My health care provider is ridiculously bureaucratic. My health insurance company isn't very competent. Why do they get to charge so much? Whoever says the for-profit model is more efficient is crazy. →[More:]I went to a doc in the Big Practice near work. Not crazy about doc, but, whatever. Doc moves to another location of Big Practice, 30 mins from work, 30 mins from home. Ummm, no, I do not wish to drive so much for Doc Meh.

Employer requires that I participate in program to make me More Healthy! w00t! I must get a Bio-Metric Screening by the end of March. Can I go to local office of Big Practice, see a PA or NP, and get a Quick blood drawfor cholesterol, and a blood pressure? After multiple calls, the answer is No. Drive 30 mins each and see Doc Meh, who is very hard to schedule.

OR, choose a new doc at local office of Big Practice. Except, hardly any openings. Oh, yeah, once you are assigned to a Doc, it's permanent. By transferring from Doc Meh to Random New Doc, I use my 1-time change-yer-doc option.

The insurance company? Yeah, they listed my preferred doc as available, and verified, and assured me I could choose Nice Doc I used to see, who is in a different practice. Called Nice Doc's office. He hasn't been a provider with Incompetent Insurance Company for 8 years. Eight Years.

So I'll get a Random New Doc, who may or may not be the best choice for my health care needs, which are as typically complicated as many other middle-aged women, maybe a little more so. The practice is trying to make me choose by who has scheduling availability.

This is not good health care. This is not efficient. Managed Care? Not well managed, not good care.

Thank you for listening. I will go make more phone calls.

The heal