Beware Behemoths

I am a staff member of Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. My insurance carrier wanted a physician exam years back , so I went to Sansum. The physician, during his exam, sprayed some stuff on my skin and scraped it with his gloved fingernail, but did not tell me why he was doing this. After the exam, I was charged an additional $125 for whatever he did, but I had not been informed beforehand and did not consent to the procedure or charges. It eventually went to collection, so I contacted the head of Sansum threatening to sue. He dropped the charges, but I am not allowed to go there ever again.

Similar tactics at Santa Barbara Cottage: I do not go to the hospital, but I was forced to get a flu shot against my beliefs or I would be kicked off the medical staff. I have also been dictated to by administrative staff, who violated accepted medical procedure in telling me that I could not bill for examining a patient to replace a set of dentures that Cottage lost.

I am concerned that this megalithic monopoly will dictate to Santa Barbara residents in the same way that they are trying to manipulate me. Beware.