Milking

So I got the job at Mease Countryside Hospital that I've been waiting to open for a year. Everything has gone great with the hiring process. Yesterday I had the health screening (blood work, urine, etc.), and the nurse told me that a release will have to be signed by my orthopedic surgeon since I had my back surgery in 2009. No big deal. I told him that I would drop the release off to Dr. Pigeon on my way home and have him fax it back to her. I did that, and called to follow up with them today to ensure that they had faxed it only to find out that they won't fax it. They said that I have to go into the office to pick it up and pay a $35 fee for him signing the release. Are you kidding me!? This guy was paid $33,000 for my laminectomy and he can't put his signature on a piece of paper so that I can work? I've had releases signed in the past by other doctors and they didn't charge. It's a signature, and I'm not paying him $35 for it.

There are so many injustices in the U.S. healthcare system. It's a system that I will spend the rest of my life working in, but I hope that I can do my part to rid patients of these kinds of petty fees and inconveniences. It's such a shame.