If you’re chronically ill, you already know the truth: our healthcare “system” isn’t a system at all. It’s a scam. A relentless, profit-hungry machine that asks for more and more while giving less than what we need.
Prior authorizations, referrals, endless waitlists — navigating it is basically a full-time job. A job that no one gets paid for, that no one asked for, and that eats up your energy while you’re already exhausted from just trying to survive your illness.
I can’t even begin to tally the hundreds of hours I’ve spent on the phone with insurance companies. Hours spent trying to figure out why a medication wasn’t filled, why something was denied, or why approval seems to hinge on some arbitrary decision made by someone who doesn’t know me, my body, or my life. It’s obscene. Truly.
Here’s the kicker: even when my doctor prescribes what I need — something carefully considered and necessary — my insurance company can deny it as if they know better than the medical professional who actually sees me and treats me. I once waited nine months for a medication.
Nine months.
Let that sink in.
Meanwhile, social media scrolls by: celebrities posting about stem cell trials, IV hydration after one too many vodka sodas, wellness retreats where they spend the day in hot tubs, getting massages, and eating organic fruit. And here we are, dreaming of something far simpler: our prescriptions being filled on time, our medications being approved, our doctors’ instructions being followed.
The truth is stark and frustrating: the healthcare system in this country was not built for the chronically ill. It wasn’t designed to help us manage daily life, to prevent crises, or to treat our bodies with the dignity and care we deserve.
And yet, somehow, we keep going. Fighting the system, proving our symptoms, and surviving a bureaucracy that seems designed to make us fail. It’s exhausting, unfair, and ridiculous — and it shouldn’t be our responsibility to jump through hoops just to live.
Call to Action :
If you’ve felt this same frustration, share your story. Write to your representatives. Support organizations fighting for better chronic illness care. Advocate for yourself, and for those who can’t. Because change won’t come if we stay silent — and no one should have to fight this hard just to survive the system that’s supposed to help.
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