Feb 25, 2017 2 min read

Medicaid patients all have very limited income, and while they do care about their health, the cost of that care is critical. Those receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) only have about $700 per month to spend on everything.

I have a relative who has been spending all of that for out-of-pocket medical expenses plus over $1,000 every month. Something has to give. Doctors should discuss the full out-of-pocket costs with patients before starting a course of treatment. They should also realize these patients also have limited means of transportation, so they should stop scheduling multiple trips per day for treatment.

I realize doctors don’t consider costs, but when you have no money, the cost becomes as important as treatment. Doctors need to confer with insurance companies and determine what patients can afford. If the treatment is deemed necessary but unaffordable there must be some means available to assist that patient. I have been looking at that kind of help for my relative, but it appears it does not exist. Why not? Someone from the medical profession needs to answer that question. It’s almost immoral that there is no help for them.

George Dawes

Washington