Why I Haven’t Forgotten About the Health Care Debate (and Neither Should You)

I wrote this originally as a note on facebook, but it occurred to me that a wider community might be interested in this perspective.  I think it’s about time I detailed some of my experience on DC’s public health care (DC Alliance).  Let’s be honest; this issue is not resolved. We had one health care bill, but it fails to address some key problems in this country’s system. We need to keep discussing it, keep trying to understand the many sides to the uniquely American experience of health care.  In an effort to keep the debate alive, here goes:

The Basics:

  • I was on DC’s public health care for nine months while I was unmarried and had a job without benefits. During that time, I saw several health care professionals for free: primary care doctor, neurologist, dentist, and the ER (nothing terrible: a badly bruised rib). I also filled several prescriptions for free, but not without hassle. (See below.)

The Negatives:

  • Changing insurance was a pain. It took two weeks’ worth of round-robin phone calls to get my prescriptions covered. From the doctor’s office to the insurance agent to the pharmacy back to the insurance agent to another insurance agent to another pharmacy and back to the doctor. In the end, I was able to fill my prescriptions at a clinic across town.
  • The clinic. It’s not the most pleasant place. It feels like your high school, with far more fluorescent lights, tiling, and wood paneling than should be necessary in a health facility. And it’s not just the decor. You have to take a number and wait every time you pick up a prescription. In non-peak hours, you might be there 15 minutes. But in peak hours, bring a book or two, because you’ll be glued to your chair for 60-90 minutes, possibly surrounded by some screaming children and sad, disheveled individuals. (But mostly, I should note, this waiting area is populated by upstanding, polite, Latino citizens.)
  • Prescriptions. I wasn’t covered for everything. I had to get the most generic of generic version of one drug (smaller tablets, no extended release), and I couldn’t get one migraine drug in any form. If I didn’t have a reserve supply, and if someone I knew didn’t take the exact same thing and offer me a few, I would have been in a world of pain for a few months. – I had to change doctors.

The Positives:

  • I didn’t have to wait for my appointments or procedures any longer than I was accustomed to with any previous insurance. In fact, my neurologist on DC Alliance was more readily available than my previous (and current) one.
  • All of the doctors were good and conscientious. Except for the dentist. But there are good and bad dentists everywhere.
  • I’ve been getting repeated bills for some lab work. I called DC Alliance, and they said, “Oh, you don’t owe them a cent, and they shouldn’t be billing you. Send us the bill and we’ll take care of it.” So far so good.

And that’s about it. I was left with two impressions: First, public health care is ok, but mainly as a stop-gap. There are too many deficiencies in its prescription coverage for it to be a viable option for people in the long-term. However, and this is my second impression, it could function a whole lot better with better funding. It can’t offer certain drugs because it can’t negotiate prices. The clinic feels like my high school because it’s not a new facility, and the line is long at its pharmacy because the place is small and understaffed. If there was more money, there would probably be a better system in place to orient new patients, giving people like me instructions regarding prescription procedures. Take from my impressions what you will, but here’s what I think: clearly the public health care system is not perfect, but it could certainly be better with more attention. So many people rely on it, and for those people it truly is their lifeline; shouldn’t we at least consider making some inroads towards improvement and expansion?  If anyone else out there has relied of this or any other sort of Medicaid, I’d be curious to hear other thoughts and see some discussion.

Disclaimer: This post was written by a Feministing Community user and does not necessarily reflect the views of any Feministing columnist, editor, or executive director.

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