Uninsured often caught in middle

Cheri Little describes herself as “a ticking time bomb.”

That’s because in February, Little, 41, survived a series of strokes and blood clots in her brain. Even worse, less than a week before, Little’s health insurance was terminated.

“I was hospitalized thinking I was covered by the state,” the Snohomish County resident said. “I was cut off and didn’t know and I didn’t know why.”

Little has to undergo further testing, take medications and wear a heart monitor. But the $10,000 machine is out of her price range, and medications are too, even with a discount from her pharmacy. She has a degree from Everett Community College and is grateful for the job she could find at a thrift store. But it’s not enough.

“I’m so scared it will happen again,” she said. “It seems like I need another stroke to debilitate me before they’ll help.”

Little is in a gray area. She doesn’t qualify for state aid because she earns too much money, but she doesn’t make enough to cover her medical expenses alone and support her family.

“It’s very frustrating and very scary,” she said. “I have kids; it’s too soon to say ‘goodbye.’”

Stuck in the middle

Little’s situation is an example of a national trend.

The number of Americans without health insurance rose to 49.9 million in 2010, up from 49 million the year before, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The majority of the uninsured in 2010 was represented by three groups: foreign-born residents who aren’t U.S. citizens, adults ages 19 to 25 and low-income families with yearly income of less than $25,000. Losing employer-provided coverage as a result of unemployment and employers cutting back on benefits contribute to the rise in uninsured rates, according to CNN.com.

In the past, it was typical for the homeless and people who experienced a series of bad luck to be uninsured, said Dan Dixon, vice president of external affairs at Swedish/Edmonds.

Now the norm is for the middle class to be grossly underinsured or uninsured, Dixon said.

“It all revolves around cost,” he said.

Employers are reducing benefits and dramatically increasing copays.

“There’s a continued disparity between the very rich and the very poor that puts pressure on many systems,” Dixon said. “We’re in nothing short of a crisis in health care for people to get the care they need.”

Help is available

But that doesn’t mean people will be turned away.

Swedish/Edmonds strives to help patients get access to primary care so they can treat ailments before their condition worsens, rather than relying on getting care in the emergency room, where costs are higher.

“Community health clinics are on the front line,” Dixon said.

Swedish/Edmonds offers its own community clinics in Seattle.

Locally, Snohomish Health District has a community clinic in Lynnwood, at 6101 200th St. SW. Community Health Center of Snohomish County has locations in Lynnwood (4111 194th St. SW) and, as of last year, Edmonds (21701 76th Ave. W).

Low-income children across the state receive free dental care through the SmileMobile, a program funded by the Washington Dental Service Foundation. The program targets low-income areas with the least access to dental care and connects with the community and schools, clinic manager Rhonda Mannen said.

There is even help for patients seeking natural medicine.

Bastyr University opened a naturopathic clinic Tuesdays at the Edmonds Senior Center, 220 Railroad Ave., at the beginning of the year. The clinic is led by a faculty member and three to four student clinicians.

“Part of the reason we got involved is because Medicare doesn’t cover naturopathic medicine,” said Farrell Fleming, executive director of the Edmonds Senior Center.

The senior center charges a $15 admittance fee for patients, but the fee can be waived if there is a hardship. Bastyr offers its medical services for free. There is no age limit for patients.