Jason's Health Care Visit

I've had a rash on my arm, its been there for about a week so and after taking benadryl for a few days it still doesn't want to go away. I decided (more like Robin forced me to) to go to a doctor's office. I was told that there was a doctor on the third floor in the building that our school is in. I went to the building and saw "Oriental Health Clinic". It sounded good, so I went in and showed them the rash on my arms. They took some information and I waited for a bit. The girls at the desk didn't speak any english, they were passing the sheet back and forth to each other because they didn't want to deal with me.

After waiting for a bit, a nurse took me to the back and showed me a bed. There were curtains around the beds and she took a pair of white shorts and I figured out that she wanted me to take my pants off and put these things on, and I tried to explain to her that I was just in for my arm. She paid no attention, so behind the curtain i went to change into the funny white shorts. Once I those on, a nurse took my blood pressure and I waited for a while until the doctor came. She asked me what was wrong and some other questions. Then she starts palpating my wrists and palpating my abdomen. Then she decided that the best thing to do was acupuncture.... I was a little shocked, but agreed, I figured the Koreans know what to do.

25 needles later, I'm laying on the bed looking like a pin cushion, about 5 in my left hand and up my arm, 5 in my left foot and up my leg and the same on the other side. A few in the stomach and in the shoulders. Then she says, "20 minutes." I wait for about 20 minutes and the nurse comes back to take the needles out. The doctor tells me that she wants me to come back tomorrow. I went to the front desk and the girl shows me the price. She gives me a post-it with the price on it, it reads 267,500 Won, approximately $250.

I thought I was going to shit my pants. Before I went to the doctors, I just paid for a 6 month gym membership costing around $200. I couldn't believe it, I didn't even have that much money on me. I thought that because I didn't bring my health insurance card that was why I had to pay so much. Since the girls at the front desk didn't speak english, I asked to speak to the doctor who did. She came out and I told her that I have health insurance, but she said that this type of treatment isn't covered by insurance. I must have looked pretty distressed, so the doctor asked the girl how much it was and when the girl told her, she assured me that it was wrong, and that she was sorry. It was 67,500 Won ($60), which isn't great but not something I am going to pay for again. I told them I wasn't coming tomorrow. That was my experience at the doctors... I still have the rash.