Words

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Thursday, September 24, 2009

For Those of Us Without

Hi, my name is Jamie, and I am uninsured.

Oh, wait...this blog spot is not anonymous. But it feels like being uninsured is a nasty, dirty, little secret to be kept mum about, just like alcoholism, drug addiction, or gambling. That it is something one should only talk about in a small anonymous group of people. Grown people act shocked when they hear this news. Parents scold. People question.

Are you serious? Have you checked the cost of private insurance lately? How about Cobra coverage, it's more than I pay out in rent each month, for fucks sake. How is anyone who is working for a business that does not provide health insurance able to afford it? I am currently a waitress who is paying for my own very expensive education. I'm sorry but there is not an extra $300 a month in my budget for insurance. That's just the way it is right now.

Recently, I overheard four men who were truckers talking about this very thing. One of them mentioned he paid some $750 plus dollars a month to keep his family of four insured. First off, kudos to him for taking care of his wife and children in that manner. Secondly, are you kidding me? OMG. He didn't know I was listening, but I wanted to go over and pat him on the back. This having much to do with once being married to someone who resented having to put me on his health insurance at work. I could imagine the sacrifice and discipline it took pay for the coverage.

Now, I'm not going to launch into a great debate on this whole heath care dilemma of the moment. I actually do not know if President Obama has the answer, but I do know we need a different way of doing things. Let's say I whole heartedly agree with Dr.Grumpy , one of my favorite bloggers and neurologists. He has a very valid point...so please read it and come back to me. I have a pleasant medical surprise to share.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not to get insanely into this debate, but I was furtunate enough to have great insurance last spring when I had to have my surgery. I do play plenty out of pocket each month for the best coverage for Savannah and myself (close to 400 now)....I did not have to pay a penny over my deductable for my surgery. I also didn't have any fights with the insurance company - it was the most pleasant experience. I wasn't insured for awhile back when I was in school, but did have Healthy Families for Savannah. It's tough...but what I have now is great and I am scared to death to lose it!

WordyGrrl said...

Some form of national health care/insurance is absolutely essential for the US, and the more I ponder the issue, the more it makes sense (on a personal and national level). With a national system in place:

Businesses do not have to pay for insurance for their employees, and can invest that money in their business.

You will have one "insurer" with consistent policies for your entire life, instead of changing companies and policies every time you change jobs.

Because you're a "client for life", that "insurer" has a vested interest in keeping you healthy -- not just patching you up as cheaply as possible.

By insuring (or caring for) every citizen, the government will be able to amass a TON of medical data that might be very helpful in research and development. Additionally, the shared info can help streamline the effectiveness of treatment options and procedures.

I'm currently uninsured, and my "heath options" are limited to bandaids and hydrogen peroxide. Should I break a leg, my best option would be to ask a close family member to take out an insurance policy on me. At which point, I'd start driving recklessly down lonely country roads in hopes of a payoff big enough that my family member could bury me AND pay off the medical bills for that broken leg.