Health Care and You, Debate
I’ve been looking at this health care debate for quite some months now. Actually, for years now.
See, I have a chronic illness. I was not always covered by insurance. I was when I was first diagnosed. Thank goodness that was “back in the day” when my father’s company covered me, before the existence of “pre-existing conditions” and HMOs and all such other things the health care “industry” (and make no mistake, it is an industry to separate us from our hard earned money) came up with in the guise of “lowing costs.”
But once I got out on my own, not so much. Ok, my first job in a factory actually covered me, that was still “back in the day.” Once I got married, I had to wait a year without seeing a doctor before they would pay for my medical care.
Guess what? Costs didn’t get lower. They’ve only gotten higher. Now, I wouldn’t be able to get coverage at all because of my pre-existing condition. Health care premiums have gotten higher. Do you know that people (who don’t have employer based health care because those premiums rose too high for them to pay) have been paying out their hard earned money for $600-$1000 month premiums with $10,000-$20,000 deductibles are actually getting turned down?
Now in all fairness, we can blame part of this on the doctors. They were shown the golden cow. My fellow goddess and I have seen how this works from the other side. Insurance companies used to pay for such expenditures and doctors took advantage. But now, the shoe is on the other foot. And doctors need those insurance companies to pay for what they deem are needed expenses. But when a child cries “Wolf!” who will believe him? Now health care has become a game of chicken, at the consumers’ expense.
When I worked as a nurse, insurance companies were already dictating care. I forgot that term, DRGs, I think. Insurance companies were already telling hospitals how long a patient could stay per a certain condition or procedure. Well, as a nurse, I’m here to tell you that while there are some constants in medical issues, it is still purely individual. After all, generalities sound nice, but they are just that, generalities. And a lot of people can’t be classified within those generalities.
What we ended up with was a snowball effect. Specialists were called in to diagnose a patient with something else so the patient could remain to get over his initial diagnoses/illness.
And let’s look at my fellow Goddess, Annetta. Guest what folks? She didn’t have insurance. Guess what that is going to cost her in the long run? That was fairly minor considering she didn’t have cancer. It’s still going to cost her for a long time.
I had a patient with Hepititis C. The doctor came in and told us, “Convince the parents to make him a no-code” Which means we wouldn’t do CPR or anything to save him. We’d just let him go. Do you know what the doctor’s reasoning for this was? He has no insurance that will pay for a transplant and the family doesn’t have the $200,000 that will afford him a transplant (that was 15 years ago, so you know a transplant cost more than that now.)
We had to convince a boy’s parents to let their son die because they couldn’t afford it. And yet we convince parents to send their boys to Iraq. What kind of irony is that? We send a boy with a wife and kids to Iraq so he can get health insurance?
Insurance companies should not tell doctors, nurses or the general public what services they can and can’t have based on their assessment. Most of the time, and believe me, my sister in law worked for such a place, those people have no medical background whatsoever. It’s just a bunch of people working for $10 an hour being told what to deny…which is usually everything.
I don’t care if I need apatrim, valium, barium, no insurance company needs to tell me or my doctor what I do or don’t need.
The argument is that we don’t need government in our health care, but honestly, I’ve had two government plans in my health care, and I haven’t had much problems with them.
Please, write your congressmen and tell them to get us a decent health care option. Not the MA bs where they promise low costs but actually haven’t delivered and then penalize folks for not being able to afford their high-cost alternatives.
And btw, your own congressmen enjoy a nice, government paid “socialize” health care benefit (which they have conveniently excluded government officials in their proposed plan.) Plus, they enjoy the added “campaign dollars” from your friendly health care lobbyists—I think that’s another debate completely.
This is not a bi-partisan issue; this is an American issue that is sucking us down. Who wants to be on the right side of history?
The health care system in the U.S.is absolutely mind boggling.I have a condition which,in the opinion of my specialist(a renown professor in his field)deems me unsuitable for employment.To this end,he and my general doctor had to fill out some forms.The result is that I am now the recipient of a “disability payment” paid into my account each fortnight.Visit to the doctor:$ZERO.Prescriptions..$5.20(and one of my medications has a list price of$107.00 and another $84.00)If I colapse and need an ambulance,that is free.Visit to hospital for day surgery $ZERO.I also receive discounts on electricity/gas/council rates and phone costs.I get a substantial”winter heating” payment.As my sister needs to drive me to appointments,shopping etc,she gets a “care assistant” payment,which is more than enough to cover her costs and time.So,if that is socialised medicine,I say bring it on.It means that people with ongoing medical problems are kept well,safe,and with undue financial burdens.As a taxpayer for many year,my taxes helped support people like me.I think I would rather describe it as a fair and caring attitude.
Wow, I’m guessing you’re in UK (or maybe Canada…fortnight makes me think UK) I’m on disability (have been for years)but I still have to pay 20% of the bill. Even if I get, what we call, supplemental insurance, which here in FL the state pays for, I still have $15-30 copay for doctors’ visits, ER visits are $50, hospital stays are $150 as the deductible. And I have a $150-200 deductible every year that I have to meet before Medicare kicks in. I have to pay a small fee for my ‘scripts and after I’ve used $2500 on ‘scripts I have to pay out of pocket $2500 more before the government again starts to pick up the tab (we can thank Bush for this “trigger” Medicare prescription plan) Still, Medicare is one of the “socialized” medical systems I’ve experienced that is far better than the for profit system. Especially as a nurse, how people can profit off of dying and death is beyond me.
People are so stupid about this. And, you know, there are folks here that say “I’ve got my insurance, why should I pay for someone else’s care?” They don’t realize every time someone visits an ER, they are already paying for someone else’s care.
Besides Michael Moore’s Sicko…here’s a good take on our health care system (and MA’s good intentioned but not so good attempt at it)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundamerica/view/
And Bill Moyers recent show on this.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/healthcare/index.html
We’re in a pickle here.
Thanks for your comment!
lala
Hello again.I am the Sparrow from Australia,the one with the ti-tree in the garden.Iread several international papers each day(NY times.Wash.Post,TimesUK.etc)as well as listen to quite a bit of the bbc world service.So,like others in western countries we are pretty much au fait with the U.S. system.Everytime some politician even thinks about introducing changes,there is a collective groan,oh please don’t go the American route.Our system is not perfect.What i didnt mention yesterday is that I take out supplementary insurance to cover glasses,dental etc.(dental care is soooo expensive)My parents,who are in their early eighties have numerous medicines..arthritis,blood pressure,diabetes etc.I can’t remember the exact details,but when they reach a certain number or $$ amount,the rest of the year is free.Again they pay $5.60 for each script,but by about July,they reach this level,so don’t pay anything until the following year.For non urgent surgey,I have to wait or use my insurance.This happened a few months ago,where I chose to go in straight away. So,6 days after seeing the surgeon i was operated on at a total out of pocket expense of $50.Lots of elderly and infirm folks get home help.My neighbour has a nurse come every day to wash,dress her etc.She has a home helper who comes 3 times a week to wash,iron,clean,do the floors or whatever else is required.I am the Sparrow who’s neice was recently diagnosed with Crohns.Each of her doctor visits are free,and her medicines are also only $5.60.Gee,I have waffled on a bit,haven’t I? Anyway,if you now feel like emigrating,the place down the road is for sale LOL.As you can imagine,I never thought I would get sick(and sure as hell didn’t want to)But I am damn glad I have not had to go bankrupt in order to get treatment….Keep well..xxxx Best wishes.
Hi Sparrow,
I’m Goddess #2 (or 1, depending, heh) and I’m the one that just got out of the hospital. It was my greatest nightmare come to life — I have no insurance, no disability, no nothing. I’ll most likely be in debt the rest of my life from this, and I’m still young. Well, relatively young. Okay, so I’m not so young but you know what I mean.
The health care in this country is an embarrassment. Shameful, actually. It’s all so political, and fueled by nothing more than greed. The insurance and pharmaceutical are among the most powerful in Washington. The best I can say is at least we’re serving the world as a good bad example.
Girl, emigration never sounded so good. And you as a next door neighbor?? SO TEMPTING!
*hugs*
Okay,I am off to buy a lottery ticket tomorrow,and when I win squillions$$$$$$$$$ I will pay your medical bills.Sound like a good idea?? Let’s keep our fingers crossed. HaHa.