Depends on what kind of medical plan you're on.  Indemnity plans are the
least restrictive but are the most expensive.  A HMO (Health Maintenance
Organisation) is the most restrictive but usually the least expensive.
Under a HMO, you can only go to the doctor you've designated as your primary
care physician, and normally if you need to see a specialist, the PCP needs
to issue a referral which then must be approved by the plan administrators.
There are variations on this but it's the basic scenario.

HMOs have become hugely popular with companies offering group coverage to
their employees, as they're supposed to cut costs.  However in the past two
years, costs have gone up again, back into the double-digit increases, and
companies are worried about the effects on their bottom lines.

Kat
----- Original Message -----
From: "kate" <[log in to unmask]>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.c-palsy
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, June 29, 2002 4:00 AM
Subject: Rough go right now...


> When I read your message I thanked God I live in Australia.
>
> If I cant go to my usual G.P. I can go to another one. If I was in heaps
of
> pain I can go to a public hospital (no charge).
>
> Or..
>
> because I pay for health insurance I can go to a private hospital
(accident
> & emergency).
>
> Looks like over there once you sign on the dotted line it is bad luck.
>
> Kate
>
> Hey all...
>
> I haven't been on the list today as it's been a particularly bad day
> pain/spasticity wise.  Things have been getting progressively worse for
> about a week.  I left work about two hours early yesterday, slept about
two
> hours last night and could not grasp a razor or toothbrush.  Needless to
> say, I did not work today.
>
> Called the pain doc's office at 9:00 and said that I urgently needed to
see
> the physician.  I was told that the earliest possible time was July 26th.
> Fine, but could someone "call something in for me?"  That was 9:00, I
called
> back at 2:00 and re-emphasized the urgency and was told that someone would
> get back with me eventually (today??  this year??).