Unit 4 Journal Entry
Healthcare and Sicko
Imagine your fictional character is in need of medical care. Consider their social and economic situation and the likelihood of them having insurance. Be very specific as you determine not only whether they have medical insurance but also what that coverage encompasses. Think back to the movie as well as the lecture on healthcare delivery… does insurance guarantee that one can access medical care? What about rising copayments, employer and employee contributions? As you think about your character trying to access care, consider, too, their experience of healthcare in the United States.
Now imagine your character is visiting another country, or perhaps they even live there. You may choose any country to focus on… preferably one showcased in the film. What is your experience? How does it differ from your experience in the United States?
Sam has already had some experiences with the issues of the high cost and availability of healthcare. He has seen how the high cost of health care has affected his family. His mother had been diagnosed with leukemia about five years ago. She had received chemotherapy at that time and had been in remission for almost three years. Sam’s family had significant struggles to obtain coverage for many of the treatments his mother had received and they are still paying for co-payments and fees that were charged at that time. During a doctor’s visit about a year ago it had been found that her cancer had returned. She is receiving more chemotherapy and she is on the waiting list for bone marrow treatments. Sam had health care coverage from his father’s health plan through his father’s small business. When the costs of his mother’s care became to great his father had to drop Sam’s coverage. Sam had to pick up coverage under the ACA program.
Under the ACA Sam has some basic health care coverage. He has however found that he had to change his primary care provider (PCP) as the doctor he had previously been seeing had changed to a managed care system and would not accept patients with ACA insurance. Sam did find it difficult to get an initial visit with a PCP as many offices that he called were booked a few months ahead. Sam is also struggling to pay his portion of the costs for the ACA coverage. He works part time so his earnings don’t always meet all of his expenses. His employer does not provide any health care benefits to people who work less than 30 hours per week. Sam is required to have health care coverage though in order to attend classes at the community college.
Sam has been able to have a routine checkup through his current PCP and his overall health has generally been good. He did recently seek treatment from a practitioner of acupuncture for some chronic headaches. This treatment was recommended by his PCP after Sam had experienced some side effects from taking medications. Sam had also talked about this option as he had a good experience with trying acupuncture during a college health fair that he had attended. Sam does have to pay out of pocket for the acupuncture as this service id not covered under his ACA plan.
About a year ago Sam had been visiting a college friend in Canada. The friend had a minor bicycle accident while they were out riding on a trail near where the friend lives. Sam had helped his friend to get to the hospital and had waited there with him. Sam was surprised that the care there was, from what he saw very efficient. His friend was seen in the emergency room after about a half hour wait, he received an x-ray for his ankle injury, he had been evaluated by the doctor and had received an ankle support and a prescription for some pain medication. When Sam talked with his friend afterward, he asked what it would cost for the friend’s hospital bills. His friend explained that everything was covered under the national health plan. Sam was a bit shocked that it was so easy for his friend to get the care he needed, as his personal experiences were quite different.
