Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Dear Patient, great things are happening in health care

Ricky Choi, MD
Policy
July 11, 2012
Share
Tweet
Share

Dear Ms. Patient,

I hope this letter finds you well.

Let me begin by saying that it is such a privilege to care for your family. It has been a joy to watch your children grow and your family thrive. I’m sure you will agree that we have been through a lot together.

As you know, I am devoted to help in keeping your family healthy, despite the many obstacles that have arisen. Remember the time when your husband lost his job? You not only lost your family’s main source of income, but everyone lost their health insurance. It was a dark time. We were both surprised to learn that insurance premiums were so expensive. We thought that those prices were crazy until we factored in your diabetes (a preexisting condition) and then realized it was worse than we thought . So you and your husband made the hard decision to go without insurance for a while. Even without insurance premiums, you ended up paying so much for your health care during that time. Minor aches and pains were ignored. I recall that your daughter had a difficult winter with asthma attacks, where you reluctantly agreed to expensive trips to the emergency room.

Having worked your entire life, you never imagined that you could be in this situation. I remember you spoke about the frustration — and enormous parental guilt — you felt for leaving your family so vulnerable. There were sleepless nights, filled with worrying. We both held our breaths in fear every time your son went out to play a football game, praying that he not get injured. The stress of that alone was enough to warrant a doctor’s visit. It was not fair.

There were glimmers of hope. We talked excitedly about a health reform law when it passed a few years ago — though it was unclear exactly how it would help your family at the time. As it turns out, your mother did get some money back for her Medicare prescriptions and she was pleasantly surprised to be offered a free annual wellness visit newly given to all Medicare beneficiaries.

The Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act and I breathed an enormous sigh of relief. At that moment I could visualize the faces in your family and many others in similar situations who will qualify for affordable health insurance. I am thrilled to tell you that soon you will no longer have to feel embarrassed or guilty. It will be different. If your partner were to lose his job again, you and your family could still access affordable health insurance. Preexisting medical problems will no longer factor into the cost of health insurance premiums. If you or any family member gets sick, there will be no caps on insurance coverage. It is hard to believe that a decision by only nine people so removed from us can make such a tremendous impact on our daily lives. But this decision does. This law will allow me to be a better doctor for your family. It will give you peace of mind and security that your family members can get the health care they deserve.

Great things are happening. Have a fun and safe summer. I look forward to seeing you at a future visit.

In health,

Dr. Ricky Y. Choi, MD, MPH

Ricky Y. Choi is a pediatrician who blogs at SFGate and the Huffington Post San Francisco.  It reprinted with the author’s permission.

Prev

How will ObamaCare affect prostate cancer screening?

July 11, 2012 Kevin 12
…
Next

The reality of marriage equality and health care

July 11, 2012 Kevin 9
…

Tagged as: Primary Care, Public Health & Policy

Post navigation

< Previous Post
How will ObamaCare affect prostate cancer screening?
Next Post >
The reality of marriage equality and health care

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Ricky Choi, MD

  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    What would you include in your perfect school lunch?

    Ricky Choi, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Our health problems will remain, despite how the Supreme Court rules

    Ricky Choi, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Are physicians addressing the root causes of health problems?

    Ricky Choi, MD

More in Policy

  • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

    Joshua Vasquez, MD
  • Online eye exams spark legal battle over health care access

    Joshua Windham, JD and Daryl James
  • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

    Holland Haynie, MD
  • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

    Dave Cummings, RN
  • Healing the doctor-patient relationship by attacking administrative inefficiencies

    Allen Fredrickson
  • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

    Trevor Lyford, MPH
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • America’s ER crisis: Why the system is collapsing from within

      Kristen Cline, BSN, RN | Conditions
    • Why timing, not surgery, determines patient survival

      Michael Karch, MD | Conditions
    • How early meetings and after-hours events penalize physician-mothers

      Samira Jeimy, MD, PhD and Menaka Pai, MD | Physician
    • FDA delays could end vital treatment for rare disease patients

      GJ van Londen, MD | Meds
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • Why clinical research is a powerful path for unmatched IMGs

      Dr. Khutaija Noor | Education
    • Addressing menstrual health inequities in adolescents

      Callia Georgoulis | Conditions
    • How to advance workforce development through research mentorship and evidence-based management

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • The truth about perfection and identity in health care

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician
    • Civil discourse as a leadership competency: the case for curiosity in medicine

      All Levels Leadership | Physician
    • Healing beyond the surface: Why proper chronic wound care matters

      Alvin May, MD | Conditions

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 8 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • America’s ER crisis: Why the system is collapsing from within

      Kristen Cline, BSN, RN | Conditions
    • Why timing, not surgery, determines patient survival

      Michael Karch, MD | Conditions
    • How early meetings and after-hours events penalize physician-mothers

      Samira Jeimy, MD, PhD and Menaka Pai, MD | Physician
    • FDA delays could end vital treatment for rare disease patients

      GJ van Londen, MD | Meds
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • Why clinical research is a powerful path for unmatched IMGs

      Dr. Khutaija Noor | Education
    • Addressing menstrual health inequities in adolescents

      Callia Georgoulis | Conditions
    • How to advance workforce development through research mentorship and evidence-based management

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • The truth about perfection and identity in health care

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician
    • Civil discourse as a leadership competency: the case for curiosity in medicine

      All Levels Leadership | Physician
    • Healing beyond the surface: Why proper chronic wound care matters

      Alvin May, MD | Conditions

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Dear Patient, great things are happening in health care
8 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...