In the future, we will get better care, and much of it will be delivered by qualified nurse practitioners, midwives and other non- doctors. New equipment will improve both diagnoses and treatments.
I went to Dr Kamerman for 15 years, He had a single practice and he never kept anyone waiting more than 20 minutes. His office staff could give shots and use the EKG without any pain involved. He was exactly three months older than I.
One day he told me that he had to lose 15 pounds immediately or he would die. He had a very convincing look of terror in his eyes. He weighed over 250 and was about 5'8" tall.
Two months later, my Medicare Plan told me he was no longer on the list. What had happened was that he died.
He always made a perfect diagnosis. He always cured my every ailment with every prescription. He told me that I must be having leg cramps before I could mention it, and then prescribed a cure, which, of course, worked.
He was married to a Panamanian woman who was an awful cook, he said. They ate out a lot, which was no good for his diet, His wife's family was close to Manuel Noriega's family. Before the invasion of Panama, a couple of FBI spooks grilled him for four hours about Noriega. He could only tell them that Noriega liked Inca Cola and Malbec wine. He did not discuss politics with Dr Kamerman. They were both fond of fishing for large fish, swordfish and sawfish, which they caught and released.
Kamerman had a sign in his office announcing that he had no medical malpractice insurance at all, because he could not afford it without doubling his rates. He had the examination routine down pat, it never varied as to what he did and in what order.
My new doctor is an Iranian fellow, very professional, but sort of a dead fish as a personality goes.
Kamerman billed $55 per visit to those without insurance. The County clinic charged $90 and made you wait for hours.
If you told him you missed a dose of his prescription, he would look you in the eye and tell you that he did not want patients that thought they knew better than he did. I heard him tell several patients this while I was getting weighted or hooked up to the EKG.
I never missed a dose of anything, because I have always assumed that the doctor is an expert. The worst experiences I have had with doctors' offices has been with bossy fat Queen Bee types running the appointments desk. I have abandoned three doctors who had such people running the office.
