Coconino Voices: Plight of uninsured worsening
March 18, 2010
Recently, a middle-aged woman was brought to our clinic by her husband; actually, carried in would be a better description as she had to be picked up from her car and put into a wheelchair. She told our triage nurse she had fallen four days before and had been unable to walk since then. Her husband had literally carried her around the house as she could not put any weight on her leg.
Our nurse sent her to get X-rays right away and a short time later the X-ray tech called me to look at the film. The woman was still lying on the X-ray table. One quick look at the film revealed a severe fracture of the hip just below the socket. I asked the couple how they had managed for four days and why they had waited till now to come in. The answer was revealing -- the woman was uninsured and several years before had been in an emergency room and was still dealing with the bill. They had waited for four days hoping that her injury was only a sprain, risking further complications to her condition. Now she was faced with a hospitalization and surgery in order to preserve her ability to walk. It was frustrating and sad for me to have to tell her this, and then arrange for the ambulance to take her to the hospital.
