With the number of people lacking medical insurance likely to keep skyrocketing now that companies are laying off employees by the thousands, I can't help but wonder whether the country's health will deteriorate as many put off seeing a doctor, or try to diagnose and treat themselves.
I started thinking about all this when a character on one of my favorite TV shows–”My Boys,” the TBS program about a female sportswriter and the guys she hangs with–lost his job as a radio disk jockey (the station went all-electronic, letting an I-Pod pretty much run the play list!), along with his health insurance. (COBRA was no doubt available, but the guy was virtually broke, so extension at his own expense wasn't an option.)
The character–Brendan–becomes increasingly ill with some mystery ailment. But rather than seek out a doctor, which he cannot afford, he keeps scanning the Web for a diagnosis that matches his symptoms.
The self-proclaimed “Dr. Brendo” proceeds to experiment with some of the wackiest treatments imaginable, yet keeps getting sicker by the day.
It was all very funny, I suppose, except that it really rings true. With the massive amount of medical information available over the Internet today, it wouldn't surprise me if more people believe they can manage their own medical care.
Unfortunately, the reality is that people, like Brendan, who self-diagnose and treat themselves, are playing a dangerous game. Too many people live in denial, and even when they see a clear symptom, might shrug it off as no big deal. And even if they do detect a real problem, if they act on their own, they risk a misdiagnosis, and could end up getting sicker, or at least extending their illness. In some cases, they could be seriously ill and not even know it–perhaps until it's too late to do anything about it.
With the number of uninsured likely to soar during the recession, the pressure will build for national health care legislation. The question is whether the insurance industry will be part of the problem or part of the solution.
What do you folks think?
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