Posted by Nick at 08/21/08 08:42AM        Post ID#: #315

I have a niece who was "hooked" on a prescription pain med by her doctor who practices with Washington's Group Health. Rather than treat the problems causing the pain, it was easier, faster, and more expedient for him to prescribe medications for her and bill her uncountable office visits to "follow-up". She became addicted after 8 years of this and has since been trying her best to make it all go away, including attempts at suicide. She still has the problem, but group health won;t pay to have her faulty surgery re-done, she is bankrupt and can't pay the bills, but sees the emergency room 3-5 times a week for her pain.

The State of Washington needs to be more proactive in determining the "root cause" of chronic pain and other ailments they simply pass off as a psychological problem. Every year, there is something like $126 million dollars worth of fraudulent Medicaid claims, mostly by Illegals being given benefits meant for citizens only. Add all the others to it and it is a shameful waste of our money and peoples lives.

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