This isn’t exactly “antiwork”, but I need a place to vent about this experience. My wife has a chronic medical condition and I was laid off a few months ago. We lost our health insurance and her doctor discharged her as a patient. After three months, I was able to get a new job and the insurance is active but when she calls around to become a new patient, it’s going to take 3 to 6 months to get in anywhere! She has enough refills to make it three month, but if the doctor she signs up for suddenly decides they’re no longer taking new patients, she’ll be totally screwed. And I guess if she runs out of meds we’re expected to just go to the ER when her condition flares up so they can stabilize her and tell her to “follow up with your primary care doc”.
Separately, another family member has had to wait two months while taking high dose pain killers to have her gallbladder removed. She’s in terrible pain and unable to function but this was the soonest they could schedule surgery.
American healthcare is totally fucked! This is beyond what a single-payer “universal” insurance is going to fix. We need to be pouring money into training programs to get new doctors into the system like we’re fighting WW2. I’m terrified for my family and for the future that my kids will have to experience. Basically, if you don’t already have a primary care doctor or you’re not privileged enough to be a young, naturally healthy person, you’re totally at the whim of chance and luck.