MR MOORE SAVE ME

Michael Moore - save me

He's doing a documentary on HMO's. Here is my letter to Mr Moore.

Mr. Moore,

On February 2nd, 2005 I fell on a sheet of black ice that was in front of my building, after the landlord failed to salt the sidewalks. I broke myankle in 3 places and dislocated it. I was afraid to call the ambulance,because I was told that they charge you in New York City. So I called myboyfriend and he came down to get the car and carry me off the emergency room. Once we made it to Interfaith Hospital. I was helped immediately and all was well in the vicidin cured world. Then I began my treatment and it wasn't painful at first. They sent the insurance person to my home to help me sign up for Medicaid with the promise of signing me up to an HMO. Fastforward, 9 months later my insurance has been terminated, then re-instated, all the while, my ankle (which has hardware still in it) has healed, but my toes are not contractured due to the cast being put on improperly. But no one wants to admit it. The doctor that put it on refuses to admit it, he says, "nerve damage" but when i show it to others you can see the actual contracture in my foot. This disables me from wearing shoes and I now have an array of colorful foam slippers. Which sucks even moreso, as I am a performance poet. And walking on stage limping is quite a chore (not including standing up straight for 30 - 45minutes without wincing). I can't get anything on time, because once they start the process they stop almost immediately and say -- oh you have an HMO now? We have to start all over. It's so bad I am to the point where I am looking into paying out of my(lint-stricken) pockets and just going to Hospital of Joint Disease in Manhattan for a second (and third opinion). My rehab has been cut off since Thursday, as my new HMO assigned me a new doctor who will then have to give me a referral to continue the 9 month treatment. The phone number listed on my card for this "NEW" doctor remains unanswered. The phone number to my HMO rings without a human person picking up (damn Americhoice) and my toes are still curled.

part III

Went to the dentist. A huge part of my filling fell off in mid-bite. The dentist says my insurance will only cover me getting it extracted - though another dentist warned me to just have it fixed, as it will impair myeating habits immensely. This dentist agreed it will be hard - but my insurance refuses to cover the root canal and bridgework that needs to bedone. I walk out after they tell me it will cost $1500 (not before Iapplied and was denied for a DENTAL LOAN). A month later, I am touringEurope and the UK. Within a couple of days I am in more pain than I have every felt in my life (this includes the ankle surgery and childbirth).The right side of my face is swollen and tender and aching and pulsing andI don't sleep for 2 days before I make it to an emergency room at theSeven Sisters Tube Station. They treat me half way. Remove the infection from my gums, a partial root canal (it's a student hospital) and a temporary filling until I make it back home to the States.Couple of weeks later, my dentist assistant tells me that they won't seeme because of partial work and I have to go back to whomever helped me initially. That was a month ago, and believe me, the temporary filling isstarting to chip.

Painfully,

MoBrowne