I've been reading my friend Erin's blog about her life in China this week and I realized that I have posted very little information here about daily life in Japan. All of my blog posts revolve around politics, photos, art, or travel, which says alot about my personality. I am resolving to be more well-rounded in my blogging- let me know what you think!
So today I had a very "real" daily life experience- I took a sick day from work and went to the doctor. For about 2 weeks now I've had a cough and sore throat. I've been putting off going to the doctor hoping that I would get better on my own, which is my usual strategy for combating illness. Well, I haven't been sleeping well because I have been waking up a few times with coughing spells in the middle of the night, and last night Joe complained during my 3 a.m. spell that I was being loud (though he didn't remember saying this in the morning), so I figured it was time to put my socialized health care coverage to the test. It was amazing.
First let me say that I love the idea of socialized medicine. I loved Sicko. I really loved the Frontline special Sick Around the World; so much so that I used it as the basis of a speech I had to give in my Japanese language class last year (if you haven't seen it click on the link, you can stream the entire program on the internet). So I was pretty excited to try out the system.
I rode my bike to the local hospital, about 10 minutes away (here one goes to the hospital, not a family doctor). I entered and spoke with the greeter (for lack of a better title) at the door who assisted me in filling out the short form for a first time visit. I then took this form to the check-in counter where the receptionist helped me fill out a form detailing my illness. I took this form to the Ear, Nose and Throat department and waited for about 35 minutes before seeing a doctor. The doctor (a specialist at that!) poked around in my throat and asked me a few questions, most of which I understood. At this point I was feeling pretty good about my Japanese, I've cheked in, explained my condition, we've had some exchange. Then he declares my condition, but I don't understand. He sees the blank look on my face and writes the English word "tonsil" on a sheet of paper before I can look up the Japanese word in my dictionary. So I have tonsilitis. Visit finished. I get a sheet of paper from the department receptionist and head back to the front waiting area. I turn in the paper and wait about 5 minutes before I'm called up to the payment counter. Total cost of visit: 1,800 yen, about $18. Then I deliver my receipt of payment to another window where I receive yet another document which I take to a desk where three ladies stand behind fax machines (all 3 of these last windows are within 10 feet of each other). The woman shows me a map of the hospital parking lot which has four pharmacies surrounding it and asks which one I would like to get my prescription from. I ask which is best, she says they are all the same. So I select the one that is closest to the bicycle parking, my prescription is faxed over and I'm done. I walk over to the pharmacy and by the time I get there (3 minutes) they know who I am when I walk in the door. I show my insurance card again and fill out a short form, wait for 5 minutes and walk out with my prescription. I received 2 sets of pills that I will take for 5 days 3 times a day, an antibiotic and an anti-inflamatory. Total drug cost: 700 yen, less than $7.
All told, I left my house at about 10 a.m. and was home with a take-out lunch by 11:30. The total cost of my visit and drugs was less than my co-pay for a doctor visit in the U.S., and the amount that I pay monthly is much less than what we were paying for our insurance in the states. I have to say that my care was faster, more efficient and far more pleasant than what I have received at home. Sure I had to wait 35 minutes, but when I tried to get an appointment with my doctor in Kansas in June I was told it was over 2 weeks for non-emergencies. All this AND I rocked my Japanese language skills (at least in my perception!).
At my last dental visit in the U.S. the dentist lectured me about the perils of socialized medicine while he was doing the exam. How I would have to wait for any visit or procedure and how the care would be sub-standard. I couldn't argue with him then because my mouth was filled with dental instruments, but I can ceratinly argue now, especially after having such a good experience today. I know that every nation has issues with health care, but I certainly think that the U.S. has alot to learn (ok, so I got political afterall...).
Here's to hoping that in 5 days I'm all healed!
Side note: I have started linking information within the text of this blog- if you see a highlighted word you can click on it to link to additional information on the web. I can't guarantee that this info is accurate (as in the case of Wikipedia, etc.), but I will attempt to find legitimate sources.
So today I had a very "real" daily life experience- I took a sick day from work and went to the doctor. For about 2 weeks now I've had a cough and sore throat. I've been putting off going to the doctor hoping that I would get better on my own, which is my usual strategy for combating illness. Well, I haven't been sleeping well because I have been waking up a few times with coughing spells in the middle of the night, and last night Joe complained during my 3 a.m. spell that I was being loud (though he didn't remember saying this in the morning), so I figured it was time to put my socialized health care coverage to the test. It was amazing.
First let me say that I love the idea of socialized medicine. I loved Sicko. I really loved the Frontline special Sick Around the World; so much so that I used it as the basis of a speech I had to give in my Japanese language class last year (if you haven't seen it click on the link, you can stream the entire program on the internet). So I was pretty excited to try out the system.
I rode my bike to the local hospital, about 10 minutes away (here one goes to the hospital, not a family doctor). I entered and spoke with the greeter (for lack of a better title) at the door who assisted me in filling out the short form for a first time visit. I then took this form to the check-in counter where the receptionist helped me fill out a form detailing my illness. I took this form to the Ear, Nose and Throat department and waited for about 35 minutes before seeing a doctor. The doctor (a specialist at that!) poked around in my throat and asked me a few questions, most of which I understood. At this point I was feeling pretty good about my Japanese, I've cheked in, explained my condition, we've had some exchange. Then he declares my condition, but I don't understand. He sees the blank look on my face and writes the English word "tonsil" on a sheet of paper before I can look up the Japanese word in my dictionary. So I have tonsilitis. Visit finished. I get a sheet of paper from the department receptionist and head back to the front waiting area. I turn in the paper and wait about 5 minutes before I'm called up to the payment counter. Total cost of visit: 1,800 yen, about $18. Then I deliver my receipt of payment to another window where I receive yet another document which I take to a desk where three ladies stand behind fax machines (all 3 of these last windows are within 10 feet of each other). The woman shows me a map of the hospital parking lot which has four pharmacies surrounding it and asks which one I would like to get my prescription from. I ask which is best, she says they are all the same. So I select the one that is closest to the bicycle parking, my prescription is faxed over and I'm done. I walk over to the pharmacy and by the time I get there (3 minutes) they know who I am when I walk in the door. I show my insurance card again and fill out a short form, wait for 5 minutes and walk out with my prescription. I received 2 sets of pills that I will take for 5 days 3 times a day, an antibiotic and an anti-inflamatory. Total drug cost: 700 yen, less than $7.
All told, I left my house at about 10 a.m. and was home with a take-out lunch by 11:30. The total cost of my visit and drugs was less than my co-pay for a doctor visit in the U.S., and the amount that I pay monthly is much less than what we were paying for our insurance in the states. I have to say that my care was faster, more efficient and far more pleasant than what I have received at home. Sure I had to wait 35 minutes, but when I tried to get an appointment with my doctor in Kansas in June I was told it was over 2 weeks for non-emergencies. All this AND I rocked my Japanese language skills (at least in my perception!).
At my last dental visit in the U.S. the dentist lectured me about the perils of socialized medicine while he was doing the exam. How I would have to wait for any visit or procedure and how the care would be sub-standard. I couldn't argue with him then because my mouth was filled with dental instruments, but I can ceratinly argue now, especially after having such a good experience today. I know that every nation has issues with health care, but I certainly think that the U.S. has alot to learn (ok, so I got political afterall...).
Here's to hoping that in 5 days I'm all healed!
Side note: I have started linking information within the text of this blog- if you see a highlighted word you can click on it to link to additional information on the web. I can't guarantee that this info is accurate (as in the case of Wikipedia, etc.), but I will attempt to find legitimate sources.
1 comment:
Hooray for socialized medicine! I hope you feel better soon. Isn't it a great feeling when you walk away from an experience feeling like a competent user of the language you're studying?
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