The Steward Health Care Vultures: Third World Medicine

The comment below was in response to this blog post: 

"The Steward Health Care Vultures: Third World Medi...": 

I have been taking a tier two pain medication for chronic pain for three years, the medicine is now tier three. Steward is holding my medicine hostage unless I comply with a "new office policy" requiring me to sign a document the treats me like a drug addict and to pay for a urinalysis to see if I am using "street" drugs along with my prescribed medication, I would have to pay for the test! Steward is getting between me and my doctor.

This is the Steward Medical Center on Bedford St in Bridgewater, Ma.


Is anyone else being subjected to this demeaning treatment? 




While specifics can't be addressed, what is interesting and disturbing is the rate at which many physicians prescribe painkillers when other options might be available. 

Pain Killers loose their efficacy, necessitating increased dosages and they're tough to STOP. 
[The pain explodes during withdrawal, among other things.]

. 
Oxycodone was promoted to doctors by Big Pharma with the sales propaganda 'If you're in pain, you can't become addicted.' 

We certainly discovered that to be untrue. 


On another note: STEWARD 

There is a list of state agencies governing health issues and complaints. 

In my experience with STEWARD, they OVER PRESCRIBE, order unnecessary, sometimes expensive tests, they are consistently under-staffed, frequently hire under-qualified individuals and much else.....

..... and FOR PROFIT HEALTH CARE SUCKS! 


In recently approved legislation, the Commonwealth may have mandated testing. 

Please also check with your elected officials or some of the legislation that has been published. 

Also, check with your health insurance carrier. 

The Massachusetts Attorney General just release an unrelated report about STEWARD's failures. You might consider filing a consumer complaint with the AG - it can be accomplished on-line. 

In my opinion, if you're having a problem, others are as well. 


This is the list posted on the original blog post in 2013 [not all links may work, but you get the idea! File complaints!]: 

If you've been subjected to Steward abuse, you might consider complaining - it won't get corrected otherwise -- 

COMPLAINTS: 

Include your Primary Care Physician
Include the 'patient advocate' for each individual facility - it won't accomplish anything because they don't really care, but they should be included

Department of Public Health

Complaint, 2nd Floor 

99 Chauncy St. 

Boston, MA 02111

The Joint Commission

Office of Quality Monitoring

One Renaissance Blvd.

Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

Masspro

245 Winter Street

Waltham, MA 02451

MA Dept. of Mental Health

Clinical and Professional Services of Licensing

25 Staniford St. 

Boston, MA 02114-2575

MA Board of Registration in Medicine

200 Harvard Mill Square, Suite 330

Wakefield, MA 01880

The AG has been overseeing Steward's finances. 

It would seem that these are  'consumer' issues.

Office of the Attorney General
Public Inquiry & Assistance Center (PIAC)
One Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108


If your complaint is short, you can file online here: 
http://www.mass.gov/ago/consumer-resources/consumer-assistance/consumer-complaint.html

[There's supposed to be a separate health care complaint section, but it wasn't working when attempted.]