Tossed overboard by the healthcare system

I have no intention of using the platform of the Breakaway manager’s blog to opine on my political views. My views are clear and out there for anyone to see but this is not the place for them. Nevertheless two recent incidents with couriers who had health issues outside of work provide clear examples of the inherent deficiencies of our present healthcare system. By highlighting them I seek to illuminate some fundamental problems facing the “hipster” generation now coming of age, a portion of which moves through Breakaway as a stopover towards adulthood. 

Case study 1

Messenger X is in his early 30s and has worked at Breakaway as a bike courier for 18 months. He fits the classic “hipster” profile of an elongated proto-adult stage that now seems to last from age 20-30. He has an NYU degree and is very smart and personable. He has spent the last year working two messenger jobs; besides Breakaway he has a late night cookie delivery job servicing addled college students. He has almost paid off his debt and gotten back on his feet. He seemed to be making a transition to a new stage in life.

A couple of weeks ago while walking on the upper west side a cab hit the gas to make a light and knocked him to the ground. It happened quickly and the cab just took off. Messenger X got up and tried to shake it off although he had some aches and bad bruises. Due to his lack of any healthcare he did not go to a doctor. Within a few days the pain and discomfort he felt breathing had worsened and the injury he assumed to be cracked ribs had progressed to the point that he could not get out of bed. At this point his friends dragged him to the emergency room and he was diagnosed with a collapsed lung. The cracked rib had punctured his lung as he tossed and turned at night with pain. He was in the hospital for 3 days. Two weeks later he has made a seemingly full recovery. He is also back in serious debt and trying to work out a payment plan with the hospital.

Case study 2

Messenger Z has worked as a bike courier for Breakaway for just the last two months. She is in her late 20s and has worked as a courier for other companies and in other cities. She has college experience but has not graduated yet. She is has a few tattoos and is into the messenger culture scene. She is very bright and a lot of fun. She sews and makes her own interesting messenger clothing and is a very hard working courier.

A couple of weeks ago she started missing work due to illness. After being out a few days we then heard that she had ended up in the hospital. Just yesterday she stopped in and gave me the full story. Two months ago she had what she self-diagnosed as a UTI (urinary tract infection), but since she has no healthcare coverage she did not see a doctor and just tried to wait it out. A few weeks later she started having bad flu like symptoms every few days which resulted in her missing work. She started feeling these symptoms more often but tried to keep working by taking 8-10 tylenol everyday and riding through the pain. Like messenger X her friends were alarmed by how sick she was and took her to the emergency room. It turns out that what was originally just a UTI had morphed through lack of treatment into a serious kidney infection. After 5 days in the hospital and a series of antibiotics she is making a recovery. The doctors told her she was very lucky and if she had waited a few more days it could have been very serious. Unfortunately, messenger Z is now like messenger X saddled with a large hospital bill she cannot pay off anytime soon.

Conclusions

Breakaway Courier does provide healthcare to full-time couriers who have worked at least six months. We offset around 50% of the weekly cost to those who qualify and sign up. It is very difficult to make young people do something for their long term health that cost them $40-$50 a week when they tend to not get sick very often. Consequently very few couriers take advantage of our offer. The cost to Breakaway for the health problems of messengers X and Z are almost nonexistent. The cost to society in general is steep as it is very likely that taxpayers will end up paying hospital bills for two people who if they had reasonable healthcare options in the first place would have seen doctors sooner and not ended up in the hospital at all. What is costing us more? 

Andrew Young 

General Manager