Scientific American presents House Call Doctor by Quick & Dirty Tips. Scientific American and Quick & Dirty Tips are both Macmillan companies.
After the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordability Care Act, I was reminded of my experiences working in the public health system, taking care of many patients without health insurance. Along with losing their jobs, their homes, and their life as they knew it, many people also lost their health insurance. It was a sad experience to witness the grief that so many endured after the economy took a plunge. Very sick people were all of a sudden left without health care and I was seeing patient after patient in great emotional and physical distress. Here are some examples of my encounters:
A patient with a breast mass so large and so suspicious for cancer that you couldn’t miss it sitting across the room
A young 20-something with new-onset seizures whose family watched him recurrently fall to the floor and seize before they allowed themselves to call 911
A well-educated couple living in their car after losing their jobs and unable to afford their medication
A hardworking, eager male with a brain aneurysm operated on less than one year ago, without follow-up since, urging me to release him to go back to work because of his increasing financial debt
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Reminiscing of these difficult times reminded me of how many people out there still could use some guidance in regards to accessing health care. So I’ve compiled a list of 14 resources that can potentially help some people who have had to do without health insurance.