Access to Medical Care

In light of the recent release and popularity of Michael Moore's latest documentary "Sicko," I have become entranced by the truth that it told by witnessing firsthand the type of health care that poverty level workers receive.

Or don't receive would be a better term.

You see, what this country has become since Ronald Regan established a managed health care system, is a nation that does not care about the core populace of America. If you don't work, you are eligible for many federal and state benefits that cover medical treatment. If you are wealthy, you have access to the finest insurance available. But if you have a job and are actually a productive member of society, and have a job that, as most poverty level jobs are, offering no benefits like insurance, you are not eligible for many local, state or federal programs.

Case in point takes this story to DuPage county in Illinois. The wealthiest county in the state that does in fact have many programs that are designed to help the working class poor. They offer a program called Access DuPage whose mission claims to provide access to medical services to residents that lack medical access because of economic reasons.

Sounds like a commendable program. Until you meet the people that receive services through this program. I met a woman that has been suffering from chronic varicose veins and recently developed several painful blood clots in both of her legs. She was recommended to see a vascular surgeon but was instead seen by his assistant that wasn't a doctor who, upon examination, said that there was nothing wrong with her veins, although there was evidence of severe vein problems as well as numerous clusters of blood clots.

She was placed on the blood thinner Coumadin for what was recommended by an emergency room doctor for a period of 3 to 6 months. Keep in mind, this treatment would do nothing to eliminate the problematic clots, only prevent new ones from forming.

The treatment did however, get this woman walking with just some pain, not the debilitating pain that rendered her unable to walk. The doctor that was assigned to her case recommended the vascular surgeon that she was stopped from seeing by the surgeon's assistant. Three months later, she was told by her assigned case manager doctor that there was nothing more that can be done for her and her veins. He has since taken her off Coumadin and was told that her doctor "guarantees" there will be no further problems with her veins.

Quite obviously this is a money issue that her doctor does not wish to pursue any further.

This is just one of countless numbers of stories from American citizens that are not receiving the health care that they need and as stated in Sicko, 18,000 Americans will die each year because they will not receive the proper medical treatment that they need. In America, my America, I find this unacceptable.

I grew up thinking that we lived in the greatest country in the world. The richest country that cared about its citizens. Apparently that is not the case any longer. Think about it, if that was true we would not lose 18,000 of our citizens.

Other countries have a managed health care program that works. Countries like Mexico, Cuba, France, Germany and Canada. Why are people considered more valuable in those countries? Do their citizens have more worth than citizens in the good ole U.S. of A?

I would hope to think not, but I can't think of any other logical reason why American citizens die every year because there are no health care programs for them that will provide the medical care that they need.

Perhaps someone can explain this all to me one day.