By Dr. Jay Bhatt - deputy commissioner for the Chicago Department of public health and a physician with Erie Family Health. “Last year, people like you and me were dying simply because they lacked access to affordable health care. People who were middle class, poor, underinsured and uninsured were living sicker and dying younger because they couldn’t afford the medicine or medical care they needed. As a doctor at a family health clinic, I have seen patients choose between dinner on the table or their prescription medications. People without coverage are left without a life raft and robbed of their dignity.” “While in medical school, I saw John lose his leg because he could not afford antibiotics to treat his foot ulcer. I attended the funeral of Malika, a 14-year-old girl in West Philadelphia who died because she was denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions. You don’t have to be a doctor to hear or know the countless stories of those left behind by our system — from the young to the old, the healthy to the sick, and the silent to the bold. Any one of us could have been left behind.” “The good news is the future of health care fundamentally changed because of the Affordable Care Act. We now have an opportunity to rescue those left behind when it comes to accessing quality, comprehensive, affordable health care because of expanded Medicaid and the health insurance exchanges. Millions are newly eligible for insurance they previously may have thought out of reach. And helping uninsured Illinoisans sign up for insurance can also mean connecting the uninsured with social services that can help improve some of the underlying causes of illness — food insecurity, lack of housing and social isolation.”
Posted on: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 17:37:37 +0000
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