The last time I visited Doctor Angel Ho on Mills Avenue, I was told by the receptionist that she was no longer my doctor through my Ambetter Insurance. I needed to fill out a form that stated that another male doctor was in charge, but then I could see Dr. Ho. Having just returned from Europe after 3 months I wanted to be sure the new insurance was working and I could get the meds I am issued for high blood pressure. I ran out of the meds in Europe, but I was fine without them for the final month.
A Christmas wreath was still on the door for the patient entry. Though there were several small American flags, I didn’t understand what most of the patients were saying. I believe most were Vietnamese. When I went back to the exam room I was asked to remove my socks, and I was given a sonogram on my ankles. When a woman is pregnant she gets a sonogram to bear the baby’s heartbeat. In this case I could hear my own whooshing and pulsing heartbeat. It turns out, I do have a heart.
Since Angel Ho is no longer officially my doctor, I never returned. She refilled my prescriptions and they haven’t run out yet. I sill get weekly texts reminding me to go to the office for a check up. I always respond that “Angel Ho is not my doctor.” I don’t think they read the texts. Probably robots or AI keep sending out the messages.
I have turned the age where I had to switch hover to Medicare. An agent walked me through the process but after the first visit I once again feel that I am struggling with 3rd world care when I go to the Doctor’s office. When I got to that office a sign on the door said the staff was out. The door was locked. The sign had a clock to show a return time but 8Pm could not be right. I was a little early, so I decided to wait in the sun. A woman driving by in the parking lot stopped and said, “They are not in!” I asked if she knew when they would be back and she said, “No they were gone when I got here a hour ago.” She drove off, but I stood fast. Eventually the front desk receptionist opened the door and offered a chipper “hello”. I wasn’t impressed. The doctor Raquel Alexandra Michel checked my pulse and breathing. Since there was no sonogram, I felt it was a move in the right direction. An Eco-cardiogram test was ordered but when I went to get it, I was told by the receptionist that the test was “Not Authorized.” I had wasted an hour drive there and back. The lab keeps calling, but no one returns my call when I ask if the test is “Authorized”.
Definitely this was not a good first impression. This low-cost Freedom Health Medicare may be a nightmare.