S.

Today I traveled 2.5 hours to see a specialist that I scheduled an intake appointment with 4 months ago. Some would say that I have nothing to worry about - I have comprehensive health insurance through a union job, and (at least for now) a steady income to pay for the remaining medical bills. Still, I went home in tears after the doctor told me that “there’s no test to definitively say that you have this condition, and no course of treatment even if we did.” I was given long list of food restrictions to manage a related condition and sent home with orders for tests that the doctor doesn’t expect will help. Having “good health insurance” doesn’t guarantee getting the healthcare you need if you’re getting healthcare in a system that cares more about payment than people. The best health insurance couldn’t compare to having the right to healthcare.

If our healthcare system were designed to prioritize people over profits, would this doctor have the flexibility to spend time thinking creatively with me about how to my alleviate my life-altering symptoms? Would there be more research into conditions that aren’t profitable to treat? Would patients and healthcare providers feel more human along the way? I am ready to fight for healthcare as a human right, because we all deserve quality healthcare regardless of our ability to work and regardless of our ability to pay. No person is disposable - it’s time to get rid of this system that treats us that way!