the National Health System which has a lot of flaws. I have an excess on my private cover to try and keep costs down but they go up every year in April, this year they put it back until October.

@Shirley-D Relle is in Australia, so she is talking about their healthcare system, not the US system.

@Relle wow, ongoing referrals and long waits... sorry to hear that. That can be the case here - all depends on where you live, and what insurance you have.

I'm going to see if I can get a perpetual referral for this one doctor I go to although I don't think she likes that as they'd get more with each new referral. I think people in the country are disadvantaged as they have to travel hours and hours to see specialists and different levels of insurance determines how much you get back.

 

[Shirley-D]

@Relle no hard feelings, just making sure of what we are talking about. Beautiful bunny by the way.
ETA We are a very international group

 

[MelissaG]

Someone please close this thread. Thanks.

 

[MomInWA]

Thank you everyone, I appreciate it. It's so needlessly complicated here. Such a very odd way of doing medical care like having to go different places for testing. I'm used to doing everything in one place. I rarely ever needed a specialist in Canada since the GP even dealt with things like mammograms and other female things. The only time we needed someone different is if it was surgery or otherwise something incredibly specialized.

I agree. It is needlessly complicated and I'm an American! I worked in both health insurance and health care (licensed massage practitioner). As a massage therapist, I can't even get insurance approved! My first job was mostly insurance claims, but I had to piggyback on my boss' license/insurance. To be paid by insurance as a massage therapist you have to get on a long, long waitlist. If they're even approving applications, which they largely are not. After/if you ever get approved, you get paid pennies on the dollar and you can't argue your fee. You take it or you do not take insurance claims at all. That was 10 years ago; it may have changed by now. Washington State.