The economy is hitting patients hard. I talked with a woman this weekend who has only $5. She worried about whether the immediate care center would see her if she couldn't pay, and then will probably not be able to afford an antibiotic for her illness. Another patient is refinancing her house, can't afford more medical bills, and quit taking her blood pressure medicine...she's begging for medicine until she can afford to pay for a visit. A third patient, disabled and bedridden, may lose her home.
We need to add humanity to our health and human services. How? Simple: Cover basic preventive services, eliminate pre-existing condition exclusions, pay doctors fairly and eliminate employees who work only to save insurance companies money by denying care. These employees can be re-deployed to support patients in adhering to recommended treatment, diet and exercise plans, etc. or locating local resources to help them cope with chronic illness.
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We are fighting for provisions to help more patients get the care they need and to limit the power of insurance companies. Doctors for America is a grassroots movement of over 16,000 physicians and medical students in all 50 states.