CLICK BELOW TO REDISCOVER HUMANITY
A DECADE+ OF STORYTELLING POWERED BY THE BEST WRITERS ON THE PLANET

The March Goes On

Most of us have been to a medical lab at some point.  Perhaps for a routine blood test, an x-ray, a mammogram, or some other procedure.  You will likely recall the pages of paperwork (reduced to tablet format now).  The information must be initialed paragraph, by paragraph, or page by page and then signed at the bottom.

No one really reads all that.  We are inclined to initial and sign where instructed.  The objective is to get past this, get the procedure over with, and get out of the lab as quickly as possible.

With a pending lab test, we were sent the forms via email to pre-register.  Well, that gave us time to really read them.  My wife, being very detail-oriented began to wade through that gibberish, and guess what she found?  A short paragraph buried in the document really got her attention.

The heading was “Consent to Medication Not Yet FDA Approved and/or Medication Prepared/Repackaged by Outsourcing or Compounding Pharmacy.”  Included in the paragraph verbiage was the statement that said, “As part of the services provided, you may be treated with a medication that has not received FDA approval”.  Can you say vaccine for Covid?

When the lab was called we were told that we should not pre-register, but ask for that paragraph to be removed from what was being signed at the time of registration. Presumably, the lab will still perform the services ordered by the doctor.

It seems a tiny baby step from this “authorization” to a mandate where if you don’t agree to give up your rights then you will not be provided with the medical service (s) ordered.

The march to socialized medicine grinds on.  So, be sure you know what you are agreeing to before you sign any document.

Ken Vincent
Ken Vincenthttp://sbpra.com/KennethVincent/
KEN is a 46 year veteran hotelier and entrepreneur. Formerly owned two hotels, an advertising agency, a wholesale tour company, a POS company, a leasing company, and a hotel management company. The hotels included chain owned, franchises, and independents. They ranged in type from small luxury inns, to limited service properties, to large convention hotels and resorts. After retiring he authored a book, “So Many Hotels, So Little Time” in which he relates what life is like behind the scenes for a hotel manager. Ken operated more that 100 hotels and resorts in the US and Caribbean and formed eight companies. He is a firm believer that senior management should share their knowledge and experience with the next generation of management.

DO YOU HAVE THE "WRITE" STUFF? If you’re ready to share your wisdom of experience, we’re ready to share it with our massive global audience – by giving you the opportunity to become a published Contributor on our award-winning Site with (your own byline). And who knows? – it may be your first step in discovering your “hidden Hemmingway”. LEARN MORE HERE


4 CONVERSATIONS

  1. Since I am a happy-go lucky retiree Ken (such as yourself my friend) it is good to stop and smell the roses (ahhhhhh!) but to also take the time to read the small print. I’m with Charlotte’s solution to just cross out (and initial) items you don’t agree with. Amen!

  2. Ken, I am sorry to pop a bubble by noting that this kind of form has NOTHING to do with socialized medicine. Actually, on the contrary, because private companies need contractual agreements much more than any governmental unit.
    That is one reason we are fed all these legalese pages that – as your wife discovered – can contain whatever because nobody reads it.

    That said, on paper forms I have often just scratched out what I would not accept and have rarely had any push back because the paper pusher on the other side or the table doesn’t read what they get back, either.

    What is concerning me much more is how the convenience of Docusign takes this to the next level by jumping from one X to the next so many don’t even realize that they just signed away the farm.

TAKE STROLL INSIDE 360° NATION

TIME FOR A "JUST BE." MOMENT?

ENJOY OUR FREE EVENTS

BECAUSE WE'RE BETTER TOGETHER