Tony Titera, a 50-year-old resident of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, worked for years at a small company that didn't provide health insurance.
Even when the federal government began requiring small companies to offer a health insurance option, the policy available to Titera was too expensive and provided only minimal coverage.
Thus, despite working most of his life, Titera was financially unprepared for the health crisis that sent him reeling in December 2000.
"I was working that day," he recalls. "I knew something was wrong but I didn't know what. My first thought was a heart attack, but I didn't have any chest pain."
The next thing Titera knew, he collapsed face-down. His supervisor drove him to a nearby hospital where he was stabilized. Because he lacked insurance, the hospital suggested he transfer to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and apply for the state papers program (Iowa's Indigent Patient Care Program, which enables patients authorized by their county of residence to receive care at UI Hospitals and Clinics at no cost to them)."
Titera firmly believes he wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for the program. During a three-week stay, doctors not only treated Titera's heart attack but also diagnosed him with kidney failure and anemia related to diabetes.
"If they hadn't found those problems, I wouldn't be here today," Titera says. "Because of the state papers program, I got the same quality of care as anyone else. It didn't matter who I was. The doctors, nurses, social workers ... everyone was great."
Among those working on Titera's behalf was Patti Pavec, a case manager assigned to him under the Care Management Program at The University of Iowa. Pavic ensured that Titera was seen in the appropriate clinics in a timely way, assisted with arranging home care services, facilitated his application for disability, and ensured that he received dressing supplies after hospital discharge.
Titera still relies on the state papers program because his disabling health problems left him unable to work.
"While I'm still concerned about my personal health, at least I don't have to worry about recurring expenses or whether I can get the care I need," he says.
|
