CIR V.P. Testifies At Governor's Healthcare Hearing

Speaking Up for Access in New York State

 

With close to 2.5 million New Yorkers uninsured, despite spending more than per capita on health care than any other state in the nation, New York’s Governor Eliot Spitzer convened public hearings to gather data and input on how best to reform NY’s healthcare system, with the goal of ensuring access to all.

CIR NY Vice Pres. Karen Morice, MD, a PM&R resident at St. Vincent’s Hospital-Manhattan, took the opportunity to testify on November 2, 2007, and share her  knowledge of what goes wrong for patients with Medicaid and Medicare, patients with no insurance, and even residents and attending physicians who need to access their healthcare coverage.

“An elderly patient with multiple medical problems is covered by Medicare, but although she has a prescription plan, because of the number of medications she needs and the fixed income she lives on, she can’t afford many of her medications… Whenever she comes in, the doctor gives her free samples of whatever medication is on hand. When she comes back for her regular appointment, she has run out of free samples, her blood pressure is in the 200s, and her sugars are also through the roof.  She gets whatever free samples they have, which are once again different medications, and now she is confused about what she’s supposed to take, and what the dosage is,” Dr. Morice said.

In her conclusion, Dr. Morice said that, “Our goal is to expand access to care, and every step in the right direction, that gets more people covered, is the direction we want to go.  Personally, I like the idea of Medicare for All…I think it could provide a good model for how to go about expanding coverage.”