So what do you people who don't live in the Big City Do for Medical & Dental Care?

I'm curious with no preconceived point but what do you people who live in small towns do for regular Medical and Dental Care? Aren't your options pretty limited?

 

What do you think people in the country drill holes in each others head to let the evil spirits out and preform blood letting rituals to quell a fever?

Even small rual hospitals have an MRI machine and run x-ray and CT 24hrs, run the lab 24hrs and have respiratory therapist on duty 24hrs. There are 6 dentists that I have observed just driving around with in 25 miles of my house, 2 of them are big franchises and I would probably find more if I Internet searched.
The population density for the county I live in is 30 ass holes per square mile according to 2010 census data.
Just because you live away from the city doesn't mean medical care is in the dark ages.
Living in the big shitty you are more likely to need that medical care. Something like 80% of the violent crimes are carried out in in the major metro areas.
The air quality is like running a tractor in a barn and breathing that all the time so the air quality is shit. California owns something like the top 7 spots for worst air quality in the nation.

 

a door handle and a long piece of string attached to a tooth that has to be extracted....anaethetised with liberal dosage of whisky

 

For myself, I need selection not to be limited to a small group of people as there are some very lousy Dentists and Doctors around. So you appear to be making the best of of a limited amount of what is around. That is not for me. Also as far as I know, Hospitals do not cover regular checkups and you would have to go through emergency and not schedule appointments. Maybe I'm wrong on this

 

Not so.
I'm "sticks", with a GP about my age that I see yearly if I need to or not. Who has his own imaging and basic lab for blood-work and such. He also has admitting privileges at a VERY major teaching/research/hospital facility. It's one of two in the region within chopper distance, and both facilities have 24/7 Life Flight aircraft parked on their roof. So if I run a chainsaw though my kneecap, assuming I stay conscious long enough to hit 911, I'll probably survive.
As to Dentists - there's enough to choose from, so it's also not a concern.
So quit obsessing over the little stuff and get on with life.

 

For yourself? You want a medical and dental buffet? You would do well to go someplace besides Dodge City and see what the world has to offer. So far as insurances go, they are available, no problems, just pay the premiums.

 

Again with the excuses of why you can't get out of LA. Just admit it.

 

We have regular doctors for check ups.
This isn't durka-durkastan.
There are RA doctors, optometrists, cancer treatment, dialysis center.
You only have to go to a real big city for like an organ transplant.
I don't think you can get your ass hole bleached round these parts.

That's what it sounds like.

 

Bested, before you decide to settle into an area, you do your research first. What is in your area resource wise? Are there lumber/ hardware stores nearby? Grocery stores? Shopping centers? Entertainment? What do you need vs what do you want? I live in a very small town 30-45 minutes away from the nearest Walmart or Lowe's. Add 45 minutes to go to a mall, a Sams club, or small city. The local Community hospital can keep a pt for 23 hours then had to send them to a larger hospital. The larger hospitals are 30-45 minutes away with a Level 1 trauma center being 90 minutes away by ground, 30 by air. And I'm good with that. I CHOSE to live there. I LIKE living there. I go to the grocery store usually once maybe twice a month and stock up. I have bought extra fittings, connectors, pipe, and dimensional lumber and keep it around just in case for repairs and maintenance. But this is MY lifestyle. I get you don't want to give up your soy lattes, your bagels and loks, your 5000 restaurants. But you can keep your crime, your poorer air quality, your filth, your congestion and traffic. But stop making excuses. You could go to a smaller city and improve your chances for surviving an event, and be able to live better as the cost of living is lower. Yes, I may drive a bit to go to a specialist (3 hours round trip), but to me, it's worth it with the quality of life. Last weekend I was kayaking on a mountain lake, enjoying being outdoors, being with family and enjoying the peacefulness. What were you doing in your metropolitan utopia?

 

Are we actually considering getting out of Dodge ED ?

 

The 200k population city is about an hour away. No big deal, 75 mph road and no traffic. There's several excellent hospitals as well as more clinics than I can throw a rock at. Even better, the group my regular doc works with operates 4 "Urgent Care" clinics that are 24/7 walk-in, and they bill insurance the same as a regular office visit so the copay is the same.

The dentist I go to in that same town is outstanding. Dude even has a massage therapist on hand to keep the scaredy cat patients calm. I go for a cleaning and get my hands dipped in warm wax and wrapped in heated mitts wile the girl massages my feet. BP 115/70 the whole time lol! Best of all? It costs LESS than what my Dallas Fort Worth dentist charged for a cleaning only.

Honestly I get far better medical care in that small city than I EVER got living in Dallas Fort Worth, and afterwards I can go home to my quiet, no stoplight, zero crime village. WELL worth the 2 hour round trip.

 

Couldn't put it better.
eg; my biggest annoyance outside this morning is getting hit by all the June Bugs - it's hatching season, and there's thousands of them. But no traffic, no "urban youth", no pollution, veggies are doing fine, the hogs look to be ready in September, and I plan a few hours at the range later working on 500 yards.
@Ed - any questions?

 

Had to ask,Hoping ED will make a move,But he's stalling for God knows what or why?

 

That's right! And one could probably trade a chicken or 2 for services !

 

Bwahahahahahaha.
I go to the doctor once a year.
I go to the dentist twice a year.
and then if there is an emergency .. i go to urgent care or if really bad, i go to the hospital.

Just like regular people.

my town, 8k people.
we have 3 dentists, oral surgeon, podiatrist, a PT clinic, one urgent care, 5 doctors offices.
Within 30 minutes drive we have:
2 small hospitals (out-patient services)
within 90 minutes drive we have:
4 inpatient hospitals with ER and trauma units, cancer treatment.
and a VA hospital

You don't have to live in a metropolitian area to have access to healthcare.

Now if you are in the middle of the high desert in CO or mountains of Idaho your options are limited.

You just need to pick a spot close enough to what you use/need but far enough away that people don't want to be there.

 

We have mostly paved streets here. In most small NC coastal communities there are rural doctors offices and pharmacies. There are fewer dentists, but there are enough that we don't have to use door knobs and string.

 

@ED GEiN isn't leaving the comfort of his cell. He thinks everything outside the big city limits is like a village in amazon jungle, where they use witch doctors, snakes and psychotropic plants to resolve ailments.

 

What, There's a lot to be said about witch doctors, snakes and psychotropic plants to resolve ailments.