healthcare reality

So, this has most likely happened to you at one time or another. You feel a bit sick... not too bad, but its not the usual and your concerned a bit. But you go to diagnose & treat yourself because your uninsured. (even if you are insured- do you have the co-pay? are they open? will they take you soon or in two weeks?)

In my case I'm uninsured and unemployed with very little income. So its important for me to stay healthy, and to be able to diagnose and treat my illness on my own either homeopathically or with over the counter drugs. In the odd case I do have to go to a physician for a prescription, I usually know exactly what I need before I go, and I go to a local walk in clinic and spend less than 20$- typically...

Apparently not in middle rual TN. So its Saturday afternoon by the time the pain gets to tear jerking status, and by then I was fully aware of what I had, had taken all the homeopathic remedies I could muster, and still felt- now is the time for some antibotics. (I very rarely and usually reluctantly take antibiotics but sometimes you have to go that route.)

So I called 10 min after the walk in clinic had closed. Could not reach anyone else by phone at any other hospital or clinic from my home to Chattanooga 1 hour away. I started loosing hope and sanity by this point- and a friend calls to let me know that there IS a hospital that works with uninsured patients in Dunlap and she gave me directions. I went there and was the ONLY patient there. I was there for 2 hours. I told them what I had. They ran tests, confirmed what I had, made me wait some more, the Dr. asked the exact same questions the nurse did, and confirmed exactly what I had said. Finally wrote some prescriptions and had me go to billing. Which took me another hour.

I left there finally and stopped by 3 pharmacy's and all were closed. I went to a phone as I don't have a cell phone now and no where has a pay phone at all anymore... called 5 more pharmacy's in an hour radius of me and all were closed till tomorrow at either 10 or 12.

The cost of all this frustration: $136.42 up front (after a 65% discount for being poor but able to pay up front) + whatever the doctor bills me- because that comes later + whatever the two meds he prescribed cost (and i am going to look up if one of them can be otc instead of prescrip.)

The benifit of all the time and effort to do all this: not much. I am still in pain, still not treated till tomorrow and misserable- and taking more painkillers than i will admit here. I did get started on the process for State insurance. But thats got way more paperwork and meetings to come so it wasn't really worth all the time i spent on it. If i get approved, I will get reinbursed the whole ammount except the meds.



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Everyone knows this kindof hassle. Hates it and lives with it. Let me tell you an alternative story.

I was feeling sick, not the usual cough and cold. I was in RURAL Namibia. In the middle of the national park to be exact. I was self employed with no insurance and far from a city with what most westerners would think "proper" doctors are found.

My collegue convinced me to go to the clinic. I knew what I had, what I needed but needed her help to navigate a whole different system of healthcare than I had known before.

I walked in, there were maybe a hundred people in the large waiting room. I got in within about 20 min. My whole appointment took about an hour at most. When I got there, they had me fill out one card which they copy and I keep the master. I spoke to a nurse after all the vitals were taken, and told her I thought I had an ear infection, she checked me out, confirmed it, wrote me a prescription - told me how to take it, went over any other concerns with me, and had me shown to the desk to obtain the prescription. Then they had me go to billing and I spent $10.00 USD. That was it. For a consultation and my meds- 10.00.

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So tell me why socialized health care is bad? Tell me what's so great about our system here?

Why do people fill the clinics in Africa- Because they CAN! they are not afraid of an illness because of what it will cost them, so they go in for everything. - (and because the conditions of life are more hazardous in the bush maybe... and lots of other social reasons- but i feel that one part of it is that going to the doctor is so easy- why not?)

And- i've been insured before through employers and i have to say that what i spent/ was taken out of my pay check was a HELL of a lot more than I ever got out of it.

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My solution-
lets have some alternative health care choices in this country and SEE what people choose to do huh? if there's so much debate over which is better- insured - self paid for - healthcare? or- socialized, state provided healthcare with some minimum costs for medications? (which would mean possibly higher taxes- but far cheaper than insurance taken out of every pay check.)
Offer up both and see what people choose.

Oh wait- we sort of do that now a little- So many people don't have insurance and go to Mayo.com and their local walk in clinic. I need to see statistics but I would bet the people going to the doctor most frequently, are not paying for the treatment - they might even be on Medicade or some state program to be there.

With impending collapse of our systems - and possible flu outbreaks like in 1918- i think our health care system will be an epic fail.

share your thoughts... i might add more later... i'm just pissed off and in pain right now.

1 luv, mizz trish.