We’re now about a third of the way through our month of health coverage, and we’ve received many thoughtful submissions from our readers about their issues accessing medical care in Massachusetts. Here’s just a small sampling (with light editing for clarity): 

Last year we had an odd medical emergency. My wife’s 1800s heirloom engagement ring snapped, with the two broken edges digging deep into her finger. The care we got at Mount Auburn Hospital’s emergency room was excellent. The wait there before receiving care was ridiculous. While she was crying in pain, the finger changing color due to compromised circulation, we waited for nearly two hours and she was only seen after repeated pleas.  

– Todd from Lexington 

Getting satisfactory primary care has taken me about 15 months. Often there are no [primary care physicians] accepting new patients. Rheumatology was going to take the same in Western Massachusetts, so I’m driving to Newton.  

– Anonymous 

I like my PCP, but I believe he has something like 3,500 patients (possible?). It takes nearly forever to get an appointment; for example, at my last annual “Medicare” session, I booked the next one, and the first available date was a full 15 months in the future.  

– Thomas from Medford

As an acupuncturist at Boston Medical Center, I work in family medicine and in oncology clinics. Patients are very diverse and have varying economic backgrounds. I often hear that patients have difficulty affording their medications. For example, do they pay their rent, buy school clothes for their kids, or purchase their prescriptions? Or they may ration their prescriptions to make them last longer (e.g. cut pills in half or take medication every other day).

– Anonymous 

These experiences highlight some of the most common hurdles – wait times for appointments and cost ranking among the top concerns – Massachusetts residents face trying to access care. As we continue to work on stories about health care for the rest of the month, these issues will be at the forefront of our reporting. 

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to respond with your stories about navigating the health care system. If you haven’t yet written in, there’s still time. Simply click on the link below. 

– CommonWealth Beacon Staff 

Published by MassINC