Richard Clark

ENG 111
Synthesis Paper
1st Draft

I have choose the topic of why is going to the doctors and hospital so expensive for

people who have little or no insurance. This is a very good topic because a large amount of

people have little or no insurance so this is very interesting. Many places in the state of Indiana

will see people without insurance but most are booked up and do not take any new patients.

People do not know what to do about the rising costs of health care to stay healthy. Many people

can’t afford to go to the doctor much less the hospital for an emergency. With 41 million

Americans without insurance many people are faced with the reality of not seeking medical

assistance. This paper will talk about the rising cost of healthcare and the cost of hospitalization.

Some of the articles researched showed people with high out of pocket expenses. One

such article talks of a man named Eric Remjeske who at the age of 38 had a serious skiing

accident that left him with broken bones in both feet. The hospital bills ranged from $14,000 to

$18,000. He had insurance but had a $6,000 deductible to pay before they covered anything. He

had no idea what to do. Eric ended up having to research different places for a cheaper price. .

He ended up going with the University of Minnesota to have the procedure done because they

offered the lowest cost. The surgery was successful, but later had hospital and doctor bills

totaling more than 16,000 much more than expected. "If you go in unknowing and come out

unknowing, you could end up with an unbelievable bill," Remjeske says. This is exactly the

situation people are trying to avoid because the economy is in such a bad state.

When children are very sick and have no insurance parents may not take them to the

doctor because they have low paying jobs and can’t afford the cost. Children all over the world

go without insurance all the time. There needs to be some sort of substitute to these kids
Richard Clark
ENG 111
Synthesis Paper
1st Draft

suffering. Studies show that an estimated 7.3 million children went uninsured in 2008 that is a

hard fact to believe. Some states have a program called (CHIP) which can provide children with

insurance if there families have a low income but not all people meet the income requirements

and the children may suffer.

Then we talk about senior citizens who have no insurance and because of age have many

health aliments. Something needs to be done about this increasing problem. The state Medicaid

program does help some elderly people but again only if they qualify and are low- income. Most

senior citizens who do not qualify end up paying medical expenses out of money set aside for

emergencies or money to pay bills. Some may pay hundreds of dollars a year in medical bills and

prescriptions which is extreme.

Then we look at pregnant women who may not work and are not eligible for state

insurance. Some people are lucky enough to have family who will help them or they may be

elegable to be on a parents plan. What about all the other pregnant women all over the world

that struggle to get together enough money to have checkups for the babies, blood work, ultra

sounds are very expensive. If a person is low income and still cannot get insured sometimes you

pay out of your own money that you may not have. The average estimate to have a child in the

United States is $20,000 and without insurance you would be in major debt. People going about

their everyday lives without health insurance is a dangerous risk especially women who are

carrying another child. People who are pregnant have to visit the doctor about 15 to 20 times

during their nine month pregnancy. When some women need additional care money adds up and

when you do not have it that can be very difficult to pay. Some pregnant women will not seek
Richard Clark
ENG 111
Synthesis Paper
1st Draft

doctor services becaue they do not have insurance and therefore may jepordize themselves or the

baby. With 41 million Americans without insurance , 13% of pregnant women each year face

childbirth without having the proper insurance coverage which means that they might not get the

best prenatal care possible

All these types of people will have a hard time surviving without insurance and its proven every

day. What the United States people need to address is to get more federal aid for people who

cannot get insurance. This would save many people’s lives every day. As a society we need to

take a stand and change statistics. Although there are hospitals and doctors who have financial

assistance many people cannot afford even a small hospital bill.