We're not alone in putting off health decisions
Voices of people who have something to say about our health care system.
Status quo bias is a very human preference for things to stay exactly as they are. You probably like taking the exact same route to work. You probably like getting a specific brand of coffee. I had kept the same primary care doctor for a long time, even when I was slightly above age for a pediatrician (maybe more than slightly). We may default to keeping things as they are (even if it’s not good for us) simply because making a decision feels too overwhelming.
My mother and I have been having conversations about going to the doctor. She has noticed slight hearing loss, and indeed, while getting a free check-up for hearing at Costco, the person taking her exam confirmed that she was losing her hearing. I need to make an appointment she would say. I too, would pass by the living room and mutter, I need to book an appointment with the doctor and dentist, too. But chores would need to be done, work would come up, and we often put it off. Making a change: which health care plan you’re enrolled in, which health care provider you’re seeing, or setting up an appointment, for example, can sometimes be difficult while going against the status quo, no matter how much we know exactly how important it is.
As I’m figuring out appointments and scheduling with my mother, I’m also reading and going through these resources, which can hopefully remind all of us, that we’re not alone in feeling the complexities of health decision-making:
Readings and Resources:
Where It Hurts Podcast: It Is What It Is — Chapter 1. “I don’t understand how they can just so blatantly close the hospital. I mean, I understand dollars and cents. But at the same token, where’s the humanity? You know, what are people like us supposed to do?”
Debt, Crowdfunding, or Death. “Medical costs are the largest contributor to personal debt in the US, surpassing all other debt in collections combined.”
America’s Best-Selling Drug Finally Goes Generic. “After 20 years and $200 billion in revenue, Humira — an injectable treatment for autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis — is losing its monopoly…'It’s about time!’ said Sameer Awsare with a laugh and a smile.”
In Your Words: Health Care Is Too Expensive And Confusing
"A lot of you mentioned high, rising or unaffordable healthcare costs. You wish it was easier to shop around for medical care and compare prices.”
Survey: Americans Agree Health Care System Needs Fixing
“I really feel like the greed of these insurance companies is costing lives,” [Wideman] says. “People should not be dying for corporate profit.”
“I think too many legislators have their hands in the pockets of the pharmaceutical companies,” Awrey says. “And I think they’re more interested in lining their pockets than supporting their voting public.”
America’s Hidden Common Ground on Improving Health Care
“The system works to some degree. But the system picks and chooses who it works for. I thought at one point that I had very good health care. But the rug gets pulled out from under you and then you’re struggling.”
“People are tied to jobs they can’t leave. They can’t divorce. If someone is diagnosed with a condition, then a pre-existing condition will prevent them from being covered in the future. I think there should be some basic level of health care provided to everybody regardless of employment. Because you can easily become unemployed.”
Together, these expressions of dissatisfaction are not alone—they’re a collective voice.
If you’re interested in seeing or learning more about the health care system, check out this event in DC! It’s the premiere of American Hospitals: Healing a Broken System from Fix It Healthcare Films.
If you’re also planning on being there, feel free to drop a mail.