Even in the recession, it is not such a good idea to skip doctor’s visits.
By: Amanda Anderson
During the time of a hard-hitting recession, cutting all expenses may seem like the smartest thing to do.
Unfortunately, for most Americans, this plan will require cutting health care. The fact is a lot of Americans are uninsured, and simply cannot afford to purchase their own insurance plan. Those who have health insurance through their employers will usually stay insured until their employer decides to cut benefits. And as most companies are opting to cut benefits to survive folding, these Americans will join the millions of uninsured Americans in forsaking health care coverage. And as most Americans are currently without insurance, trips to the doctor’s office have become a thing of the past.
While it is totally understandable that it is all about survival at this point, it is extremely dangerous to skip doctor’s visits. You may seem and appear to be totally healthy, but that does not mean that you are without any medical needs.
A perfect example of this scenario is the story that I was told about a young legal assistant who had managed to skip doctor’s visits for about five years. She also went five years without getting a pap smear, and figured she was totally healthy since she had no signs of illness. Unemployment and contract work without benefits played a huge part in this decision. After she landed a great job with benefits at a prestigious insurance company, she decided that it was time to get a physical.
She also decided to get a pap smear, and expected that results would portray a healthy young woman. Turns out, she had cervical cancer, and if she would have waited a year later to get the pap test, she would have died.
She received treatment for cervical cancer, undergoing chemotherapy which cured the cancer. Although she is alive today and a cancer survivor, she realized that there are just some things that we should never cut out of our expenses. There are ways to continue doctor’s visits while you currently have no form of health insurance.
Find a local clinic now
There are plenty of health clinics around the country that specialize in providing affordable services for those who are currently uninsured. Some of these clinics only charge a little over $100 for a pap smear. They even offer payment plans, and they offer a large variety of health services. If you are currently without health insurance, try to find a clinic near you to get the services essential to your overall health. Just because you feel healthy doesn’t mean you are healthy. It is NEVER acceptable to forgo getting a pap smear, especially with the rate of cervical cancer among African American women continuously increasing. More than twice as many African-American women will die from cervical cancer as opposed to Caucasian women. So protect yourself, and do not cut out trips to the doctor. Those doctor’s visits could very well save your life.