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As a medical student at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria and a member of the American Medical Association (AMA), I want to express my concern about the growing number of uninsured patients in the United States.
More than 45 million Americans, including more than 8 million children, lack health insurance coverage. The Health Coverage Coalition for the Uninsured (HCCU) began in 2007 to expand coverage for children, perhaps up to 6 million children.
Uninsured Americans live with more chronic illness and die younger than insured Americans. Some of their diseases could have been prevented or treated if they had proper insurance. Furthermore, those without health insurance also face economic difficulties, such as paying bills.
You can help in any way you can.
If you are a health provider, you can make attempts to provide care to the uninsured in the simplest ways, such as being just and equal in giving care. For example, my twin sister, Dr. Nivedita Jerath, who will join the Massachusetts General Neurology Program this year, and, who is currently finishing her preliminary internal medicine residency at the University of Illinois in Peoria, keeps a positive attitude when treating the uninsured population.
She does not discriminate or make judgments; therefore, having the right attitude toward the uninsured is a way anyone can help solve this problem.
Professor David Cutler taught my sister and me that universal health care was the solution to the problem of the rising costs of health care. I hope we find the right solution to the problem plaguing American health care.
Aarti Jerath
As a medical student at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria and a member of the American Medical Association (AMA), I want to express my concern about the growing number of uninsured patients in the United States.
More than 45 million Americans, including more than 8 million children, lack health insurance coverage. The Health Coverage Coalition for the Uninsured (HCCU) began in 2007 to expand coverage for children, perhaps up to 6 million children.
Uninsured Americans live with more chronic illness and die younger than insured Americans. Some of their diseases could have been prevented or treated if they had proper insurance. Furthermore, those without health insurance also face economic difficulties, such as paying bills.
You can help in any way you can.
If you are a health provider, you can make attempts to provide care to the uninsured in the simplest ways, such as being just and equal in giving care. For example, my twin sister, Dr. Nivedita Jerath, who will join the Massachusetts General Neurology Program this year, and, who is currently finishing her preliminary internal medicine residency at the University of Illinois in Peoria, keeps a positive attitude when treating the uninsured population.
She does not discriminate or make judgments; therefore, having the right attitude toward the uninsured is a way anyone can help solve this problem.
Professor David Cutler taught my sister and me that universal health care was the solution to the problem of the rising costs of health care. I hope we find the right solution to the problem plaguing American health care.
Aarti Jerath
