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When you go to the doctor, you assume insurance will pick up the bulk of the costs.
But, when the paychecks stop coming because of layoffs, so does the insurance.
These days, doctors and other health care professionals are seeing increasing numbers of people who are in that predicament.
“It's really frustrating. It’s awful. I see this on a daily basis,” said Dr. Adam Goldstein a U.N.C. professor of family medicine.
Goldstein has seen the number of uninsured rise proportion to the economy’s slide.
“This creates a duel problem for people because no longer is it just unemployment, but it's also lack of health care and lack of physicians. And this just compounds the problem for them,” he said.
Many are finding that the extension of health insurance benefits known as COBRA cost so much that it’s taking a large hunk of their unemployment benefits to stay insured. Because it’s so expensive, many elect to go without insurance altogether.
The lack of health insurance is causing folks to look for alternatives. That in turn is overloading hospital emergency rooms as well as community health care center like the one in Carrboro run by Piedmont Health Services.
“It puts an enormous stress on our ability to serve the people we want to serve,” explained Piedmont CEO Brian Toomey. “At times we can't serve everybody we want to because of that situation”
Piedmont's working to try and find ways to make room for the additional patients. And its community health centers have a sliding payment scales to make care affordable for those without coverage.
“Last year about half our patients did not have insurance,” said Toomey.
If you find yourself without coverage, you have options.
* You can try a free clinic.
* You can seek out programs that offer reduced cost medications and prescriptions.
* You can explain to your doctor you're out of work and without insurance.
“I don't know any colleague who would refuse to see a patient just because they lost their job,” said Dr. Goldstein
And experts NBC-17 spoke with say they don't see any relief in store regarding the numbers of uninsured in the coming months.
They say as the unemployment numbers continue to climb, so will those who can't afford COBRA continuing health coverage, or any other kind of insurance premium while they are out of work.
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By San Diego Personal Injury Lawyers on 02/05 07:07 AM
Thanks for the great article, do you have any additional resources you can point us to learn more? San Diego Personal InjuryLawyers
By Minnesota Uninsured on 02/01 12:09 PM
Recently had to visit the doctor for High Blood pressure I couldnt control myself, knew I needed some medication but couldnt get it myself. So finally gave in and went. Had No Health Insurance due to lose of job. So I asked can I pay this as I go they said No we bill everyone. So saw the doctor got a perscription & ordered to come back plus he needed blood work done he said. Its been 4 weeks now bills show up.. blood work came too 625 dollar, two visits came to 222 dollars. Perscription cost me 4 dollars at Walmart. Surely cant keep going back where he needs blood work each time to see what the drug is doing to you is the normal plan. So being a math nutt that comes to 847/4/12 is 17.6 years worth of pills it could have gotten. Or just the doctors charge for his 10 minute visit each time. 222/20 is $11.10 a minute or 92.5 cents every 5 seconds. I can see becoming an Architect was a stupid mistake. People can over build and put us out of businss which we have now. Or maybe I just need to find some more doctors to build for and charge them 92.5 cents a minute for his castle !!
By Lisa McLaurin on 01/26 10:09 AM
Please contact Kathy Rogols 919-550-0011 at Johnston County's Project Access. You can find out about this great program to provide healthcare to those without insurance at the following link: http://www.johnstonhealth.org/access.htm I wish you the best during this trying time, Lisa McLaurin Marketing Coordinator Johnston Health
By Home Security on 01/26 05:25 AM
Health care is the right of every person and I think the government should take steps to make health insurance accessible for all because it is very important. Thanks for sharing the nice post. Home Security -Excellent online service to save your inventory list along with scanned invoices so that one can get them by few clicks and produce to insurance in case of any mishap like theft , fire , flood or any other natural disaster.</br>
By missouri unemployed on 01/10 10:52 AM
i've been unemployed and uninsured for a while. recently had to go see a dermotologist for a skin cancer spot. while they did agree to see me, and did reduce their charge by 15% the whole payment thing was quite unpleasant. i asked to pay the bill there and then, while leaving the office and was told i'd be receiving a bill. i did about a two weeks later. the day after i received the bill i got a phone call at 8am demanding payment! i told them i'd just received the bill. they said it was due immediately upon receipt. i said, nope. you had your chance when i was in the clinic. now you have to wait 30 days like everyone else. the doctors might take patients, but their staff people get awfully aggressive when you aren't insured.
By Tammy on 01/10 10:06 AM
We have not had health insurance for a year due to a job loss.Our docotr does work with us and helps by writing out generic medicines or gives free samples. I am thankful that the news is starting to see how many people are losing their jobs.My husband has lost many jobs in the last 3 years .When he first lost his job nobody was unemployed and just yesterday we already know one other person who lost their job on January 9.
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