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A Good Case for Universal Healthcare
I draw a modest income with my media production business, but being self-employed makes health insurance damn near impossible to afford. Hell, with the way self-employment taxes are set up, we're lucky to be able to pay those.
Because of this catch-22 (running your own business at the expense of normal company perks like medical care), I find myself thinking things that no one in an emergency should have to deal with. You see, at a Mother's Day barbecue last month, my son accidentally lit himself on fire. The barbecue was luau themed and he was wearing a grass skirt. Getting too close to an open flame with all of that dead grass and he was quickly running in circles in the backyard trying to put himself out before family members came to his aid.
My first thought (other than, "Jesus, he's on fire!") was, "Is this bad enough to need an emergency room visit?"
As soon as I got close enough to see that the skin on his hands and legs was bubbled over and charred, I realized that it was, indeed, bad enough to need a visit.
My second thought was, "But how will I pay for it?"
It's sad and disgusting to me that these things were forced to enter my mind when my only thought should have been getting my son immediately to the hospital. Fortunately, these questions were but split seconds in my judgment and we were in the car racing to the hospital in minutes.
The local emergency room didn't have the facilities to deal with burns as extensive and deep as my sons were, so we were quickly ambulanced to a facility at the University of Utah renowned for it's Burn Trauma Intensive Care Unit. (40 mile ambulance ride? $2,000)
When we got there, the doctors went to work, cutting his blisters off, treating his wounds and making assessments about the possibility of skin grafting. He had 2nd degree burns over 10% of his body and a few spots were on the border of 3rd degree. I spent 8 sleepless nights in that ICU with my son, helping clean his wounds and wash the dead skin and scabs off twice a day, knowing that this would all cost me more money than I could imagine. But I did it anyway, without regard to the cost because no matter how well off or poor, well insured or not insured at all, medical emergencies take precedence over monetary consideration.
We were able to bring him home just a couple of days before his birthday, though he still needed twice-a-day wound care (and still does). The total cost of this ordeal if I end up having to pay for it out of my own pocket? In excess of $25,000.
But did I have a choice?
No.
But things got worse. The night we brought him home, the most improbable thing in the world happened. I was struck with severe abdominal pain. The worst I've ever had in my life.
Again, I started asking myself these questions (after, "Jesus, this hurts like hell!"), "Is it bad enough to need a trip to the emergency room?"
After the first hour, I thought I could self-medicate the pain away. I don't get heartburn, but I assumed this might be what it's like, so I decided antacids (which I've never used) might help.
Another hour of writhing in pain with no help from antacids went by and I had to reassess my situation, "This still hurts like hell, and the antacids didn't work. Do I go to the hospital?"
Knowing that I couldn't afford a trip to the hospital, I decided I'd try more self-medication. "Perhaps I've pulled a muscle, or inflamed something," I thought. And then I proceeded to take some Ibuprofen; hoping painkillers might dull the pain.
Yet another hour of painful torture went by and I was forced again to assess the situation, "It actually hurts worse now, antacids and painkillers didn't help at all, perhaps it's something serious. But can I afford a trip to the hospital?"
The answer I came to was that, even if something serious were wrong, I couldn't afford a trip to the hospital and so I decided that the best course of action was to try sleeping off the pain.
Unfortunately, this didn't work either. I spent two hours in bed, tossing and turning, trying my hardest to find a position comfortable enough to wait out the pain. No comfortable middle-ground could be found and after 6 hours of excruciating pain and the knowledge that I wouldn't be able to sleep, suddenly, the cost of a trip to the hospital didn't seem so consequential.
But why should anyone be forced to writhe in pain for fear of having to pay for a trip to the emergency room? Shouldn't we, as a society, make sure that when people are in pain, that they are able to seek treatment without the fear of eternal debt and foreclosure and anything else medicals bills of impressive size would cause?
I went to the hospital and discovered that I had a severe case of gallstones and my gallbladder needed to be removed immediately to prevent worse problems, including death. I didn't really have a choice about this one. I prolonged my decision because of the economics of seeing a doctor and I could have made things a lot worse. The total cost of that operation? In excess of $15,000.
By the end of May, my son and I managed to incur more than $40,000 worth of medical debt. We're working on a couple of options to cover some or all of this (including Medicaid which is a paper-work nightmare but a dream come true if it works out).
But the point is this, I've actually spent more time filling out papers, answering questions, and tracking down documents and pay records trying to get help with these bills than I actually spent in the hospital.
How much safer, easier, cheaper and more pleasant would all of our lives be with single payer universal healthcare? To be able to breathe easy and see the doctor when you need to. To be able to have life-saving surgeries and not worry that you might have to sell your car or go late on your rent? Millions of Americans have problems like this every day and we should be ashamed of ourselves that we've led our culture so far down this road.
As for me? I'll probably end up ok, it seems as though I can get help for my sons bills with a couple of different government programs (like Medicaid or SCHIP). The chances of me getting help with the bills for my surgery are a little lower, but in any case, I'm sure I'll weather the storm. But for every case like mine, I'm sure there are a dozen families who simply can't weather the storm, and for that, we should be ashamed.
I'm sure there are a dozen Christian conservatives reading this now and asking themselves, "Why should we help with this? Why should we help people who can't afford to take care of themselves?"
In the novel Jailbird, Kurt Vonnegut provided me with the perfect answer to these questions and it's very simple: "Why? The Sermon on the Mount, sir."
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One of my best friends took ill suddenly and passed away recently. So while she's in the hospital hooked up to machines her husband is in emotional agony. He's on her health insurance. He's worried about his own coverage. Once we all found out that he was still eligible to be on her insurance and told him he was relieved. You could see some of the weight drop from his shoulders.
I'm sickened by this whole insurance thing. Here he is, his wife in in critical condition and he's worrying about, besides all the usual things, health care. Good God. Something is terribly, terribly wrong here.
When I lost my job last year, I wasn't worried about a paycheck. I was worried about healthcare. One good illness and I'm bankrupt.
This insanity has to stop. I'm doing my little bit (research and participation in forums -- as a pastor I hear many stories from those caught in the middle, too well-off to be eligible for free services and too poor to pay). A lot of us are one step away from being caught in the insurance whirlpool.
Like in all third-world countries, the quality and amount of healthcare one receives in america is dependant upon what one can afford.
This won't change. Americans are too ignorant to vote in their own best interests.
In all third-world countries one gets the quality and amount of healthcare one can afford.
Face it....America is a third-world country....and will continue to be.
Universal health care should be considered a right, and were it done correctly, we could provide excellent care for far less than we currently spend.
However, I have to berate this individual for not having investigated and sought out information for Ships or Chips or whatever it is called now, since his income was within the limits for it.
This is an excellent example of why Clinton's plan, which mandated that everyone purchase insurance, with incomes of certain levels receiving government assistance to do so, so whether they like it or not, they would have to expend the time and energy to research it, apply for it, and pay for it, with assistance.
FYI liberal America, you aren't going to get other people to pay for your health care . . . you people act you haven't heard a politician promise you everything before.
Actually, other people are paying for health care all the time. It's known as uninsureds going to the emergency room, not paying, and forcing the cost of our health care up. It's known as people not tending to their medical conditions, and spreading their illnesses far and wide. It's known as people who work in the food industry going to work ill, because they can't afford both the time off, and the health care, and then preparing our food. We always pay... It's just how we pay...
And then there's the extortion from the pharmaceuticals and the insurance companies. We pay, and pay, and pay...
It's sad when I hear this, especially a child needing so much care, and is inclined to not see the dangers adults would. But, the reality is, American administration's, have sold out their citizen's, children, immigrants, hard working americans, for power and war. I live in a country that provides all my health care needs, my children, grandchildren. All our citizen's get equal treatment, not level one, two or three, but the same as joe blow the billionaire down the road, has the same care as I, an older lady, low income retired.
Also,our medication is about 1/3 the cost. I have no idea why, other than lobbyist's and drug companies hold on your government. We have strict guidlines for cost, if on pension or social program, usually a generic drug replaces the high cost one. Exactly the same composition. But pensioner's and social program recipient's pay a small fee for dispensing drug, usually $2 an item.
I feel very fortunate my government has always had this plan since WW11, none are left out. We have 45 million people in Canada, surely they can do the same in America.
Did I miss world war 3-10?
If Americans feel like health care is a #1 priority they can surely goto Canada, just like the Canadians that need advanced procedures come to America to get them rather than stay in Canada. (Canadian Liberal MP Belinda Stronach went to the United States for breast cancer surgery in June 2007 . . . When Robert Bourassa, the premier of Quebec, needed cancer treatment, he went to the US to get it)
Champion figure skater Audrey Williams needed a hip replacement. Even though she waited two years and suffered in pain, she still did not get the surgery, because the waiting list was so long. So she went to the US and spent her own money to get the surgery
BTW, thanks for all the great Canadian doctors you provide,
Many of those same docs move back, particularly when their kids reach college age. Higher education, you see, is also less costly.
To lower health care costs we need to increase the number of doctors - my doctor would not get away with charging $250.00 for a 6 minute consultation and a tetnus booster if he had competition. Routine, minor care should be affordable out of pocket- it's insane that we need insurance to pay for scratches and small injuries and antibiotics- advances in medicine should have made these more affordable-not less. The whole system is broken.
Actually IMO it is not the number of docs. The US actually gets a lot of Canadian doctors precisely -because- Doctors can charge those outrageous fees here, and they cannot in Canada.
IMO any UHC program is going to mean people will have to charge less for the same services they do now. They system is broken, and I believe it is now un-fixable. Asking Docs to charge less, asking insurance comps to take a loss, asking emergency rooms to not charge 4$ for a single dose of maalox - all these go against the "great american capitalist culture" and so it will never happen.
Money and profit always trump people here - that is my observation.
And unbiasView is a perfect example of the kind of uninformed, paranoid people who are willing to watch the country decline even further rather than take care of it's people - because the idea of this kind of health care "scares" them.
Talking about cutting one's nose off to spite ones face.
In Canada, I have done the billing for a physician, The rate to the government in each province vary slightly....averaging about $75 per 6 min. visit...no matter what visit for. It is part of our tax structure that permits each of us to never have to worry about cost and a doctor's appointment. We probably take it for granted.
I wish the writer and his son the best recovery.
One of the worst aspects of the present health care system is that people without insurance are charges from 25 t0 50% more for medical procedures than those with insurance. Why? The insurers have a "negotiated rate" with the providers.
The result: Those who can least afford care are charged the most.
Why can't we accept that health care should be readily, unquestionably available to all?
So with your thought process, a BMW should be cheaper for poor people and more expensive for rich people?
You're slipping inot your straight-from-the-talk-radio talking points mode again, UV. Easy game to play... try this on for size.... so with your thought processes, poor people should die horrible deaths when they get sick.
See how easy that game is? Try getting off the have-you-stopped-beating-your-wife bandwagon and use the rational side of your mind that we humans pride ourselves on.
Now you're just being plain silly, uni-bias.
No one needs a BMW in order to live.
About waiting to get care, the issue of not even getting needed care is a major problem, too.
Studies show that as many as 25% a year don't get at least one prescription filled becasue they can't afford it.
Something approaching 20% don't get or delay in getting needed care per year.
Obviously with 16% uninsured many of them have insurance, though among them are those lacking decent coverage--the 'underinsured," a significant but largely invisible problem.
My state--MN--has the 1st or 2nd lowest unsiured rate, and the figures I cited are applicable here.
And we have the 3rd highest taxes state along with a $1 billion dollar deficit in Minnesota for 2008 . . .
The thing about universal healthcare supporters need to know is it isn't going to solve your problems like you think, none of the stories you hear today are going to go away and one thing is forsure, when things are free . . . people will take/use more of it.
It is not that way in Canada! It may not be perfect, but it works pretty well.
It is not free-- there are affordable premiums, and of course there is taxation. It's accepted as a given that health care must be available to all.
Stories like this are not quotidian -- they are rare.
Isn't it funny how all some Americans really believe it is "bad" to have UHC like in Canada. They feel free to complete diss it without having the slightest bit of information about it.
People like this - whose paranoia and lack of actual information outweigh common sense - are why there probably will never be UHC here.
Says someone who has never lived in a country with universal health care.
Says someone who hopes he never does.
America -- what a country, eh? Definitely not perfect. Why anyone would not want to add Universal Health Care to our health care options is a mystery to me. Just one of the ways the working class are really just the slavery class to the ones in power.
Why?
Because maybe I don't feel like paying for other people.
Maybe because government run programs always start with good intentions and end up being terrible.
Then, I guess you feel like paying for corporations to collect money, take no risk, decide who gets care (and who does not)and reward CEOs with $multi-million salaries and stock. And, after caught in some wrongdoing to exit with a billion of our hard-earned dollars. (See: United Health)
Then you surely don't want governments to run wars, do you?
Somebody else pointed this out (or something similar) but it bears repeating. You ARE paying for other peoples health care if you buy insurance... that's how insurance works. And that's how national health works too except that the insane profits of the insurance racket (yes, I said racket and I meant it) are taken out of the loop. Also the full-tilt effort to deny coverage in order to pad those profits even more is taken out of the loop.
I could use this tiny amount of space to bitch about our health/insurance system but instead I sincerely hope your son recovers fully without scars. What a terrible thing to happen.
It is absolutely disgusting what you had to go through, the worry, the expense, etc.
I have a friend who has a young daughter - 3 years old - who was getting all kinds of ear infections...she needed a simple procedure to get rid of her adenoids, but the insurance company wouldn't pay because she wasn't in danger - even though the baby was absolutely miserable - getting colds all the dime, crying, etc. Their money was just much more important than a 2 year old's health.
The repugs - God forbid a woman wants to get an abortion, they are all up in arms about saving a bunch of cells - but when it comes to real children - forget it - they are on their own. Oh, and those 4000 young men and women in Iraq - they aren't important either.
"The repugs - God forbid a woman wants to get an abortion, they are all up in arms about saving a bunch of cells - but when it comes to real children - forget it - they are on their own."
I can see the argument that people don't want their tax dollars going to fund abortions just like I don't like my tax dollars going to Iraq.
Thank you for this post. I too routinely "wait" to see if I -really- need care, which, in case of heart attk. or stroke, will be fatal. I too had to have my gallbladder removed. It wasn't until the 2nd extreme attack that I went to emerg. when we got the bill for that, we find the emerg room charged us over 4$ for one dose of mallox. ONE DOSE!
It is no wonder no one can afford it, that is ridiculous. So we pay ridiculous premiums which don't really pay jack-chit when you need care - until my surgery this year we always paid out far more than we could ever afford, just for routine tests like echo stress tests and ultrasounds. THANKFULLY my surgery was covered - mine rang in at $17,500 - for day surgery. I was home by noon. Not counting the anesthetics, which were billed separately, I think.
Coming from Canada, this is just unacceptable to me. THERE, I would have all the care I needed, all the tests I needed, with no worries. Its not FREE - you pay according to your income. It is astounding to me that Americans willingly forgo their own health and longevity in order to pander to some outdated ideal of "capitalism" - so they accepts insurance co's and hospitals bilking them 4$ for a single dose of mallox rather than admit that health care must be gov't run, single payer, and NO PROFIT.
What do you mean no one can afford it?
The number the Dems always throw out there is 40 million . . . meaning 370 are insured. If the USA's health care was so bad why do we get all these friggin Canadians coming over here to get operations done?
That's the rich ones that want to jump to the front of the line.
As a Canadian woman, I wouldn't have the money to get my surgery. Many do, through our government if it is so critical and no spot on waiting list. I know it's not perfect, believe me. I have seen a woman needing a hip replacement wait over a year. But, the discussion on length of waiting list is always ongoing.
Many small communities do not have the doctor's available to service their health care. Some paid their tuition for University just to contract a doctor for a no. of yrs. Doctor's have gone to America, that's a problem, but most stay in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) includes most NW, W-golden horshoe and SW tip. They specialize mostly, and more available. It isn't perfect, but we constantly seek solutions to all issues that arise. Abuse of the system is not a problem here particularily-mostly those with children are more susceptible to use system more, but that is good also for preventative healthcare.
My neice is a R.N. and has moved to the U.S. for higher pay. I took my R.N. in the 80's, many countries had employment fairs to hire Canadian nurses. As a nurse here in Canada the pay is comparable to an elected professional in Gov. maybe more, but good.
Their are plus and minuses, but knowone goes without.
I totally agree. It is disgusting that many (hardworking!) Americans can't afford healthcare. Furthermore, I think it is absurd that the right to health care is contingent at all. Good health is fundamental for human life and I wish that our country, (which claims to support human rights and a high standard of living for all citizens,) provided this necessary service. It should be a RIGHT, not a PRIVELAGE.
Where are all these new rights coming from? Did I miss something in the constitution where it said I have to pay for your health care and your kid's college education?
The Constitution talks about providing for the "common wealth." Seems that should be justification enough for you.
".... Where are all these new rights coming from? ...."
Every civilised nation on Earth except the US.
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Posted June 7, 2008 | 06:45 PM (EST)