Everyone wants the best drugs, he said. But who pays for it?
"People want the American system for free," he said.
Because of his hospitalization, his diabetes, and his low income, Izzy became eligible for medical assistance from the state for one year.
Taxpayers will pick up most of his hospital costs. The latest bill shows that Izzy owes $5,173.94. He was told that medical assistance would cover that too, but if it doesn't, he says, he'll pay a few dollars a week.
Medical assistance also enables Izzy to get the better insulin at a pharmacy, and to see the specialist, Popii, whom he met recently.
"She told me I need to see a dietitian," he said, "so she can help me out to count calories and teach me to balance out my food and medicine. That was quite helpful. And she gave me some extra medicines. It went well. It felt good. And I'm going to revisit. I have to do blood work, and she has to analyze."
Izzy must apply for medical assistance again next May. The university limits him to part-time hours at the garage, but he is hoping to get on full time, which would entitle him to health insurance.
That's a big reason why he stays.
Iyasu Habtemicael is an uninsured diabetic who missed an appointment at a free city clinic due to work. He couldn't get through to reschedule, and then gave up trying. A few months later, his blood sugar soared, and he spent five days in the ICU. Taxpayers covered most of the $41,000 bill. It all could have been avoided by easier access to care, said the nurse practitioner who treated him.
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