The Agony of Unaffordable Care

As a high school intern shadowing doctors at a local hospital, I was eager to gain insights into the world of medicine. During my time there, I observed physicians saving lives, nurses providing compassionate care, and patients overcoming illness against all odds. However, one particular incident opened my eyes to the painful realities of our healthcare system.

I was speaking with an oncologist about a patient he was treating for late-stage lung cancer. The doctor explained how the patient was responding well to chemotherapy and radiation, but required an expensive immunotherapy drug to boost his chances of survival. However, due to the astronomical cost, the patient did not have health insurance coverage for the drug and could not afford to pay for it out of pocket.

Helplessly, I watched as the oncologist broke the news to his patient that he would be unable to receive the potentially life-saving treatment. The look of despair on the man’s face was heartbreaking. As I left the hospital that day, I couldn’t stop thinking about how morally wrong it was that this patient was denied a fighting chance simply because he couldn’t pay.

Witnessing this firsthand was a sobering wake-up call. It opened my eyes to the grim reality that affordable healthcare remains out of reach for far too many. I realized that profit-driven drug pricing practices are denying critical care and medications to vulnerable patients in dire need. This experience fueled my interest in healthcare policy reform. It inspired me to advocate for changes to lower costs and improve access. No one should be denied care or lose hope purely based on their ability to pay. As rising prices continue to threaten lives, we must address this injustice.