The Bennett Clan: my body, my records

I have a problem. I know any doctor's office needs a permanent record of patients they've treated. I don't know all the semantics, but I know it comes in handy in case a person tries to file some pesky lawsuit.....anyway. We've recently switched care providers ~ we're still with Tricare (Sierra Military Health, or whatever they're calling themselves these days) and we receive health care at any military facility or an approved civilian provider. We now live outside the 30 mile radius of Ft. Drum ~ meaning we can still go to Drum for care, or go to a civilian in our town. I made all the necessary changes at Drum, so now all I need are our records. Coincidentally, both Sophie and I had/have appointments with the doc, so I sort of needed the records from Drum to bring to the brand new doctors. I load up the kids, drive the 30+ miles to post, and walk my happy self to the records window at the clinic. The, ahem, ever-so-nice lady at the window tells me "YOUR records are the property of the U.S. GOVERNMENT. They are to be maintained at a GOVERNMENT FACILITY AT ALL TIMES. I'll put in a copy order, and that will take up to THREE WEEKS." We talked back and forth, and all I got was a loud, rude "You CAN'T have them!" (Among other things...) All I wanted to do was sign them out for three days, then I would return them for said copying and all that business. I've signed them out before, and returned them promptly...apparently, they no longer sign records out, because people were keeping their own records at home. Oh no! Not that! Their own records!! I was rather upset, and since I tend to have a bit of a temper, told the lady the policy was ridiculous (even though I knew she hadn't thought up the policy!) and I wondered what was so important about my records that they needed to be kept under lock and key?! Yes, I can get copies. But I want Drum to keep the copy, and let me have my original records. No dice. So I called my poor unknowing husband on my cell, and cried and whined about "my body, my records," and what was I to do?! I needed the records now, not three weeks from now. As luck would have it, a nice lady (who works at the MEDDAC ~ the clinic) walked by and heard my tale of woe. She told me to go talk to the patient representative. I got the same sorry story, only nicer and much more palatable, but I was able to tell her that the lady at records was rude, crude, and socially unacceptable. Hopefully, at least, the Records Lady can be taught to be a tad nicer. Now, though, I must go for my well woman check on Monday with no records in tow.
This is long ~ I know. I'm just irritated. I appreciate free health care. You may be thinking I shouldn't complain. Maybe I shouldn't. But my family lives in sub-standard mouse-infested housing (and let me just tell you about the toilet that overflowed upstairs through my ceiling into my kitchen -including gushing down through the light fixture!- last Friday night and the maintenance guy told me on the phone "Yeah, that'll happen sometimes, Ma'am.") but they're worried about keeping my medical records "secure." Maybe they might worry about keeping my toilets secure?! Or the ceilings?!

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Saturday, May 14, 2005

my body, my records -- JuJu (1:12:00 PM)

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