Invisible Voices

Full-time freelancer and St. Louis resident Ruth E. Thaler-Carter discusses her experiences with mobility issues.

1) Some background on you. Where are you from, and what is your profession?
I’m Ruth E. Thaler-Carter (pronounced Tahler). I’m from Rochester, New York. I lived in St. Louis several years ago; moved to DC, then to Baltimore; back to Rochester when my husband retired; and back to St. Louis in October 2018 after my husband died. I’m an editor, proofreader, writer, speaker, and full-time freelancer. I’ve been working in the industry since the ’70s, and I’m known as the queen of networking. My motto is “I can write about anything.” ®

2) Do you have a chronic illness or disability?
I have some mobility issues as far as getting up and down stairs — I saw an orthopedic surgeon a couple years ago and I have osteoarthritis. So far, that hasn’t required surgery. I have to be aware of that limitation, though. I live in a condo building with an elevator and the back entrance doesn’t have steps. I can navigate the building and still drive, but I’m aware that these things could get worse. I have a tentative appointment for April for a new assessment to make sure nothing urgent has evolved.

3) What are the biggest problems with your mobility issues?
The biggest issue in the last year or two has been going to the airport — I can’t run, or walk very fast or far. The distance to get from point A to point B is just too much, especially if there’s a time crunch, so I request a wheelchair. I would have either missed flights or been in serious discomfort if I didn’t have that option.

I feel very lucky, but that’s an issue in those environments. It makes me feel more disabled than I am. There are limitations that I have to be aware of.

4) How much did you travel in the past year?
Last year, I had about five trips: two personal — Atlanta and New Mexico to see friends and family, and San Francisco to handle an aunt’s estate, and the rest professional — I spoke at an editors’ conference in San Diego, a college media event in New York City, and a cat writers’ conference in Cleveland. I go to conferences if I’m speaking. When those opportunities come up, I really enjoy in-person events.

5) Was there ever a time when you had to forgo treatment because it wasn’t covered under insurance?
I’ve been very lucky. I’ve had a couple of major abdominal surgeries. The first time, I was covered by my husband’s insurance. I now have Medicare and a supplemental program. Sometimes it is covered, but you’re charged anyway and you have to fight it.

I have a friend whose husband has Alzheimer’s. He has Medicaid, but it doesn’t cover a high-quality care facility. To be in a decent facility, they’d have to pay out of pocket. For a couple years, I had to pay for my own health insurance. It was a substantial amount, and meant pinching pennies on other things, but a relief to know I was covered for emergencies.

In my presentations and articles about freelancing, I used to semi-joke that you need health insurance even if you’re young and healthy, because you never know: Anyone could step off the curb and be hit by a bus. Then a colleague in NYC actually was hit and killed by a bus, so I don’t treat that jokingly anymore. I’ve also done things like breaking my leg by tripping and falling during a leisurely walk, and tearing up my arm in falling on a stage during an event at my old high school, so again: You never know what could happen to cause the need for medical attention and insurance, no matter how young or healthy you might be.

6) What is your hope for the future of healthcare accessibility?
I am not optimistic about the current administration. I hope that more and more providers focus on making healthcare accessible, affordable, and safe, and that no one interferes with Medicare or Medicaid.

Providers should consider doing what they can do to protect people because healthcare should be a universal right. People don’t have to put off or totally avoid treatment because they’re worried about the cost. People can get wiped out financially from just one health issue.

Anything people can do to protect or improve their health is worth doing, and the sooner the better. If you’ve got good health, you have everything you need. Do everything you can to incorporate insurance into your budget, even if you’re very healthy or fit. Anything can happen, and very few people are aware of the cost of being treated for anything. We don’t think about it until we’re screwed.