Lately, there is a lot of talk about health care in the United States, but also a lot of misinformation.  We know some things based on national statistics about how many people get some types of health care; how easy it is for them too do so; and a few things about how much health care contributes to actual health, on average and for specific conditions.  But national statistics mask individual experience.  Do policymakers know how their proposals will affect individuals, or local areas?  What problems do you have getting specific types of health care (for example, dental  care, mental health care, substance use disorder services, preventive care, long term care, cancer treatment?) We are hoping that you  can briefly describe your experiences getting needed health services and if enough people respond, we can start to get an idea of the real consequences of being able to access needed services, or not.  There are a lot of anecdotes,  but policymakers dismiss them as not being representative of the real picture, or they take one example and say it applies to everyone.

Here are some things we know (primary sources are hyperlinked):

What we don’t know in any systematic way about access to health care and the impact of gaining or losing health insurance:

  • How many medical providers treat privately insured, Medicare, Medicaid and uninsured patients (we know something about physicians but not other providers).
    • Are there people with insurance (either private or public) but can’t get appointments because providers won’t see them? Or are there just no providers around?
    • How far do people have to travel for different types of health care?  How does this differ by local area?
  • The effects of not receiving care (or receiving bad or excessive care, or care in the wrong setting) on health and well being.
    • How does this differ by type of care or provider? What are the consequences of not receiving needed services that are not immediately life threatening  (for which you can go to the emergency room)? How many people suffer from dental pain because they have no access to dental care?   How hard is it to find a mental health provider?
  • The effects of medical debt on health and well being.
  • The effect on communities of people not receiving needed health care, or of the health care system on employment and community health.

If you want to contribute to this discussion, you could briefly write a paragraph about what you like, or don’t  like, about your ability to get the health services you need below.  We’re hoping to have different discussions/comments about different topics, for example dental care, long term care, therapies, access for people with  disabilities, people diagnosed with  cancer, etc.  But to start just say anything you want on the topic of how easy or hard it is to get health care, and what you would like to see improved, if anything.  If there is a particular topic related to health care access you would like to see discussed, just say so.  We will try to give you the information  that currently exists on the topic at the national level, but what we really want to know is your experiences in your local communities.

2 thoughts on “How Does Health Care Matter to You?”

  2. What a worthwhile project! Here are a few personal experiences, feel free to reach out for more detail if it would be helpful.

    – I have had challenges in accessing behavioral health care to treat depression and anxiety throughout my adult life. While in college, I had a series of challenges to ensure that I had access to antidepressants. At one point, I tried utilizing the campus health center’s psychiatric services, only to be told over Christmas break that the Psychiatrist had resigned and thus the services were no longer available. They did not provide any alternative, leaving me to scramble for an alternative. On another occassion, I went to a psychiatrist to ask for enough antidepressants to last me for my semester abroad (90 days), and was told that the psychiatrist “did not believe in” people on antidepressants studying abroad. I was able to rectify the situation by asking my primary care physician for the prescription, but imagine that if I didn’t have a 20+ year relationship with my PCP, I would have been out of luck.

    -More recently, I attempted to find a therapist in San Francisco. My HMO was piloting a new program where I was able to access private therapy practices in the community and pay through my HMO at the in-network rate. The HMO connected me with a third-party referral service. I told the referral service that I wanted a female therapist that had office hours in the evenings and was located within walking or public transit of my work in downtown San Francisco. After two weeks of back and forth and several false starts, I found a therapist. It took over a month from my original call to my HMO, and I also just realized that I never got billed for these visits that took place over a year ago.

    – I recently moved to Seattle and was on my boyfriend’s insurance for three months until my new job’s insurance kicked in. My boyfriend works for one of the best companies in the country in terms of benefits. However, when I called to make a first appointment with a Primary Care Physician in order to get a prescription refilled, I called 4 different practices (each of which had many doctors) and was told either that they were not accepting new patients, or that there was a two month wait for new patients. I ended up just waiting until I got my employer-sponsored insurance. Unfortunately, I’ve tried to sign up for a Primary Care Physician in my new network, but their website is broken, so I will have to call them to make an appointment.

    -While travelling, I caught a stomach virus. I called my HMO’s hotline for those seeking care outside of their coverage area and received a number I was meant to give to the doctors upon intake so that billing would occur in a correct manner. When I arrived at the local urgent care facility, I was told that the number was incorrect, but that I was in the system and would be appropriately billed. I received treatment in the form of anti-nausea medication and IV fluids. Several months later, I received a bill for the full cost of this treatment, several hundred dollars. It took three days of phone calls to identify the correct person for me to talk to. It turns out that they had just not assigned my bill to a policy at all, and they had to retroactively attach the bill to my account. After speaking with the appropriate person, they were able to fix the billing and charge me only for my co-pay.

    And on the more positive side, here’s an example of health care working:
    When living in Silver Spring, Maryland, I came down with a very severe stomach virus that left me dangerously dehydrated. I was able to make a same-day appointment with my employer-sponsored insurance, an HMO. I only waited a few minutes before seeing a doctor, who immediately suggested giving me IV fluids and an anti-nausea medication. Despite it being late in the day and their office hours ending, they ensured that I received a full round of treatment and was able to get home safely and feeling much better. The entire cost of this visit was my copay- $20. This was my first experience with an HMO, and I was thrilled that I was able to receive efficient, personalized treatment without worrying about paying absurd equipment and personnel costs.

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