Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Healthcare Reform Much?

So I have viewed into yet another window that I may not have been able to see into otherwise had it not been for AmeriCorps. A few weeks ago I was having some cold and flu symptoms and in lieu of trying to navigate our crappy insurance and see a family practitioner, I went to the Emergency Room at the local hospital. No big deal. Well it's been about three weeks and my symptoms have worsened. I'd like to think I'm not one to jump at a minor ailment but when we're living in a state of swine flu paranoia and with a worsening upper respiratory infection, I decided to err on the side of caution. So I called our local neighborhood health clinic, the only place (I was told) that took our AmeriCorps insurance. And the soonest appointment for new patients? Almost a month out. Holy cow. This is a clinic that charges patients on a sliding scale (and needs documentation from patients to do so) and also does health care services for the homeless population in Anchorage. While Anchorage is by no means a booming metropolis, having only one of these clinics in town is a bit of an issue. I'm not sure if there is a disproportionate amount of social services here or if I'm just noticing it more because of where I live, the work I do, the amount of money I make, the insurance I have, etc. but this city could probably benefit from several more clinics that provide these types of services. Really makes me rethink this whole health care reform business...

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