I sent the following message to GHC, and got this ridiculous response. I would urge others to request referrals for Hitler Hill Clinic services as well, and for us to attend the May annual meeting and present our grievances.
My message first: From: WONG,TIM Sent: 2/25/2007 5:08 PM To: GHC Member Services Subject: Referral for an Eye Exam Topic: Benefits Inquiry I am scheduled for an eye exam this spring, but am one of GHC's many customers who does not own a car and therefore cannot get to the exurban GHC site out on Fish Hatchery Road. Since I get many referrals to UW-Health for ENT, urology, and cancer follow-up, can I get a referral to an eye clinic located in Madison that is accessible by bicycle? If I take the bus there, it is a three-hour round trip, and I can't afford to waste that much vacation/sick leave, all of which I can convert to benefits when I retire. I know that all the board members and those making decisions are motorists and don't give two hoots about those of us who don't subscribe to global warming and therefore choose not to drive. But placing a clinic out of reach for 20% of your customers is not only mean-spirited, it probably violates state and federal law as well. Please let me know my options. Thanks. tim wong and the dimwitted response: Tim, Your policy covers for a routine eye exam for eyeglass wear through the Hatchery Hill clinic. Bike racks are available at Hatchery Hill Clinic . The Capitol City Bike Path runs near the clinic, making it accessible from downtown. If you would like more information on this, please select the Hatchery Hill Clinic information on the GHC website and you can access the bike path map. Sue GHC Member Services and my response to her: Sue, You do know how to add insult to injury. Have you ever gone to the Hitler Hill Clinic via the Capital City bike toll road? How long did it take? You are basically telling the non-motorists in your HMO, some of whom are probably some of your healthiest (i.e., lowest risk) members, to go to some other HMO that has a little more sense than to site a facility out in the suburbs and then move key services to that location and only that location. Thankfully you moved PT back from the distant, 25-mile round-trip bike ride back to the downtown clinic. I would strongly urge you to bring the eye clinic back downtown, or give referrals to those of us who can't get to that clinic without taking a half day or whole day off of work (for something that used to take 45 minutes at the downtown clinic). Why punish us for having a healthy lifestyle? I will soon file a complaint with ETF about the inaccessibility of your services to a large number of your members.
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