Health Care Emergency

Nurse Nancy

"Mama called the doctor, and the doctor said . . ."

"We have an opening Friday. What kind of insurance do you have? Oh, you don't? Actually, I don't have anything available until July. I'm sorry."

—AND—

"For a non-insured patient we require a $250 deposit before we can schedule an appointment. Can I have your credit card number?"

—AND—

"Our new patient fee is $200, payable when you sign in. The rest of your charges will depend on what you have done."

—AND THEN—

"Before we talk about hot flashes, I'll need a full blood work-up." ($1,000.) "The blood work showed your hormones are out of balance. To rule out a tumor, I want to schedule a CT scan." ($3500.) "No tumor. But you don't need your 'equipment' anymore. A hysterectomy guarantees you won't get ovarian cancer."

"I didn't think hysterectomies were routine anymore," I said. "Oh, I do them all the time," she replied. "They're my bread and butter." (I can't afford to pay for your butter, I thought.)

The Deseret Morning News wrote this editorial on April 10, 2008:

"In our opinion, lack of insurance is deadly.

"The nation's uninsured are 25 percent more likely to die prematurely than adults with private health insurance. In Utah, at least three working-age adults die each week because they are uninsured or they have too little coverage. More than 800 Utahns ages 25-64 died between 2000 and 2006 due to this problem.

"As we consider meaningful health-care reform, the medically uninsured must occupy a high place on the agenda. If they are placed in health-care plans that have high deductibles, it is unlikely they will receive primary or preventive care that can eliminate or control small problems before they become health crises.

"As it stands, the medically uninsured or under-insured are three times more likely to delay seeking health care. Cost and access are clear impediments. They are three times more likely to have difficulty obtaining needed medical care. When they receive hospital services, for instance, they are charged almost three times what insured patients are billed.

"It is somewhat difficult for average Utahns to comprehend the challenges faced by people who are uninsured or under-insured. That's because nearly 80% of Utahns are covered by a medical insurance benefit plan offered by their place of work. As such, they do not encounter the full cost of medical procedures and services, nor do they face extraordinary challenges obtaining health care.

"Policymakers must be mindful of the estimated 100,000 working adults who work full-time—many of them self-employed—and have no medical coverage.

"Medical costs are skyrocketing due to many factors. People with insurance are not the most careful stewards of the benefits. Hopefully, as architects of health care reform set about their work, addressing the needs of the under-insured and uninsured should be a key factor in their deliberations."

Doctor Dan

Maybe by Sunday there will finally be a cure for what ails me.

(Good luck to all of us with health issues!)