Health Care for the Needy: Does it Exist ?

Election years always seem to bring promises of better times for all, especially those that are on the lowest end of the pay scale. It makes one wonder if our government realizes that there is a large majority of citizens in this country that are trying to survive with incomes that are well below the poverty level. Many of these families cannot afford to get pre-natal care for an unborn child let alone provide proper medical care and immunizations for their other children. We have all seen the infomercials that are broadcast almost every day showing us children all over the world that need help. How often is the plight of America's poor the subject of these attention getters? Very rarely, if at all is there a spotlight placed on these same conditions that many in our own country face on a daily basis. When is the last time a humanitarian group showed the plight of children living in the hills of West Virginia or in the ghettos of New York? Celebrities, newscasters and church organizations focus on the deplorable conditions all over the world that people are forced to cope with. How is it that children all over the world are more of a concern than those in your own country?

The USA pours billions of dollars a year into providing medical care, food and housing to countries all over the world. The old expression, "Charity begins at home" seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle. A poor person, anyone that has an annual income of less than $20.000.00 per year or less has a very difficult choice. Do you put food on the table and pay your monthly bills, or do you take money out of your paycheck each week to pay for health insurance for your family? That is a decision that no parent should ever have to make.

Some states work with their hospitals and physicians to try to help those in need. The system is called Charity Care. If emergency care is needed, upon admission, a financial consultant will ask for proof of income, bills and family size. After the information is reviewed, the patient will be responsible for payment based on a sliding scale. The amount the patient is required to pay can be anywhere from zero to 100%, again based on the information submitted. The department of human services also helps by providing items such as Ensure or incontinence supplies to patients that need them. The system only asks that a prescription be provided for the necessary medications and supplies. Patients are also referred to physicians that are involved with the clinic system that will accept the percentage determined to continue medical care as needed. Prescriptions are also covered under this plan. Again, this system is only sanctioned in some states. If you do not live in a place that a charity care program is available for all, you are subject to the same costs as someone making $50.000.00 a year.

All of this may seem inconsequential to most. Even those that have no medical insurance do not normally worry about it until they are confronted with a life altering illness. Colds, the flu, and childhood diseases, are things that all parents expect to experience while their children are growing up. The reality hits home when a parent or a child is diagnosed with something incurable. That is when a new reality sinks in. It makes no difference at that point what this disease is. The only thing that matters is, where to find competent medical treatment that is affordable.

If you are lucky enough it reside in one of states that provide Charity Care, there is some hope that treatment will be available. If not, you have to suffer, without treatment, while you continue to search for a doctor that will see you out of the goodness of his heart. Even if you can get treatment, there are prescriptions that need to be filled. That alone can cost $300.00 or more per month depending on the illness.

Not too terribly long ago, there were doctors that would treat patients for little or no money. Many times a good home cooked meal would be payment enough. Unfortunately, those days are long gone. It is about time that our government looked around our country and truly saw the plight of so many of our citizens.