0 Are You One of Those Facing Medical Barriers?

Pilio, who is in his mid 50’s and lives in Denver, was injured on the job some years ago, and has not been able to work since. He took pride in his job, and has had to make the mental transition that life as he knew it, has changed. Like most of us, he never imagined he would be in this situation. But, every day in America, 12 people go to work and never come home. According to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and the Workers’ Compensation Division, each year, 3.3 million people suffer a workplace injury from which they may never recover. Pilio is one of the numbers in these statistics.

Because Pilio was injured on the job, he is insured through workers’ compensation. Therefore, all his medical matters are under the coverage of this particular service. Workers like Pilio have to undergo an intricate process and a lot of red tape in order to obtain benefits after suffering an accident at work. The process can be tedious, long, and sometimes very difficult.

To avoid the red tape, Pilio attended a 9Health Fair this past fall to check on his health. He monitored his cholesterol levels at the fair because he suspected they were very high. At 9Health Fair, he continues to monitor his cholesterol levels, and every day he works at eating healthier, walking intensively and keeping a positive attitude.

9Health Fair provided Pilio with an opportunity for access to health, and the ability to side step the cumbersome red tape. You should be able to get the care you need to stay healthy and see a doctor when you need to without unpredictable costs and other barriers. Your voice matters, because decisions about your health are too important to be left solely to others. Working together, we can move Colorado closer to that common-sense goal.  Do you think workers’ compensation is too burdensome? What if you weren’t able to work like Pilio? Share your opinions with us on Facebook.

9Health Fair is coming up in April this year with the traditional 9 days from April 21-29, and fairs starting as early as March and going as late as May. Go to 9healthfair.org/findafair for specific dates and locations.