My throat was scratchy. I didn't sleep well the night before. I was supposed to be at work. Instead, I sat in the small office of Nancy. She was responsible for registering my insurance and information before a doc at the urgent care clinic could see me. As she made a second phone call regarding my insurance, my throat hurt more. Swallowing hurt. Coughing hurt more. I checked the clock. I looked at all the pictures of kittens and puppies on her wall. Not pictures of kittens AND puppies, but photographs of kittens sitting next to puppies taken from calendars, stationary and other odd items. They didn't make me feel better. I just wanted hot tea, cold ice cream, soup, drugs. During the first call, we both laughed about the automation. "Yes ... Missouri ... 3/06/84 ... blah ... blah ... blah." She laughed, again, under her breath telling me that insurance companies use the automation to deter patients from knowing about their plans.
The second call wasn't automated. "I can't hear you, sir. What? What?" She was staying cool despite her frustration. She asked if he was using a head set and then some other prodding questions. Then, "What state are you in? OOOhhhh ... the Philippines?! Okay ... " She whispered a sentence that contained the word "outsourcing" to me. Ah, yes, now we both understood why the connection was poor. As she talked and jotted down notes, I noticed a notation about a $500 deductible. [WHAT?!] Okay, now I was nervous. [I HAVE GOOD INSURANCE, A GOOD JOB, AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO SEE A DOCTOR AT A PUBLIC CLINIC?] I panicked. About 20 minutes later, we discovered that my insurance would require a $20 copay, nothing more. Relief. But as I got my blood pressure checked, waited for the doctor and had my throat looked at, I thought about the people who couldn't come to see the doctor without paying a big deductible, people without insurance, people without money. For the first time in a long time, I thought about universal health care.
The second call wasn't automated. "I can't hear you, sir. What? What?" She was staying cool despite her frustration. She asked if he was using a head set and then some other prodding questions. Then, "What state are you in? OOOhhhh ... the Philippines?! Okay ... " She whispered a sentence that contained the word "outsourcing" to me. Ah, yes, now we both understood why the connection was poor. As she talked and jotted down notes, I noticed a notation about a $500 deductible. [WHAT?!] Okay, now I was nervous. [I HAVE GOOD INSURANCE, A GOOD JOB, AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO SEE A DOCTOR AT A PUBLIC CLINIC?] I panicked. About 20 minutes later, we discovered that my insurance would require a $20 copay, nothing more. Relief. But as I got my blood pressure checked, waited for the doctor and had my throat looked at, I thought about the people who couldn't come to see the doctor without paying a big deductible, people without insurance, people without money. For the first time in a long time, I thought about universal health care.
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