Cancer

The difference between going to a PPO dermatologist vs. a HMO general practicioner for a body check is night and day.

HMO GP: "That doesn't look like anything to worry about."

PPO Dermatologist: "I don't like that at all. Let's treat that."

HMO GP: "You look clear. Your moles aren't raised are strangely shaped, really."

PPO Dermatologist: "You have a lot of dark moles - let's biopsy the scariest looking one. You better come back in a month."

A couple friends at work have been hit with skin cancer lately, so I was motivated to get checked out. That, and, as I mentioned before, I'm trying to prolong my life...since my cholesterol is good, I figure car accidents and skin cancer are the most likely things to kill me right now. So, me, I prefer the catastrophizing money-grubbing PPO to the get-the-Hell-out-of-my-office-I'm-not-making-any-money-off-you HMO. But that's just me.