Inefficiencies drive me nuts.

I've learned that the Ethiopian Gov't blocks blogger.com and that before you go to Addis that you have to alter your blog to accept posts. It's also difficult depending on where you are to upload pictures. So- I was hoping to update this blog during my stay in Ethiopia but we will see when I get there. If there is a change required I'll have Denis update it with a new location to redirect to.

On a note that is completely unrelated to adoption or Ethiopia - shocking I know. I don't understand the American medical system. We as technologist- should never have put P2P/B2B technology in the hands of doctors- they should stick to the human body.

My doctors office recently moved from a traditional paper based environment to a new computer based system. PC's in the examination rooms-It's kind of cool and has a creepy aspect to it as well. In my field of business- I really dislike that my PHI is being transferred through more and more"disconnected" networks.

I find the concept of multiple companies storing my information and transferring my personal data back and forth nerve wrecking-although it's bound to be yet another driving force sending business our way.

I pay as a self employed person almost 10K a year for my husband and I with no children to have BCBS of NE- HMO. It's a disgusting amount of money-but I think because of the amount I expect good service. Note that I love BCBS (I don't like many companies but they revamped their systems years ago and appear to the customer to be well run-it's impressive really). I could pay much less but want to stay happy with my medical insurance provider.

Now, although they are unrelated- somehow my dissatisfaction with my current medical care facility circles back in my head to the cost I pay to have this coverage. This whole story boils down to I need a new Primary Care. But since this is my blog - I'm going to whine about this little situation anyway.

I called my doctor's office in October -having learned about something-and asked for advice from my doctor and if she'd like to make an apt. to see me because of something or if she could simply advise changing or renewing a prescription for me. Each time I call they need to "leave a message for my primary". The office responded with a letter 3 weeks later that yes- she's like me to set up an apt.

Of course - I don't respond immediately as I am aggravated by then, busy with work and life and forget- so in early December I make an apt. With the holidays - her plans, my plans etc- I can get in to see her in - Early January.

When I see her- she fills out an e-prescription for me. It's weird leaving the doctor's office with out a piece of paper in my hand-I had to stop and ask the front desk if I should have anything. After the 48 hours they asked me to wait- I go to where I asked to have the prescription sent to.

Of course- they had not filled the prescription because they didn't have my medical insurance information. Makes since- so I give them my information.

Day 3 -Apparently -My medical insurance won't cover it- with out a certain letter and they need to wait till the morning to reach my doctor.
Day 4 So- now the pharmacy calls for the letter or a substitution.
Day 8 The weekend passes and on Tuesday the doctors office calls me to confirm the substitution
Day 9 the prescription is filled and I pick it up.

I can't help but wonder - what if this was "important"?

30 days later (5 months from my initial phone call)- I learn that now that it's a generic prescription and my pharmacy offers a better prices for a 90 day prescription. So, I call the pharmacy to find out what to do. They recommend that I contact the doctors office for a 90 day prescription instead of 30 day. So I do, of course they have to call me back after they confirm with the doctor, and then e-mail a new prescriptions to the Pharmacy which they request 48 hours to fill. After the 48 hours- I have to again follow up to see if it was faxed over and approved-etc- or we start this all over again. It's really ridiculous.

This later part is simply to save time and money on my end-but costs so much on every one else's end because Pharmacy, insurance and Doctors are so disconnected. I just find that, with the kind of money I'm spending on health care annually, the access to amazing medical care we have in the US, and the fact that every single one of us needs it- that it's astonishing that it's so difficult to navigate your way through being cared for.

Being a project manager by trade - inefficiencies drive me crazy. And with that said- It'll probably be a good thing that I'll only understand a 10th of what is said to me while I'm in Addis- ha ha.

Anyway- because this is not an "emergency" and when you look around in the world this concern of mine boils down to "peanuts"-but it's still annoying.

Want to hear about town hall and permits?

Would you believe (of course you would- but this is my first time applying for a permit in Massachusetts) I had an approved permit sitting in town hall for over 2 weeks (after they wouldn't let us pay them when we applied for it). They had it sitting in their office -on hold because it was approved but not paid for. Hello... how exactly were they planning on telling me this exactly??? Peter-pan and Pixie dust I suppose?? It would have been nice if they had contacted us and told us it was approved. They just never called-any of the 3 phone numbers the application requests. Ugh. It just drives me crazy you obey the law and -you pay too much money to get permission to do something to your house that no one outside of your home would ever see.

People ask for a ton of information to "approve your request"- but don't use the information you've given them. Options-let's see: phone, snail mail, email.. hmmm. Simple contents needed- congrats - your approved, bring money!

Okay- so we all have to much to do - and too little time in a day to get it done- but this is a process. You apply- they refuse the check- they send you away to wait- they have you fill out this lengthy information packet - finally apparently but unknown by you- they approve you... then the process seems to break??? let me finish it- town hall calls/emails or snail mails you a letter that let's you know that your application is out of conundrum as the clerk you note how the notified the resident- the resident calls - the clerk pulls up your application and read said note or comes in to get application and pays. Ugh, boy that was hard and with just a teeny tiny correction you have happy residents.

It's one thing if they didn't ask for the information and refuse the check and told me to check in with them in a few days- it's another when they select to own the contact and don't do it.

In the end. What a painful life I lead since inefficiencies drive me nuts. Usually I can take all of this with some sort of added in Dilbert related humor- for some reason today-the humor is escaping me.