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Recent Stories
The Struggle for Early Detection
For a lot of women, there are few experiences as scary as finding a lump on your breast. Thoughts come to mind of chemotherapy, radiation, surgeries, and even death. Breast cancer is, in fact, the sixth leading cause of death among women in the United States. As frightening as it is to face all of these possibilities, many women must struggle with an added burden: the prospect of dealing with this situation while uninsured, and figuring out how to pay for tests and treatment. Forty-four year old Bonita of Berwyn was faced with this difficult situation, when her doctor found a lump during a routine visit.
Earlier this year, Bonita went to a local community health center to get her annual check-up. Although she was working at the time, her employer did not offer health coverage, and she was uninsured. After completing the exam, the doctor told Bonita that she had discovered a lump, and recommended seeing a specialist as soon as possible. Bonita attempted to make an appointment at a breast care clinic, but was told that they would not be able to see her because she did not have insurance. At that point, Bonita began to realize the real obstacles that could stand in her way as she attempted to get care. “Then, I panicked,” she remembers. Worried about her health, as well as how she was going to pay to maintain it, Bonita talked to friends at work, searching for a solution. She was finally able to obtain an exam at the health department, which confirmed her first doctor’s suspicions.
Throughout the next few weeks, Bonita went through a scary and anxiety-filled process. Because she had no insurance, she had very little choice in doctors and almost no continuity of care. None of the doctors she saw explained what was going on, and she was left to fear the worst. Bonita asserts that more information on her condition would have greatly reduced the amount of stress she experienced, and is frustrated by this aspect of her situation. “I’m the type of person that needs information. There is no reason people can’t say, ‘This is what is going to happen, and this is what we’re doing this for.’ Treat me like I have some kind of intelligence.” Bonita also had negative experiences with some of the doctors, who were often insensitive and rude.
After many weeks of waiting and several painful procedures, Bonita received good news. The lump was benign and she did not have cancer. With this huge weight off her shoulders, Bonita must now turn her attention to the problem of paying for these tests. This problem is compounded further by the fact that the stress of this process, coupled with the necessary absences from work for tests, caused Bonita to lose her job. It is possible that she will receive assistance from the hospital in paying these bills, but that is still unclear. The whole situation, from the fragmented and often bad care she received to the now looming payments, has left Bonita angry and upset. “What should I have done? Should I have just kept putting it off, because I don’t have insurance?” she asks in frustration. “I had already put it aside and put it aside, and now I’m being punished because I spoke up and said I need care.”
Too many people go through an ordeal similar to Bonita’s as they try to navigate our patchwork health care system. And many are not as lucky, and find themselves facing the daunting task of fighting cancer and being uninsured. In a disease where early detection is key to survival, obstacles to testing and basic examinations are more than just an inconvenience; they can be deadly. It is important that all women have access to these services. Fortunately, Illinois just expanded its Breast and Cervical Cancer Program to provide screenings and treatment for all uninsured women. Please alert all of your loved ones.
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