A Little Compassion Goes a Long Way
Lydia is a returning Young & Healthy client. We assisted her some time ago with obtaining health insurance for herself and her kids through Covered CA. More recently, however, Lydia’s income decreased, which made her eligible for Medi-Cal coverage. In working with Lydia to make the switch to Medi-Cal, we got to the point where it was going to be necessary to call the county to evaluate her case. Our case manager offered to make the call with Lydia, but she said her schedule was too unpredictable, so she would try to call on her own. She was given instructions on how to call and what to say, but when our case manager recently wrote to her to check-in and follow-up, Lydia said,
“I’m sorry. It’s been at the top of my list since we last talked about it but I just haven’t been able to make myself do it. I get so frustrated and feel so helpless and belittled by the social services system that I’m avoiding the task. I know I am being cowardly, but I think maybe we should call together. That would help me.”
Our case manager responded to Lydia saying that she should absolutely not feel bad and that THIS is why Young & Healthy is here! This Young & Healthy service was more than just a call to the county to get insurance coverage straightened out. It resulted in helping someone feel like they have a team behind them. The Young & Healthy team works hard to assist clients with access to healthcare, while also offering patience, compassion and a sense of dignity.
