[Peace-discuss] Correction to AWARE notes for 1/23

[Susan Davis]

just a small correction to the notes on last night aware meeting

I suggested that we invite someone from Champaign County health care 
consumers to come speak to us not about the problems of  people who can't 
pay their bills --  but of denial of access to primary care physicians by 
Carle and Provena to people who may well be able to pay their bills, but 
who would pay them through Medicaid or out-of-pocket because they do not 
have private insurance.

This is a group of people that numbers 30,000 in our county. (or about one 
in six residents)

in other words these hospitals and clinics are denying access to primary 
care because they don't like the kind of insurance or the method of 
payment, as well as because of inability to pay.

primary care usually means regular checkups and health-maintenance, and 
monitoring of chronic conditions.  If you don't have that access, you're 
not getting your blood pressure checked, eyes and hearing checked, your 
questions answered, your Pap smear, etc. and so problems wait until you are 
in the emergency room.

this should be an issue in the upcoming mayoral and city council 
election!  Not least because one of the city council candidates is a Carle 
executive.