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Wed 13 Nov, 2002 07:15 pm
There was a recent article in the Wall Street Journal about a 22 year old woman living in NYCity, who lacking health insurance, let her glaucoma go un-treated, till she became blind in one eye. The opthalmologists couldn't understand why the woman didn't seek care, when she had all of the symptoms of glaucoma.
One reason for her neglect of herself was the fact that although she worked each and every day, in a street corner shack selling papers, etc. her salary was so low, she couldn't afford health insurance. Moreover, her salary was TOO high to permit her to qualify for medicaid.
She has been told now, that her only option for treatment is to have the blind eye removed and an artifical eye put in it's place. That would cost about $12,000 for the total procedure.
Right now, she is doing nothing. Hopefully her "good" eye will stay "good".
In Australia's health system, she would have been treated for free.
If this woman had proper direction in her search for medical care, I'm sure she could have obtained it. Not in NYCity, then in Boston, Chicago, etc.
New Haven- I had seen this Q this morning, but did not have time to answer it. IMO her problem was brought on by negligence on her part. I am sure that if she made a few phone calls, she would have found private resources where she could have been helped.
As far as getting proper direction, there are many private social service agencies that provide Information and Referral Services.
I think that trying to find your way through the numerous agencies in NYCity must be an exhausting experience, to say the least.
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