Re: Just arrived in the US
 

Every time?? Holy cow ! At least mine wasn't too bad...they said it would be $200 for the first visit and then $80 for subsequent visits. But its the principle of the thing.. LOL

Re: Just arrived in the US
 

Yes $100 per 5 minute appointment everytime, he has lots of overhead, a Building, Malpractice Insurance, Equipment that all needs replacing at some time and plenty of office staff to make other appointments and do all the paperwork.

Get this for a laugh, Wife and I went to UK for holidays, got sick on way home, went to Drs feeling run down, we both had the same problem so we went in together, we both got charged the $100 fee, yes $200 for 5 minutes, and there was nothing he could prescribe as it was a Virus, we didnt even see the Real Doc, just one of his aides.

Re: Just arrived in the US
 

I'm sure this has been brought up before but I believe our SSN's will be arriving 3 weeks AFTER we do... Don't we need SSN's to get Drivers Licences in CA...within 10 DAYS?!?!

Re: Just arrived in the US
 

Most states require people who are eligible for SSN's to have them, or get a letter from the SSA stating that they are not eligible.

CA requires you to get a state license within 10 days, but the practicality makes that impossible. Do get it as soon as you can though because it does make life a lot easier. Plenty of threads on the experience of getting a drivers license, especially for CA.

Re: Just arrived in the US
 

Back before I came over to the dark side ;) ... when I had my green card, I used to give that to anyone who asked for ID. In the many dozens of times I used it as a "government issued photo ID" only TWO people ever asked me what it was. I will guarantee that almost all the others had little idea what was and had no basis for believing it was genuine.

Re: Just arrived in the US
 

"The principle of the thing"? :confused: ... You mean paying a skilled, experienced, licenced professional for his time and services?

Re: Just arrived in the US
 

It's the principle of paying ANYONE that price for 5 minutes of their time, when more often than not they look at you for 5 seconds, diagnose, out the door you go so they can bring in the next poor person who has to pay that price. Don't even get me started on seeing the assistant and not the Dr and before you say it, yes I do know they are skilled, experienced and licenced as well.

I just don't see how they can justify charging that much!

Re: Just arrived in the US
 

They make it up as they go along. Highlighted in a recent Time magazine report.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...136867,00.html

Re: Just arrived in the US
 

It certainly appears that way !

Re: Just arrived in the US
 

Yes. LOL

I believe the 10 days is for someone who is new to CA from another US state. New immigrants are a different story...there's no way they'll have a SSN and be able to get a DL within 10 days of arrival.

Rene

Re: Just arrived in the US
 

[QUOTE=Noorah101;10627747]Yes. LOL

I believe the 10 days is for someone who is new to CA from another US state. New immigrants are a different story...there's no way they'll have a SSN and be able to get a DL within 10 days of arrival.

Rene[/QUOTEi

im in CA and it took me 18 months to actually get my driving licence :)

Re: Just arrived in the US
 

Every time a read a post like this I am mystified as to which America this is, because it isn't the one I live in. I came here, not to find the American Dream, but because my wife is American and she wanted to come home before we had children, and I took a substantial pay cut when I left the UK. But, on we realised that New York was not for us, what we were able to do with my money was so much more. For starters, we paid more in tax in the UK than we do in tax plus medical insurance here. We've gone from a cramped two bed terraced house one hour's commute from my office to a 4 bed detached house with the same commute. I drove a ten year old car in the UK, which I bought for £2,600, all but £200 of which I borrowed from my mother; we now have three vehicles, all purchased new, two of them for cash.

It has taken 11 years, and three position switches, for my pay to get back to what it was in the UK, but I now have more paid vacation time than when I was in the UK too. I'm sorry for those who didn't find the "American Dream", but it does exist, at least for some of us.

Re: Just arrived in the US
 

One thing paying by the hour, but for little more than 5 minutes? That's an expensive hourly rate....especially when they're usually an hour late for your appointment as it is.

Re: Just arrived in the US
 

And there you have it.

How much more money and holiday time would you have been on with that extra 11 years of experience in the UK?

Re: Just arrived in the US
 

Welcome to La Crosse Andy! I really hope you enjoy the area. I'm born and raised a cheese head and have been converting my husband who's from the UK for just over 3 yrs now.