Homeless Uninsured Americans need Medications to stay out of Hospitals

This program is open to callers with unblocked phone lines. Please respect comments to 5 minutes. Topic: Healthcare and wasteful spending. What is cheaper for the tax payer: an asthma inhaler or a week in the ICU on a ventilator, a vial of insulin or a month in rehab after a diabetic coma? Recently in Jacksonville, Fl one of my patients told me his heart wrenching story of homelessness after he lost his security guard job. He had to choose between missing his insulin and blood pressure medicines costing him around $200 a month or basic food, water and gas. As a per diem hospitalist contracted where medical services are most needed, I got to see firsthand what is going on in American Hospitals serving those without insurance through the ERs. Broadening the focus of Hospice Radio for this program, I wish to tell the stories of uninsured patients and the wasteful spending, state and federal government now supports. It is sobering our system places such contradictions on care, paying for high-priced care and forgoing the cheapest. It seems evident while our healthcare recovery bill is still in debate uninsured, homeless and poverty stricken Americans are sending the government and the taxpayer their version of a healthcare recovery bill. Taxpayers are now footing the rising bill for healthcare and the slow and costly recovery of these uninsured folks. Now with the jobless rate going up, foreclosures mounting, as a doctor I am seeing lengthy hospitalizations as a direct result of non prevention and unaffordable meds. The sick folks get sicker after simply missing preventative care and routine medicines. Dr. Lewis will discuss her views as an internist, hospitalist, hospice and palliative care expert, along with live callers from around the country on the state of American healthcare for those at poverty levels in her one hour program.