Retail Healthcare at the MinuteClinic

Today I have my first experience with a Convenient Care Clinic (CCC).  In this case, it was the MinuteClinic which are operated in many CVS stores.  My specific healthcare need was getting a flu shot.  Several weeks ago, I got a tetanus shot (also offered at MinuteClinic) at my doctor's office.  There were a lot of differences...

Doctor's office:
Called to make an appointment
Was in waiting room for 10 minutes
Waited in exam room for 10 minutes
Talked with doctor about nothing important for 5 minutes
Nurse gave injection
Was incorrectly charged by doctor for visit, due to their error.  Had to spend 20 minutes on phone with insurance company to reverse charge.

MinuteClinic:
No need to make appointment
Filled out information on computer, waited about 5 minutes
Nurse practitioner took some basic information and gave shot.  Total time 5 minutes
Correctly determined that I have no co-pay, so I walked out without spending a dime

As you can see, for getting a simple vaccine, a CCC is probably a better option for most.  This particular brand, the largest in the US, also offers a lot of other services.  For example, they will treat coughs, earaches, flu-like symptoms, sore throat, allergies, minor burns, sprains,wounds, poison ivy, etc.  I am actually quite surprised of the breadth of services they offer.  And they are "in network" for almost every insurance carrier.

Maybe centers like this are one way to control healthcare costs, or at least provide an affordable option.  The little room was cleaner than my doctor's office too, which I found interesting.  They also used electronic records, something most physicians fear.

Half Marathon Training end of week 4 and into week 5

Week 4 ended with a 3 miler on Saturday (easy) and an 8 miler on Sunday (not too hard either).  The weather was near perfect for both runs, which helped.

Week 5 started today with 6 hill intervals.  I ran up a hill that is about .1 miles 6 times at a relatively quick pace.  It was a bit cold this morning, about 48.  In shorts and t-shirt it took a good 15 min to feel warm.