The Narrative Matters section of Health Affairs publishes personal essays (literary nonfiction) based on firsthand encounters that have a health policy aspect. These "policy narratives" take a story (or anecdote) and grow it beyond one person to include a big-picture view of the subject. The purpose of the Narrative Matters section is to put a human face on the health policy discussions in the other parts of Health Affairs.

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To see a Narrative Matters essay, click its [PDF] or [Full Text] link.

November 2006

	Bleeding-Edge Benefits A physician learns that many graduate students--including his niece--are just one serious illness away from considering medical bankruptcy. Jay Himmelstein, November 1, 2006 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	Life And Death And Who’s Going To Pay After rushing a stranger to the emergency room, a health economist discovers that getting insurance information can trump getting emergency care. Philip Musgrove, November 1, 2006 [ Listen to the Author ] [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

September 2006

	Poked And Prodded Again And Again Working with standardized patients helps medical students become better doctors, but what is it like for the person introducing the students to real patients? Barbara Clark Ucko, September 1, 2006 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	My Mother, A Professional Patient When a physician's aging mother starts visiting lots of specialists and often being unsatisfied with the results, the son comes up with a clever, life-enhancing solution. Steven A. Wartman, September 1, 2006 [ Narrative Matters Essay On NPR ] [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

July 2006

	Going Blind On Our Watch Why doesn't the U.S. health system keep people with preventable disabilities--such as diabetes-related blindness--from becoming disabled? Toni Martin, July 1, 2006 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	HIPAA, TB, And Me After a mom goes head-to-head with a college health center that is intimidated by HIPAA, she researches the law and suggests what could make it more effective. Irene M. Wielawski, July 1, 2006 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

May 2006

	Doctoring Across The Language Divide Trained medical interpreters can be the key to communication between physicians and patients. Alice Chen, May 1, 2006 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	Innocence Abroad Sometimes immersion in a different culture isn't fully understood until long afterward. Jack Coulehan, May 1, 2006 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

March 2006

	Lydia’s Story New Orleans, Louisiana: During Hurricane Katrina Jan Brideau, March 1, 2006 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	Witness To Disaster Preface: The stories of those who offered medical care in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita bear witness to devastation and strength in American life. March 1, 2006 [ Updates and Photographs ] [ Table of Contents ] [ Submit an e-letter ] [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	On The Dock Of The Dome New Orleans: Wednesday, August 31 Frederick P Cerise, March 1, 2006 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	A Sense Of Duty Raymond, Mississippi: Wednesday, August 31 W Richard Boyte, March 1, 2006 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	Day Five New Orleans: Friday, September 2 Benjamin Springgate, March 1, 2006 [ Updates and Photographs ] [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	Parking Lot Triage New Orleans: Monday, September 5 Buck Taylor, March 1, 2006 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	The Nine O’Clock Meeting New Orleans: Sunday, September 4 Karen DeSalvo, James Moises, and Joseph Uddo, March 1, 2006 [ Updates and Photographs ] [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	Clinic Shift San Antonio, Texas: Monday, September 5, and Tuesday, September 6 Jan Evans Patterson, March 1, 2006 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	Shouldering The Task Southwestern Louisiana: Friday, September 9 Jason P Block, March 1, 2006 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	Comfort Story No. 2 Berthed in Pascagoula, Mississippi: Saturday, September 10 Julie Conlin, March 1, 2006 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	‘We Are Here To Help’: Comfort Story No. 1 Berthed in Pascagoula, Mississippi: Saturday, September 10 Dana Braner, March 1, 2006 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	Houston, We’ve Got A Problem Houston, Texas: Wednesday, September 21 George T Chuang, March 1, 2006 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	Comfort Story No. 3 Berthed in Pascagoula, Mississippi: Saturday, September 10 Scott Leckman, March 1, 2006 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	The Continuing Anguish Of A Lucky Evacuee Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Mid-October 2005 Janis van Meerveld, March 1, 2006 [ Updates and Photographs ] [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

January 2006

	‘Can You Prescribe Something?’ It's tough to convince family when exercise, not pills, is the medicine they need. Audrey Young, January 1, 2006 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]

	Bringing Vincent Home When the wife's developmentally disabled brother moves in, a couple discovers some realities of daily life in the U.S. social service system. Veronica P. Pollack and Harold A. Pollack, January 1, 2006 [ Full Text ] [ PDF ] [Reprints & Permissions]