Making Tracks: A painful lesson in supply and demand

Published 7:00 pm Monday, May 8, 2017

This past week, I learned the true meaning of “medically underserved area.”

My injured knee had been improving steadily for two weeks, so I wasn’t even going to bother having it checked. But the pain kicked back into high gear last week, and I was worried. So, as I do each time I find myself on a new insurance plan, I went online to find a good family physician on the provider list; and when I found one who seemed to be a good fit, I called to set an appointment.

The conversation was unlike any I’d ever had with a medical office. They told me the doctor was accepting new patients — but on a case-by-case basis. They got my contact information and asked me about my insurance and the nature of my injury. (“Did you fall?” “Well, kind of. It’s a long story.”)

After gathering the information they wanted, they said it could be a couple of weeks before I heard back from them — and at that point, if it suited the doctor, they would set up an appointment.

I was stunned. Seriously? Had I just applied to become their patient?

It was just a little too weird for me. So, after I slept on it, I called another doctor’s office the next morning — and got the same rigmarole. I called a third one: same thing. All said they’d mail forms for me to fill out and send back before they decide whether they’ll even deign to schedule an appointment — which, in turn, would most likely be several weeks down the road.

I couldn’t understand why any doctor would require more than proof of good insurance to accept a new patient. I still can’t. But after asking around a bit, I came to understand this wasn’t unusual here.

It seems the ratio of population to primary care physicians in Grays Harbor County is 2,620 to 1, according to current data compiled by CountyHealthRankings.org. That works out to about 28 PCPs serving the county’s entire population of roughly 73,000.

By comparison, the ratios in my last two homes are 930 to 1 (Bismarck) and 1,420 to 1 (Phoenix). I never had to wait more than two weeks to see my doctors there, even for the initial visits.

Here, it’s going to be awhile.

Not wanting to wait that much longer to get my knee checked, I drove 20-plus miles to the closest urgent care facility on Thursday afternoon. X-rays confirmed what I already knew: no breakage. But they couldn’t tell me exactly what the problem is, because urgent care docs can’t order MRIs to get a good look at ligaments, tendons and meniscus. Only a primary care physician or specialist can do that for the insurance to cover it.

So, after a $30 co-pay plus my percentage of the X-ray cost, I’m not one bit closer to learning what’s wrong.

I had friends visiting from out of town this past weekend; and, with no doctor to advise me otherwise, I decided not to let the pain keep me from all the activities we’d been planning for the past month. I wore my brace, and we enjoyed as much of the Shorebird Festival as seemed reasonable. I’m feeling it today, but it was worth it.

Well, at least until a doctor gets around to telling me in July that my knee is screwed up for life because it went undiagnosed and untreated for so long.

I wonder how long it takes to be seen by a lawyer around here.

Kat Bryant is lifestyle editor of The Daily World. Reach her at kbryant@thedailyworld.com or on Facebook at Kat Bryant-DailyWorld.