Healthcare, Insurance, and Accessibility
Healthcare, insurance, and accessability are concerns we all have when we’re living with chronic illness. It’s a full-time job trying to attend to all of my appointments. I have quite a few each month and it is exhausting! After an appointment I’m done for the day. Just getting ready, walking down hallways, and having a physical aspect to my appointment, is enough to crash afterwards.
Emotionally, appointments are very stressful. I’m always worried about what will show up on tests. I have a history of getting new diagnosis’s quite often at all my appointments. I really don’t want to hear these comments from another specialist.
When you have numerous chronic diseases, it can be frustrating that specialists don’t work as a team. They only want to treat their one specialty. I have a feeling that because I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, many of my conditions could be co-morbidities. I have a separate drug for each disease, and I think that I’m over-medicated.
Insurance is something we all need. Without it I would have been bankrupt years ago. Last year my insurance was pretty affordable. My policy went from $117 per month to $1044. per month! That is ridiculous and sad. We are now going to be stretched to the limits. How did your insurance pan out for the upcoming year? I hope that you’ll be able to have insurance. People with chronic illnesses usually end up under-insured. With high deductible plans, our doctor bills can pile up quickly.
I live in a small town that has a limited medical care problem. In our three county area, every GP is full and won’t take new patients. I see a cardiologist and GP locally, and all my other doctors are 25 and 90 miles away from my home. The appointments 90 miles away take the entire day. Sometimes, one of these appointments cause me to completely rest for a day or cause a flare.
This year I found that I had Avascular Necrosis in an ankle and two wrists. My ankle feels good when I’m resting but often hurts a lot when I’m walking. The full recovery could take three more months, so I won’t give up on improvement.
When your local area doesn’t have the doctors you need, it becomes a great hardship if you can’t drive to the office. Many towns have a pick up van for the elderly, especially those in wheelchairs. The problem is, they won’t take you to other towns, especially where I need to go. I have to see a neuro-surgeon, who is watching my (probably benign) brain tumor.
I haven’t been driving for a couple of years, except for a few short trips. I can drive, but because of my dizzy spells and painful wrists my husband does the driving. I’m thankful for him, but I worry that down the road, we might not be able to see our specialists (hubby has cancer). Accessibility is important. If I’m limited to see the best doctors, my health will most likely suffer.
Have you had problems with your insurance, health care, or accessibility? I won’t get into politics on my blog, but I know that many millions of people are in danger of losing their insurance. I certainly hope that all of us can have health insurance. God Bless.
@2025, copyright Lisa Ehrman
Disclaimer: I’m not a medical expert. This post is my opinions or experiences, and is not meant to be taken as medical advice. If you have a medical concern, please consult with your personal physician.
