Two more stories from June 9: the first patient below called earlier to find out how to be checked for pelvic pain, she's already been to 3 E.R.s. She needs an STD exam and I told her to call the health dept. and ask for an immediate appointment with the doctor's clinic and let them know that she was having symptoms. Now she replies. . . "Hello again. I called the health dept and they said that I need to finish my antibiotics before they can do anything. All they can do is a pap smear, no examinations really. They want me to call back at the beginning of July to set up an appointment for a pap. She said I need to go to my OB/GYN. I know this, but I can't pay that much. I have no one who can loan me the money. She told me to finish up my third round of antibiotics and maybe I'll be ok. Until then, "You can put up with the pain." That's all she said. :("
Another patient: Today: I had a 22 year old who just delivered her 4th baby 3 weeks ago, walk up the office-about a mile--while carrying her newest in a carseat carrier. She is unemployed, on Medicaid (for now), she is a high school drop-out, she has no car, hubby is not working-- so she went (walked) to the health department for condoms at least until she can get birth control started- they wouldn't give her any. "There's a charge for everything" they said. She couldn't pick up her depo-provera shot from the pharmacy so I could give it to her today- she doesn't even have the $2.00 pharmacy co-pay. So next year, bad public health policies will let the taxpayers pay for yet another baby. . .
The Women of W.O.R.T.H., Inc. clinic urges all Romans to tell send their health care access stories to us or tell it online at http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/healthcarestory
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