The diagnosis was stress, and the bills made it worse

The diagnosis was stress,and the bills made it worse
EDITOR:
Several weeks ago, I was dealing with some chest pain, and having a family history of heart problems -- both parents and two siblings -- I decided that even though I had no health insurance, I better go to my family doctor, pay the $60 office call, and have it checked out. So I went to the doctor for an E.K.G. If he saw nothing to worry about, I wouldn't worry either.
He said he saw nothing to be concerned about but that he felt I should go to Beeghly and have them check me out. So I paid him $130 (office call and E.K.G.) and drove to Beeghly.
Arriving there, I told them that my family doctor had sent me. I was asked if I had any insurance and said no. I was taken into a room, put on a monitor, had blood taken and waited. The doctor on call came in, introduced himself and ask me a couple questions and left. A couple hours later, he came back, said he saw nothing to worry about, but that he talked to my doctor and they decided that I should go to North Side Hospital.
At this point I was afraid there was something they were not telling me, though they assured me they saw no problem. So after six hours at Beeghly, I was taken by ambulance to North Side Hospital, put in a room, hooked up to a monitor and waited. In the morning, I had a stress test, a chest X-ray and was told they saw nothing to be concerned about, and I was released. Between 3 p.m. April 28 and noon April 29 -- 21 hours -- my $60 doctor visit had erupted into $8,245.
Within 48 hours, the bills started arriving: $6,985, hospital bill; $495, Beeghly emergency room doctor; $240, cardiologist; $225, doctor doing rounds for my doctor. On top of that, $300 in family doctor office calls, blood work, first visit and follow-up visits.
As I explained, I had no insurance and a couple of doctors said they would discount some of the bill if I would pay it off in full. So I took out a loan, and paid about $1,000 in doctor bills. The hospital bill was adjusted according to my income, which fell below the poverty level. I was never so happy to be considered poor.
For a country as great as ours, isn't it a shame that this kind of thing can happen? How can a person with no insurance afford to get sick or go to the doctor?
The best answer I got for the problem that sent me to the doctor in the first place was & quot;stress. & quot; That would be funny if it weren't so sad. Stress. Is it any wonder?
JAN RUDZIK
Struthers
Valley AAA manager takesexception to Click & amp; Clack
EDITOR:
This letter is in response to Tom and Ray Migliozzi's syndicated Click & amp; Clack column "Who Can You Count on These Days?" published on June 29. While I greatly appreciate the complimentary comments regarding AAA Travel Services, I feel there needs to be some clarification regarding their comments about AAA Emergency Road Service.
The Magliozzis made quite a few assumptions throughout the column. They also spoke for garages nationwide regarding their feelings about AAA. In particular, they made a claim that many garage owners have concerns about AAA. While I hope this is not the case where they live in Massachusetts, I can certainly assure you that it is not the case here. AAA Ohio Motorists Association has long-standing, respectful associations with its garage owners and operators. We are partners in a professional relationship, committed to providing service to our members and the public.
I agree that there are days when bad weather and cold or hot temperatures can slow down our normally prompt service. Unfortunately, these slow downs exist with any provider, even the garages that do not provide AAA towing services. We are proud to say that our average road service delivery time between December 2002 through March 2003 was 34 minutes.
The second comment from Click & amp; Clack that needs correction is that the garages work for low fees and that drivers assist nonmembers prior to assisting members. Our garages make a commitment to assist our members at all times. Members can be assured that when they make a call to AAA, the fee that has been mutually agreed upon will be paid. There is no need for towing contractors to worry about bounced checks, canceled credit cards, etc. In fact, many garages assign specific drivers/trucks to our calls. AAA-contracted garage owners and operators are very savvy and would not enter into a business relationship that would put them at a financial disadvantage.
In spite of what Click and Clack may think, our research indicates that a vast majority of AAA's 46 million members are completely satisfied with the quality of our emergency road service.
DRU WININGS
Niles
XThe writer is district office manager, AAA Ohio Motorists Association, 937 Youngstown-Warren Road, Niles.
Abuse victim's story servesto help others to overcome
EDITOR:
Accolades goes out to The Vindicator and reporter John Goodwin Jr. for the inspiring story of Rochelle Copeland that was printed June 30, "Rising above life of drugs, prostitution.
When Rochelle stood before the audience to speak at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Social Hall, I could hardly believe my eyes. I thought the next time I saw her she would be dead. My eyes filled with tears as she spoke to the crowd about her drug addiction and her abusive relationships. I remember the first time I saw Rochelle and the horrible condition that she was living in. Rochelle's story is the kind of success and recovery that everyone involved in social services dreams of. She made this dream a reality for all of us.
After the ceremony, I had the opportunity to talk to many people from the various social agencies. Children Services, Judge Durkins's Drug Court, Sojourner House, Help Hot Line and Family Service Agency were just as overwhelmed as I was of knowing Rochelle and working with her. These are a few of the many agencies that provide resources and special services for victims and survivors of abuse.
I also had the pleasure of talking to Rochelle, giving her a big hug, and looking at the result of her determination to change. Her story is going to give a lot of women who read the article and may be struggling to overcome some type of addiction, the next big step toward their recovery. I know that if you walk into Youngstown Police Department Crisis Intervention Unit, you will see her story hanging on the wall. This is a positive reminder to abuse victims that you can change your destiny.
Det/Sgt. DELPHINE BALDWIN-CASEY
Youngstown Police Department
Crisis Intervention Unit