Insurance can be extremely expensive for those who are self-employed. Sometimes that premium just is not feasible, or the deductible is so high that the insurance is mostly in case of emergencies. We have seen deductibles greater than $10,000 here at the clinic. One woman who was uninsured and self-employed recently came to the clinic for the first time. It had been well over a year since she had seen a provider. Throughout that time, she had several concerns about her health. To avoid the cost of a doctor visit, she turned to the internet. She googled her symptoms and feared that she had developed some pretty serious conditions.
Fear was a word that she said multiple times in her visit. She lived in fear of what her current health condition truly was. Finally, she called on a Monday and was able to get in the very next day for an appointment. She was given a physical, sent for labs, and given community referrals. Her comment as she left the office was, “I waited so long in fear because of my pride, but look, I got my insurance questions answered and my medical concerns addressed. It was all settled in one day.” And the good news is, she no longer has to fear concerning medical conditions, her check-up and labs indicated she is in good health!
Amy DeLay
Patient Advocate
