Health care might ideally be a basic right, but many people struggle with the same aspect of care – the cost. Insurance on the front end of any accident, injury, or illness is often very costly. However, those costs pale in comparison to the prices charged to visit a doctor in search of treatment. Exorbitant pricing alone has scared many potential patients away from seeking treatment for serious ailments. And that’s the dark side of health care – that the needy often don’t get any, while those who can afford to do so will visit a doctor simply because they’ve got a common cold.
Without insurance to cover inpatient screenings for health checkups, as well as a possible extended stay in rehab, it can be extremely costly to ‘get cleaned up.’ Even with nearly unlimited funding, it’s a difficult mental struggle for most people to come to terms with their addictions. But it really does come back to funding. Without it, most addicts find that it’s easiest to just continue along in their self-destructive ways. Mention a recovery program to someone who has a chronic drug abuse problem, and they’ll laugh at you.
Why? Not because they can’t envision living a clean, substance-free life. In fact, most addicts dream of just that. But the laughter is mirthful, as they know that it takes a business-like investment of cash plunked down to hire the specialists who can help make treatment effective. While groups like AA are free, they’re less able to help someone cope with the first stages of recovery which often involve strong physical reactions. It’s here that doctors and their expertise are necessary.
