Xithras (1000+ posts) Wed Mar-24-10 01:07 PM
Original message
Sad. I just had a horrible example of what is wrong with our health insurance system.
As many of you know, I'm a college prof. As I was starting to teach my morning class today, a student walked in that I haven't seen in class for a few weeks. He seemed distracted during the class, and was obviously lost after missing so much work, so I asked him to stay afterward and speak to me.
After clearing out the rest of the students, I asked him whether he was OK, and he replied that he'd been "sick" and that he was still feeling very poorly. He went on to describe a constant pounding headache, nosebleeds, nausea, etc. It had started nearly a month earlier, and was almost nonstop. Without thinking first, I asked him what his doctor had said about it.
"I haven't seen my doctor yet. I can't afford it."
It turns out that this young man is fully insured under his parents PPO, but that he hasn't seen the doctor at all this year. Not only does he have a $35 copay to deal with, but he is also facing a $500 deductible as well. Visiting the doctor, even with his insurance, will cost $535 that neither he or his parents have. So, for now, he was planning on just ignoring it. His exact words were, "I'll wait until the semester is out and I can start a summer job, and hope it's nothing serious." This is a fully insured 19 year old kid who could be dealing with anything from severe allergies to a brain tumor.
Instead of letting him walk out, I gave him a different bit of advice. I looked up the address of the county indigent care program and told him to go over to their clinic for a checkup. They won't help people with insurance, so I told him to leave his wallet and insurance cards at home, to list his address as "homeless", and to misspell his name on the form. They would give him the help he needed, it would only cost $10, and there would be no bill afterward.
Basically, I just told a fully insured 19 year old kid to defraud the government to obtain the healthcare that he's otherwise completely unable to afford. He's going to break the law, because it's the only way he can get treated for an illness that's left him nearly bedridden for weeks.
There's no excuse for this kind of thing in the worlds wealthiest nation.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8006283I'm pretty sure most universities have clinics, hospitals and ERs. How is one visit to a doctor going to cost $535?
monmouth (1000+ posts) Wed Mar-24-10 01:10 PM
Response to Original message
1. And you are a good person, one he will not forget, ever....n/t
Xithras is a cheap bastard, telling the poor kid to do something that could land him in jail.
Jazzgirl (1000+ posts) Wed Mar-24-10 01:11 PM
Response to Original message
2. That is a really sad story about the state of affairs in Amurika.
I am glad that you told him how to get some help. You are right about it could be sinus problems are brain tumor. It is sad that so many people have to walk around feeling miserable even though they are insured because they can't even afford the co-pays and deductibles. Sad.
It won't be any better under 0BamaCare, the student already had insurance.
sharp_stick (1000+ posts) Wed Mar-24-10 01:12 PM
Response to Original message
3. Ridiculous isn't it
I'm amazed at the system we have in place. I don't know how we expect people to come up with deductibles for office visits, insurance in these cases is almost a waste of time.
Myrina (1000+ posts) Wed Mar-24-10 01:13 PM
Response to Original message
4. ... and that type of experience isn't gonna change.
n/t
You do mean us having to put up with these ridiculous bouncies, right?
kath (1000+ posts) Wed Mar-24-10 01:41 PM
Response to Reply #4
17. yep - won't change one bit. Who's got a few hundred bucks (or more) laying around that they
Edited on Wed Mar-24-10 01:41 PM by kath
can afford to spend on a doctor's visit?
Not many, especially these days.
Or system is SOOOO screwed up - in no other developed nation can people "not afford" to go to the doctor.
And this pathetic non-reform bill will not make care "affordable" for many.
Being forced to pay for "insurance" that you can't afford to use is utter bullshit.
The tragedy is that people are forced to buy insurance and will be broke, and they will no longer be able to pay for their doctor's visit out of pocket. 0Bama left them nothing but CHANGE in their pocket.
Abq_Sarah (1000+ posts) Wed Mar-24-10 01:50 PM
Response to Reply #4
23. There will still be copays and deductibles
People aren't going to get "free" Cadillac style health plans. The less money you have, the crappier plan you'll have. If you only afford the bronze plan the actuarial coverage level is 60%.
This bill needs a lot of work.
It needs repealed.
Hello_Kitty (1000+ posts) Wed Mar-24-10 01:14 PM
Response to Original message
5. What I fear about the "you can stay on your parents' plan until you're 27" thing
Is that a lot of parents can't afford to insure their kids even if they want to. I'm also picturing young adults being denied Medicaid or subsidized insurance by state agencies because "your parents have insurance so you should sign onto theirs", regardless of what kind of relationship they have with their parents, or their or their parents' ability to afford to cover them. That's what happens with college financial aid now. You could have moved away from home when you were 16 and be completely independent from your parents but they will still consider their income.
Don'tcha just love unintended consequences?
GreenPartyVoter (1000+ posts) Wed Mar-24-10 01:56 PM
Response to Reply #5
29. I think we are going to see some serious issues that will need correcting once the new law
Edited on Wed Mar-24-10 01:56 PM by GreenPartyVoter
is fully underway. Let us hope the Dems have control of Congress and the WH once that time has come.
If the DemonRats, and 0Bama hadn't been in such a rush to pass this POS, real reform might have happened.
