As a nurse and educator I am among the recession proof job holders in this rocky economy. Most of you are, too, (or are working towards joining the rest of us soon).
But we also know someone who has lost their job or is worried they will. Losing a job and the regular paycheck it promised is bad enough, but the loss of a health insurance safety net can be catastrophic. Many people may choose to go without insurance at all.
Few Options for Uninsured
This article outlines some of the limited options for the uninsured. These options include seeking coverage under a spouse’s plan, extending their existing coverage under a COBRA plan, and seeking state assistance programs like SCHIP. Sometimes those options are not open to the person or are simply too expensive.
The challenges for many of our patients are only going to get worse over the next year to year and a half. We, as nurses and nursing students, must commit ourselves doubly to helping our patients find the resources they need and find the best options for their particular circumstances.
Build An Uninsured Intervention Team
Here are some ideas for you to keep in mind. Put together a team approach as soon as you identify an at risk patient. If the patient is in a facility and will soon be discharged, contact your social worker to get them on board right away.
Make sure they have adequate time with OT and PT since they may not be able to afford home or follow up care in an outpatient venue. Evaluate the patient’s understanding of the instructions and get the physical or occupational therapist to also get the instructions to you so that you can follow up with the patient, too.
What other suggestions can you come up with to assist with the care of an uninsured patient? Who else might you include in the planning for these patients? Share your thoughts using the comments link below or email me at Comments@NursingShow.com.
