List date(s) this work was published or aired.
2/25/2012
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
I wrote a story about a man in our coverage area who lost his job and his insurance in the middle of receiving treatments for testicular cancer. He and his wife approached more than 100 charitable organizations and government agencies to try and find a source of continued care, receiving little bits of aid here and there (such as utilities assistance) but mostly being wait-listed because of the man’s age, prognosis, family status, etc. His story has a happy ending — right before our deadline, he learned that he would be able to receive charity care at a research hospital a few hours away — but illustrates the gaps in the charity-care system, and the hurdles seriously ill uninsured or underinsured people can face.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
N/A
Explain types of human sources used.
I spoke to the patient and his wife, and spoke with the executive director of an organization that provides care to uninsured people who are referred to them by community clinics, often after receiving a serious health diagnosis, about the difficulties patients can have getting care when so many forms of aid are earmarked for very specific populations.
Results:
The patient learned he was approved for expedited charity care shortly before our deadline. (I had contacted the hospital where he ended up receiving treatment, but don’t know whether my interest had an influence on their decision to treat him.) According to the blog he and his wife started to raise funds associated with other aspects of his illness (they both lost their jobs for missing too many days due to treatment), they are still struggling financially but the man I interviewed is officially in remission.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
N/A
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Mike, who I interviewed for this story, is actually a friend of a friend of mine. I found out what he was going through over a conversation at a bar, and asked our mutual friend to put us in touch. While there are (unfortunately) many stories about patients fighting to get the care they need, this one piqued my interest partly because it illustrated how complicated the system can be, and how the expenses associated with health care don’t stop with the hospital bill. I’m always asking friends for their health care stories, and then look for a way to place it in the big picture: what’s different about this patient’s case? Why is their story common?