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Patient Voices Blog

December 15, 2020

I was uninsured for 2020. Here's why I chose to #getcovered.

Never before in my life have I ever had to worry about health insurance. Then came 2020. Over Memorial Day weekend I came down with a minor infection which, while nothing serious, required me to schedule a visit with a physician and pay out-of-pocket for a round of antibiotics that came out to almost $150. In June, after I started running again, an old knee injury started to flare up, but I had to choose to forgo getting it checked to avoid extra expenses. In July, I had to cancel my dental cleaning for a second time, the first one initially canceled in April due to COVID. One morning in August, I woke up with a small fever, and fearing it might be the virus (thankfully it wasn’t), frantically looked up the price of local testing which, while intended to be free of charge, some neighbors had informed me that they had received surprise bills. By September, I worried about the cost of getting a flu shot, was down to my last few pairs of contact lenses, was overdue for my annual eye and general wellness exams and considering seeking counseling for some mild anxiety from the pandemic.

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  1. April 11, 2018

    Using Patient Stories to Inform Advocacy

    "The squeaky wheel often gets the most attention and the results," she reminded us, "but we need to make sure we hear the voices of those individuals and communities that are not always heard." 

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  2. April 9, 2018

    Advocates refuse to 'fail first'

    Have you ever gone to the pharmacy to pick up a medication and were told “I’m sorry, we cannot fill your prescription because of your insurance?” As a pharmacist, I’ll say that it’s a common conversation we have that often causes stress, confusion and an overall daunting health care experience for people whether the medication is ultimately covered or not

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  4. November 22, 2017

    She said, "You have to stop fighting because it's killing you."

    Emily Moore was my caregiver for three years while I went through one of the most difficult times of my life. She started when she was 16. She is the most remarkable caregiver I have ever had. She stayed with me through the worse part of my life and there are not enough words in the English language to express my sincere gratitude.

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  5. November 22, 2017

    In Honor of Family Caregivers

    Family caregivers are the ones who ask the hard questions and keep track of the answers. They make the dreaded phone calls to insurance companies making sure a prescription or recommended service is covered. They see the full spectrum of the patient’s experience with illness and treatment outside the clinic walls. Like social workers, nurses, physicians and patients, family caregivers are critical members of the healthcare team, and they should be rightfully appreciated and honored not just this month, but every single day of the year. 

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  6. March 3, 2017

    Palliative Care: What It Means to Me

    I did not meet my grandmother until 2004, after my mom petitioned for her to come to the US to stay with my family so my mom could be her primary caregiver. Nanay lived in the Philippines, where she was born and where my mother was raised.

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