Guaranteed Healthcare

In November 2006, after lying in bed with undiagnosable flu-like sypmtoms (and incurring $3K+ in bills while trying to find out was wrong), I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Later I would find out that I had the Philadelphia Chromosome, which makes for an even worse diagnosis.

The social worker at the diagnosing hosptial went right to work to get me approved for Medi-cal. Apparently, you only get instant approval if you are blind,severaly disabled or have AIDS. It didn't matter that I was dying. It didn't matter that I was clearly eligible. I provided everything required of me immediately (literally within the first week of my hospital stay), and my social worker and I followed up constantly.

For months, there was still little response from the government agencies in charge. The worker assigned to me wouldn't return my calls even when she told me that she would! She treated my kind and seasoned social worker the same way. I actually went down to this office and stood at their reception desk when I was gravely ill (wearing my large protective germ mask, bald, sick, and trying not to throw up) until she FINALLY came out to talk to me. The receptionist tried to get rid of me several times. They sent out other workers and tried to persuade me to just leave a note. I refused this and held my ground.

I waited for two hours standing up so I would not get germs from the filthy chairs in the waiting area (my immune system was completely destroyed). When she came out to speak with me, she made promises she did not keep. I never received any phone calls from her and she still would not return my calls. She could not answer many of my questions. I was dying and it didn't matter. She told me the state could take up to a year just to decide whether or not I was eligible!

The only reason why I received treatment from the hospital was because my brilliant social worker convinced them to treat me without insurance. She also sent a letter to the state to tell them how desperate my situation was. I remember her saying, "I don't mean to frighten you, but I did make it very clear to them that if they don't approve you soon, you will die". Of course I was frightened (not to mention furious)! I also had a very kind doctor who at one point said to me, "We're just not going to worry about that right now... you just focus on getting better". He treated me when I wasn't approved yet and ultimately risked his job.

There were still several procedures that were delayed because we could not find a way to "get past the red tape". My friends and family started to devise plans to raise money for my care (everything from benefit concerts from my friends in the music business to asking for donations from friends to getting loans).

I was born and raised in California. I am an honest, law-abiding individual. I'm relatively intelligent and have spent my life volunteering to help people and animals in need. I got my first work permit when I was 15 years old. I have been working and paying taxes since that time. I have never, ever tried to take advantage of any government system. I was not claiming disability or Medi-cal because I fell off a jet-ski while vacationing and decided to attempt to milk the system. I was 30 years old, single, living honestly without any health care coverage and I got very sick. When I turned to the state I've actively contributed to for 15+ years, I was ignored and treated with suspicion, and that's just the tip of he iceberg.