I have recently found several obvious ways that people making a low income can partner with the medical field to defray the costs of their uninsured care.
They can go to clinics for shots and non-urgent medical needs. In the Emergency Room, hospitals should employ at least one nurse practitioner to screen patients before seeing the doctor. This helps for two reasons.
First, it shortens the wait for all patients, most importantly for those with a life-threatening condition. Second, if the condition can be solved by someone other than a doctor, it will not cost as much to taxpayers and patients.
Churchill said that the price of greatness is responsibility. If America wants to have high standards of greatness, we need to require responsibility of the people and the government. These are small, definite ways to begin holding that standard.
Hope Nowak
Kelseyville
