Z.A.
I've been a military dependent (of active duty and inactive reserve), and active duty military myself.
Tricare, like nearly anything having to do with the military and medicine, has it's frustrations. It is PARTICULARLY trying, when you're dealing with switching from active to reserve. It's the paperwork & referral business coupled with HAVING to do that, when you've been used to ...if you're sick or hurt you see the Dr. now.
That said. I will never recommend Group Death to anyone, either for health care or for seeking employment. (Aha! Look! Bias, bias. Yup.) The sheer number of; bad outcomes, substandard care, mismanaged cases, and ridiculous administration fumbles that I have personal knowledge of is far too high. Here's a short list (of people with their insurance) that I know of. Family & friends where I was present only...if I gave you the list from what I've learned in school and from friends and from working in the field, I'd get sued:
- Teenage female patient with pneumonia & temp of 103.7 denied immediate acute care either in ER or with their "group" of regular doctors (because of being MISCLASSIFIED as a child...to whom acute care for high fevers is only given after 105...at their hosp). Soonest appt available was 5 weeks out. Parents had to seek care outside of network and pay 100% out of pocket for care & medicines. Parent was BSRN. Patient was myself. Told by docs at Swedish that I was lucky to be alive.
- Teenage male patient who had an accident in woodshop and sliced their arm from wrist to elbow and had arterial spurting controlled only with direct pressure of the towel another student held to their arm, sent to PSYCHIATRIC waiting room for evaluation for over four hours BEFORE anything was done to treat the injury. Injury was only treated because 2nd student applying direct pressure got tired and shifted their grip & blood squirted across the waiting room & sprayed receptionist. Receptionist was treated before lacerated student. Student who was holding the towel, and who had witnessed the accident, was myself.
- Early 20's female patient who fell off of dirtbike (although given xrays) was misdiagnosed with sore muscles/sprained back. In all actuality 3 vertebra were fractured, and two discs were ruptured. Mistake WAS caught by GH staff...8 Days after being seen. My diving coach.
- Mid fifties female patient suffers severe heart attack & mild stroke. Is taken to nearest ER by ambulance. GH deemed that said heart attack and subsequent treatment not covered by their plan, since it was treated out of their network. 2 years of legal battles. GH won. Fine print reads emergency service can be provided by non GH facility if deemed by GH to be immediately life threatening to patient. Deemed is key word. Their choice, no recourse. Patient had to pay 100% out of pocket. My aunt, at a family Christmas party.
- 84 year old man is run over by bicycle on Burke Gilman trail. Knocked unconscious. Ambulance takes him to nearest hospital. Same results as above. My grandfather.
- 4 and a half year old female patient given NINE spinal taps over the period of a few hours by multiple providers, for a misdiagnosis. Not only an incredibly painful procedure, but one that was done incorrectly 7 times. Permanent damage has ensued. One of my nieces. My SIL called me during one of the procedures to ask if what they were doing was kosher. Had her call the local childrens hospital, who sent an ambulance and took my niece to their ER. Low and behold...GH allowed it and paid. I suspect they were afraid of a major lawsuit. Written consent had only been given for one tap.
Anyhow...the list could go on and on and on. Like I said, I'm limiting this to things that happened while I was present. Here are some more: Patients given drugs they are allergic to because the chart is improperly marked, or a duplicate name...failing to follow universal precautions...a fisbone lodged in a patients throat is determined to be "psychiatric" in nature. Yet for some reason, NW had no problem removing said "imaginary" fishbone. pretty much, you name it, and it's happened. To every single person I know who has had GH. A biased sampling, but a sampling nonetheless. The thing is ALL hosp./med professionals have "bad days". It just seems that GH has more then their fair share...and that it happens to nearly ALL of their patients...and that their attitude towards it is "Screw you."
So in a nutshell...Tricare is a pain, but I wouldn't fear for my life.