Patient autonomy: deciding on transfusions, treatment options, and more...

I think this might have been discussed before, but since I’m brand new to the forum, I’ll just ask anyway: what are actually my rights as a patient when you find yourself stuck in a situation like this?

A few years back, I had surgery at a major hospital in Chicago due to an ectopic pregnancy. It was diagnosed early enough that they said an emergency intervention wasn't necessary.

My husband and I share the same blood type and RH factor (AB+), so he offered to donate blood specifically for my surgery, but they told us that isn't how things usually work here. They didn't even consider his offer or run any tests—they basically just brushed him off. Before the procedure, I made it crystal clear that I did not want any blood transfusions unless my life was in immediate danger. They didn't offer me any paperwork to sign or anything; they just supposedly "noted" my decision.

The surgery itself went fine, but just a few hours after I woke up,
the doctor mentioned during rounds to the nurse that I looked "a little pale" and suggested they could give me "one dose just to perk me up." Now, I am naturally pale—I'm a total blonde, light hair, light eyes, so appearances can be deceiving! But I still repeated my decision to the doctor: no blood unless it's a life-or-death emergency. I even reminded her that my husband had offered to donate if it was truly vital—and she just snapped back, "I don't make the rules, I'm not the President." I insisted again that I felt perfectly fine and didn't want the transfusion, but she went ahead and ordered the dose from the nurse anyway. The dose the nurse brought out was A+ (okay, I know, AB+ is the universal recipient, but there was absolutely NO NEED!) and the woman starts hooking me up while I'm still protesting the whole thing.

The only other thing I could have done was cause a massive scene and rip those needles right out of myself! 😠

To make matters even worse, instead of the laparoscopic surgery we had originally discussed, they performed an open surgery. And instead of repairing the fallopian tube, which was just slightly stretched (according to them), they ended up removing the whole thing! The doctor's breezy explanation was simply that "it was easier that way." 😠 😠 😠 😠 😠 To top it all off, my gynecologist later suggested it might actually be better that way, because if they had tried to repair it and messed up, I could have had another ectopic pregnancy in the same tube. "There's less chance of it happening naturally on the other side now," she said, as if I should be thanking her! Result: I can NEVER get pregnant again because that surgery left me with a ton of adhesions. I have one child from before, but I wanted more, and I'm just not satisfied with "well, at least you have one."

Now, I've been diagnosed with an ovarian cyst and they've recommended surgery (supposedly laparoscopic again). It’s not an emergency, but it needs to be handled, and I am running away from making a decision like the devil from a holy water sprinkler because I just can't imagine going through that again. It absolutely terrifies me to think that I have zero control or say over my own body. By the way, my late husband was a specialist in transfusion medicine, which is where my aversion to transfusions comes from—unless it is absolutely, critically necessary. And don't even get me started on the lack of any principle regarding respecting a patient's choice once options have been presented.

Is there even a way in this country for a person to normally express their opinion, get actual answers, advice, and a list of options from a doctor, and then decide for themselves what to do? It would be so much fairer if those jerks at the hospital had just told me, "Look, we can do laparoscopy, but that costs, say, $5,000 out of pocket, or we can do the traditional way which Medicare will cover." Fine! Then I have a choice. But this...

hiddenheron78 said:My husband and I actually share the same blood type and RH factor (AB+), so he offered to donate specifically for this surgery—but we were told that isn't really how things work. His offer wasn't even considered... he hasn't been tested, so it was basically a non-starter.

I won't get into the rest of the story, but I'll just confirm that getting blood directly from a specific person isn't done anymore—not for about 30 years now (except during wartime)—not here in America and not in any other civilized country. There are at least ten different reasons for that, which I'm sure your dad, being a transfusion medicine specialist, could have explained to you in pretty great detail...

Jose Miller3 said:I won't even get into the rest of this story, I'll just confirm one thing: direct blood transfers from just anyone haven't been a thing for about 30 years now (unless we're talking wartime), not here in America nor in any other civilized nation. There are at least ten different reasons for that, which I'm sure your father—being a transfusion medicine specialist—could have explained to you in great detail.

Wait, who on earth is even talking about direct transfers here?

I think I’m probably just going to hold back from weighing in on this whole thing here 🙄

You totally missed my point!
Jose Miller3, of course I wasn't talking about just grabbing blood straight from the vein. What I meant was someone offering to donate blood that goes through the whole standard processing and prep routine for a transfusion if needed—and if it isn't used immediately, it just stays in the system for whoever else might need it, just like any other donation.

My dad passed away during the war back in the early 90s, so I never got the chance to ask him anything personally. But from what I know, it’s actually pretty common for hospitals to ask immediate family members if they want to donate blood when a loved one is prepping for surgery. I even think there's a thing where you can donate a few months ahead of time and then they essentially use your own supply during the procedure. I mean, people are constantly complaining about the shortage of donors, so why is it an issue when someone actually steps up??

Honestly, though, what really ticked me off was the whole protocol regarding receiving it—since when do I not get a say in the decision? It actually got me thinking about how I might just sign an organ donor opt-out form right now. If a situation ever arises where, God forbid, something happens—who’s actually going to check if I signed the paperwork or not? I wouldn't be able to argue my case anyway, just like I couldn't walk myself out of a hospital bed.

hiddenheron78 said:But honestly, it was the whole intake process that really incensed me—since when am I stripped of my right to make a decision? It actually got me thinking about how I might sign a directive stating I don't wish to be an organ donor, only to find myself in a situation where, God forbid, it becomes necessary—who’s actually going to verify if I signed the paperwork or not? At that point, I wouldn't even have the capacity to protest, much like how I couldn't simply get out of bed back then.

Regarding that specific concern, you can rest easy. A vast number of our local hospitals aren't even equipped to perform organ extractions. So, even if you were to sign a donor card and heaven forbid such a scenario occurred, the real question is whether anyone would even be able to facilitate it. 🙄

Of course, a patient always maintains the right to decide, but simultaneously, the physician also holds decision-making authority. A doctor should always act according to the principle of doing what is best for the patient in that exact moment. Unfortunately, all too often, when faced with a choice between what is truly best and what is merely easier or faster, the latter path is chosen. However, I sometimes struggle to understand the patients as well. When they disagree with the procedures they are subjected to, why don't they file a formal complaint on the spot, rather than waiting until everything is over to write posts on internet forums? Now, this doesn't apply to you, as I read that you did indeed protest at the time, but generally, the situation follows this pattern: people visit the doctor, fail to comprehend even 5% of what is being explained to them, and are too intimidated to ask questions because they view the physician as some sort of sacred icon that cannot be questioned—only to vent about it on a forum later... What do you all think? What should I 😕

Which hospital were you even at?
Seriously, thank God 🙏 🙏 🙏 that I’m mostly healthy.
Other than giving birth, everything was fine—I haven't had any hospital runs where I was actually the center of attention.
Until last summer.
I gotta give props to the trauma team at Mayo Clinic 🙂 though. They walked me through everything—what they were doing, how, and why. Their work was top-tier. The only thing they didn't bother asking my opinion on was the antibiotics and that blood thinner stuff. I guess they figured my signature covered all that. They wouldn't even touch me with an IV of Voltaren until I gave them the green light.
Maybe your doctor used to work at a state asylum or something and just hasn't broken those old habits yet 😕 .

crimsonpuma48 said:Which hospital were you at when all that happened?
.

At the local Mayo Clinic... Honestly, I switched doctors after that whole mess! My new doctor is absolutely wonderful, but since she’s in private practice, she doesn't handle surgeries herself. She ended up referring me to her colleagues over at Johns Hopkins.

Oh, and that bit about transplants was just a side note—it's just that if they can't even seem to notice me when I'm standing right in front of them, I can only imagine how much more trouble I'd cause if I actually decided to put up a fight! Anyway, I haven't signed anything. I think it's a beautiful thing to help someone else out, especially if I can't even get the help I need myself.

hiddenheron78 said:Generally speaking, I didn't sign anything, because I believe there is nothing wrong with helping someone else if I am unable to help myself.

I’m a bit lost here—what exactly did you not sign? I find it hard to believe that upon being admitted to the hospital, you didn't sign a standard consent form for the procedure along with everyone else.😕

It is certainly true that a patient must be fully informed about any procedure they undergo. However, we see it happen daily in American hospitals: patients refuse established treatment protocols without actually understanding the specifics, simply because they were told something different or because they heard a "miracle cure" was better, even if it isn't medically necessary.
Some individuals take their condition very seriously and strive to learn everything possible about it. On the other hand, there are those who refuse to learn anything at all yet still consider themselves competent enough to reject the therapy being offered. It makes me wonder: despite having the legal right to refuse, do they truly have the moral right to do so?🙄

Harold Mendoza3 said:I'm lost—what didn't you sign? :

I haven't signed the organ donor waiver! That goes back to what I mentioned earlier in my other posts.

When it comes to being medically savvy and staying on top of health stuff, yeah, I'm definitely one of those people. Part of that is just because both of my parents were doctors. Growing up around that, I totally get how incredibly tough and high-stress the job is. But I also learned that to be a *real* doctor, you need way more than just textbook knowledge—you need actual social skills and empathy, too.

And oh boy, there are all kinds of patients out there. You've got the ones who think they're geniuses, and then you've got the ones who trust their neighbor's medical advice more than their own physician. It's gotta be exhausting for doctors, honestly.

As for my own experience, it wasn't about me acting like a know-it-all or demanding some specific treatment I read about online. It was much simpler than that. The day before my surgery, I had a long talk with my surgeon. He explained how lucky I was that we caught everything early while my fallopian tubes were still okay, and he told me we could fix everything easily with laparoscopic surgery. But then, when I got into the OR, I was met by a completely different doctor! When I asked where the guy who actually treated me was, he just shrugged and said his colleague handed him off because it was a "routine procedure" and "he knows how to do it too." 😕

Well, things turned out the way they did, and when I eventually asked that second doctor why they didn't do the laparoscopy like planned and went with an open incision instead, he basically told me, "We could have, but this way was just easier." 😠
Honestly, I felt totally violated. 😠

Look, here's what I expect from a doctor: lay out all the options, explain the procedure step-by-step, walk me through the risks, and give me the pros and cons for every single choice. Tell me what *you* think is best, but at the end of the day, the final call should be mine. I'm the one who has to sign the paperwork and, obviously, live with the consequences of that decision.

hiddenheron78 said:I expect my doctor to lay out all the options, the procedure details, the potential risks, and the pros and cons for everything on the table. They should give me their professional opinion on the best path forward, but the final call is mine—something I’ll have to sign off on and live with the consequences of.

1. You're spot on. 👍
2. Also, if you're hanging out with doctors all day, how come you haven't hooked up with one yet😕?

crimsonpuma48 said:1. I am totally on the same page as you! 👍
2. But seriously, why haven't you hooked up with someone in the medical field yet since you come from a family of doctors 😕?

I just don't have that chance anymore. I lost my mom back when I was just in elementary school—she passed away from cancer in her 40s—and then my dad was taken from us by the war just ten years later.😢

hiddenheron78 said:I don't even have the chance. Lost my mom back in elementary school—cancer took her when she was only 40. Then ten years later, my dad was taken by the war. 😢

That's heavy. Sorry for asking, sending you some love. 😘

hiddenheron78 said:I think this might have been covered already, but since I'm new here, I figured I'd ask: what are the actual rights of a patient when you find yourself in a situation like this?

In America, much like everywhere else, patient rights can be a bit of a gray area. The most important thing is to fight for them the moment they start being trampled. Once the damage is done, it’s too late. And if you eventually take doctors to court, they usually just circle the wagons—colleagues defending colleagues—and label all sorts of malpractice as "standard procedure." That doesn't mean you shouldn't sue, though. Sometimes, it's about making them sweat. It gets annoying for them to have to show up at the courthouse every other day because a hundred dissatisfied patients decided to file suit.

hiddenheron78 said:My husband and I share the same blood type and Rh factor (AB+), and he offered to donate blood specifically for my surgery, but we were told that isn't standard practice.

Technically, you could have arranged for autologous transfusion—using your own blood—so if they needed it, they'd be using yours. It's just that it's more work for the hospital to store your specific supply separately; it's easier for them to just grab whatever is first in the pile. Apparently, a little extra effort for the medical staff is worth more than the patient's health risks. Sad, really. 😢

Personally, I would have turned down the IV, especially with that condescending "you look pale" routine. If a doctor acts rude, adopting an attitude of "don't test me, you aren't the boss here," you need to snap back with, "Excuse me, behave professionally; you are being paid by my money, so show me some respect." Don't let yourself be placed in a subordinate position. If they won't respect you, be difficult. Let them fear a report to the Chief of Medicine, a lawsuit, or a massive legal headache. When they act like such jerks that they refuse to respect the patient, then let fear dictate their respect. 😠

I assume you already had an IV in place, but the moment the nurse approached with the blood, you should have shouted that you were refusing the transfusion and revoking consent for them to treat you. Tell them you'll sue and physically prevent them from administering it. If she kept trying to hook up the bag, I'd have personally yanked the tubing out or pulled the needle myself. If they tried to force it on me, there would be blood everywhere—and not just mine. 😠 😈

hiddenheron78 said:No paperwork was ever presented to me for signing; they just claimed my decision had been noted.

Legally speaking, unless you sign a waiver upon admission giving them carte blanche to do whatever they want, they are required to ask permission for every single procedure. If they give you grief for not signing a blanket release, get their names and report them to the Department of Health and Human Services for withholding medical care for unlawful reasons. If they perform something without your explicit consent, you should have grounds for a lawsuit based on the resulting emotional distress.

hiddenheron78 said:To make matters even worse, instead of the laparoscopic procedure we’d actually agreed on before the surgery, they went ahead with a full open incision. And as for the fallopian tube repair? They just ripped the entire thing out. The doctor’s explanation was incredibly blunt—he basically just said it was "simpler that way." 😠

This should really serve as the foundation for a lawsuit. You walk in, you agree on a specific procedure, but then some idiot goes rogue and performs something entirely different—something irreversible that you never actually authorized. That’s exactly why I don't believe in signing those blanket consent forms. The real question is how we regulate this. From a legal standpoint, instead of signing a waiver that gives them a free pass for everything, shouldn't you only authorize one very specific treatment? Then, if they deviate from that plan, you have clear grounds to sue. Of course, even then, fighting it through the courts is an absolute nightmare—exhausting, expensive, and way too long.

The pragmatic approach? It’s simple. You walk into the doctor's office, you offer them some cash to do exactly what you want, and you hand over a small portion upfront. If you're satisfied with the results, the rest follows. That’s just how the reality of the American healthcare system works. If you want actual respect and dignified treatment, you either have to take your chances or pay under the table.

If someone completely ruins your life, your only alternative to the legal system is seeking retribution from some criminal. Now, I’m certainly not suggesting you actually go down that road. But when I sit back and think about what I’d do if some incompetent idiot destroyed my existence through sheer negligence—especially when the system fails to deliver any actual justice—it’s easy to imagine wanting to smash their car, break a window, or just lose my cool entirely. I’ll say it again: it isn't the right way to handle things. But a sloppy doctor ought to be well aware that there’s a very real possibility of paying for their incompetence and arrogance in much more visceral ways. If they understood that, maybe they’d actually start treating their patients with a shred of respect.

hiddenheron78 said:The thought that I have absolutely no say over my own body—no control, no rights, nothing—it honestly makes my skin crawl.

I’m right there with you, hiddenheron78. Honestly, it's the same story everywhere. These massive healthcare conglomerates have built such an impenetrable monopoly that they feel they can act with total impunity. They’ve lost all sense of empathy for actual patients. It’s frustrating to watch them cut corners and cause real harm, only to walk away without facing a single consequence. 😢
It’s only a matter of time before they finally hit a wall. It's coming.

There’s no need to rush. Honestly, take a moment to consider what happens if you decide against the surgery altogether. If you realize you actually do need it, though, look into making private arrangements—find a way to settle things on the side to ensure you receive dignified care. You want to make sure that once the procedure is over, your husband is right there waiting for you immediately. And if anyone tries to force some kind of aggressive treatment or unnecessary IV fluids on you against your will, you need to be physically prepared to stand your ground and stop them.

Does anyone have a decent idea on how to actually humanize the health insurance system so we can stop these kinds of horrors from happening? Reading this, I get the feeling that woman suffered as if she had been physically assaulted. If you commit a sexual assault, you go to prison. But when it comes to violence against a patient? It seems like nobody faces any consequences at all. 👎

Justin Fox said:Look, let’s be real—in America, just like pretty much everywhere else, patient rights are a total gray area. It’s one of those things that sounds great on paper, but when you actually need them, it feels like an uphill battle. My take? You have to stand up for yourself the second you feel like your rights are being stepped on. If you wait, you're basically too late. The problem is that once things go south, it becomes an "us versus them" situation. When you try to take a doctor to court, they usually just circle the wagons. You'll see colleagues backing each other up, calling all sorts of malpractice "standard procedure" or "just part of the job." It’s frustrating as hell because they make everything seem normal when it clearly wasn't. That doesn't mean you shouldn't sue, though. Honestly, sometimes you do it just to get under their skin. If there are a hundred pissed-off patients filing lawsuits, those doctors are going to be spending half their week in front of a judge instead of in the OR. Sometimes, making them deal with the legal headache is the only way to send a message that they can't just do whatever they want without consequences.

Technically speaking, they could have just matched your own blood type, which would’ve been the smartest move all along. It’s obviously way more work for them to set aside and store your specific type rather than just tossing everything into one big pile and handing you whatever happens to be at the top of the stack when they need you. Honestly, it feels like a bit of doctor convenience is being prioritized over actual patient safety here. It’s pretty sad, really. 😢

Honestly, I’d pass on that IV drip if they started hitting me with that condescending "you look pale" nonsense. If a doctor tries to pull that "don't tell me what to do" attitude like you're some subordinate instead of a patient, you’ve got to shut it down immediately. I always tell people: remind them that you’re the one paying the bills and they need to show some basic decency. Don't ever let yourself get pushed around or made to feel inferior. If they aren't treating you with respect, then yeah, be difficult. Make them realize that a formal complaint to the Chief of Medicine, a lawsuit, or even just making life difficult for them isn't off the table. If they're going to act like they don't care about the person in the bed, then maybe a little bit of fear is exactly what it takes to teach them how to actually do their jobs. 😠

I’m assuming you already had an IV line set up, but honestly, once your sister walked in with that blood bag, you should have screamed. You needed to tell them right then and there to stop the transfusion, revoke your consent immediately, and make it clear you were going to sue if they didn't back off. You had to physically block them from hooking you up. If they had kept pushing that bag onto you, I swear, I would’ve ripped the tubing straight out of the needle myself—or just yanked the whole needle out of your vein. If they tried to force it on you like that, things would have gotten messy fast, and there’d be blood everywhere—and not just yours. 😠 😈

I honestly think that, legally speaking, if you don’t sign that blanket waiver at the hospital giving them total carte blanche to do whatever they want, they actually have to ask for your consent before every single procedure. It shouldn't be a given that they just take control like that. If you start running into pushback or if they give you a hard time because you're refusing to sign those sweeping permission forms, you should definitely demand names. Get the staff involved and file a formal complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services. Denying someone medical care based on those kinds of illegal technicalities is a huge deal. Plus, if they actually go ahead and perform something without your explicit approval, you should have more than enough ground to file a lawsuit for the emotional distress they put you through.

Honestly, this should be the entire basis for a lawsuit. You show up, you agree on a specific procedure, and then some idiot goes rogue and does something completely different—something irreversible that you never even signed off on. That’s exactly why I don't think people should be signing those blanket waivers. But the real question is, how do we actually regulate this? Like, instead of just signing a general consent form that basically gives them a free pass to do whatever, what if the law required us to approve a hyper-specific treatment plan? That way, if they deviate from what was actually discussed, you have clear grounds to sue. Of course, the downside is that legal battles are such a massive, draining headache and take forever to resolve, but it feels like the only way to hold them accountable.

Look, if you want my honest take on how things actually work: the pragmatic way to handle this is to just go to the doctor and offer them some cash to do exactly what you need. You give them a little something upfront as a down payment, and then once you’re actually satisfied with the care you received, you settle up the rest. I truly believe that if you approach it that way, you’ll get everything you’re looking for and they’ll actually treat you right. That’s just the reality of the healthcare system here in America. If you want to be treated with actual respect and dignity, you either have to take your chances with the bureaucracy or just pay under the table.

Look, if someone completely ruins your life, your only other option besides the legal route is going after them personally. Now, obviously, I’m not out here advocating for anything illegal—I'm a reasonable person—but when you sit back and think about what you’d actually do if some idiot doctor absolutely wrecked your existence through sheer negligence, and then the system fails to give you any justice? It’s easy to see how someone might want to smash their car, break a window, or just lose it on them. I’ll say it again: that’s not the way to go. But honestly, these sloppy doctors need to realize there’s a real possibility they'll have to pay for their own incompetence and arrogance. If they knew there was a chance for actual consequences outside of a slow-moving courtroom, maybe they’d start treating their patients with a little more respect.

I’m right there with you, hiddenheron78. Honestly, same here. These guys have basically cornered the entire healthcare market, and because they own the game, they act like they can get away with anything. They couldn't care less about actual patients; they just run their business, cause massive headaches for everyone involved, and walk away without ever facing any consequences. It's frustrating as hell. 😢
It’s going to end for them one day!

Look, there's no rush. You should really weigh your options—see what happens if you decide against the surgery altogether. And if you absolutely have to go through with it, maybe look into a private arrangement or some kind of off-the-books deal to ensure you actually get treated with some dignity. Once the surgery is over, have your husband right there waiting for you; if anyone tries to force those IV drips on you against your will, you need to be physically able to step in and stop it.

Does anyone have any bright ideas on how we can actually humanize the health insurance system to prevent these kinds of horrors from happening? Reading this, I honestly feel like this woman was treated with the same level of brutality you'd see in a sexual assault. People go to prison for rape, but when it comes to violence against a patient, nobody seems to care at all. 👎

In this whole "situation," alongside an endless amount of sheer stupidity 🙄, there are at least two elements here that constitute actual crimes:

1. Inciting corruption
2. Inciting violence.

Is anyone actually going to take action on this? 😈

Well, not really (if you're taking aim at me).

Just like in that other thread, I’m basically counting on everyone else here to be smart enough to judge the value of Justin Fox's posts for themselves.

Other than that, is there anything specific I need to do? Like, pretend it's impossible to find a bribable doctor in America and just delete that part of my post? As for the second bit... honestly, I'd love to see her try, so she can end up behind bars in a nice, neat way.

Justin Fox said:A little bit of physician complacency is a small price to pay compared to the actual risk to a patient's health. It’s truly unfortunate. 😢

Unfortunately, we aren't dealing with a lack of medical expertise from our doctors; rather, we’re facing the systemic limitations of Medicare. Believe it or not, Medicare acts as the ultimate gatekeeper for almost everything. They are the ones deciding who qualifies for specific procedures and who gets left out in the cold. To be perfectly blunt, the process of drawing and storing one's own blood prior to a major surgery carries a significant cost, and Medicare simply refuses to foot the bill. It seems that in our current system, the decision-making always boils down to one thing: choosing the cheapest option possible.

From a legal standpoint, I believe that unless you sign a blanket waiver upon admission granting the hospital full discretion over your treatment, they are strictly required to seek your consent for every single procedure. If you encounter any resistance or pushback because you refuse to sign such an all-encompassing statement, you should demand the names of the staff involved. My advice would be to report them directly to the Department of Health and Human Services for denying you medical care based on unlawful grounds.

Upon admission to any hospital, you are required to sign a universal consent form authorizing medical treatment; without that signature, the facility simply won't admit you. The notion that your doctor should consult you on every single minute detail of your care is a complete utopia. That kind of granular level of communication doesn't exist anywhere in the world. Beyond the practicalities, that statement serves as a critical legal document.

If someone goes ahead and implements something without your consent, you should arguably have sufficient grounds for a lawsuit based on the resulting emotional distress.

I agree, certainly, but I must reiterate: it is simply not feasible to ask a patient for consent at every single micro-moment during a procedure. This is precisely why we utilize general consent forms that don't dictate every granular step of the process. Medicine isn't a mathematical equation; 2 + 2 rarely equals 4 in a clinical setting. Every surgical intervention carries inherent risks, and at the onset, it is impossible to guarantee with absolute certainty how a situation will unfold. Despite our best intentions, laparoscopic procedures frequently have to be converted into open surgeries mid-stream.

Why shouldn't one be forced to sign a blanket waiver? The real question is how we regulate this effectively. From a legal standpoint, instead of signing a broad statement that grants total approval for everything, wouldn't it make more sense to authorize only a specific, targeted treatment?

As I mentioned before, you’re welcome to give it a shot, but I honestly don't see you getting much further than the reception desk.

The pragmatic approach is this: you walk into the doctor's office, offer them some cash to ensure they perform exactly the way you want, provide a small portion upfront, and once you’re satisfied with the results, you settle the rest. In my view, that is how you guarantee you get exactly what you need and receive the level of care you expect. That is simply the reality of the American healthcare system—if you want genuine respect and dignified treatment, you either have to take your chances or pay under the table.

I believe this is quite possibly the most flawed approach imaginable. You cannot simultaneously throw stones at the entire healthcare system—accusing everyone from the top down of corruption and incompetence—while also abandoning any meaningful reform in favor of the path of least resistance. It is essentially saying, "Let's just hand a massive settlement check to a few doctors and call it a day." This is nothing more than a blatant application of double standards. You really need to decide which side you are on.

If you’re truly being ruined by this, your only alternative is seeking retribution from some criminal element.

Honestly, this doesn't even merit a response.

These guys have cornered the healthcare market, so they act with total impunity. They couldn't care less about the patients, and they cause damage without ever facing consequences. 😢
Their day of reckoning will come eventually!

It won't be, though—especially not with those specific players you mentioned, as long as you try to resolve your issues using the methods you just suggested.

See if you can work out a private arrangement or a little "under the table" deal just to ensure you're treated with some dignity.

👎

Jose Miller3 said:well, not really (if you're talking about me).

No, I wasn't aiming at you 😘
I was talking about the Department of Justice 😈

Jose Miller3 said:...as for that other thing, I'd love to see them try it, just so they end up behind bars where they belong.

🙏 🙏 🙏

Good grief, Susan Martin24, there’s quite a bit you’re missing here, though I suppose you’re lucky enough to be blissfully unaware of how much you're struggling.

Arslan said:Poor Susan Martin24, you clearly have no idea what's actually going on, but hey, at least you're blissfully unaware of how clueless you are.

That’s why every single morning, the second I roll out of bed, I hit my knees and thank the Internet Gods for creating someone like you to enlighten me. 🙏 🙏 🙏