As we all know, the health care debate has gone into overdrive and, as Congress is on its August recess, various interest groups are going to scream at us with such speed and ferocity, possible health care reform may just be obliterated into dust. So, what I want to do with Tome this month is provide a forum for folks to tell us what's going on with their own health care.
So, I want stories. And honesty! I want to know what your experiences have been with our American health care industry. I'm not looking for strictly good nor strictly bad stories. I just want honest stories. Tell us what's been going on with you. Tell us the good, the bad, the beautiful, and/or the ugly. And tell us what you want for the future of our health care system.
Please DO NOT POST your story in this post's comment section. Just email me your tale and your photo (if you want) with your name (real or alias), city, and state at
wmrcampbell at gmail.com
And I'll post the story. That's all. I want to provide a forum for us normal folks to tell people what's going on. Too many of the horror stories the media are providing us right now are coming from the health care industry itself and pundits who DO NOT WANT reform. And our health future is being decided by politicians who DO NOT HAVE TO WORRY about health care at all and pretty much have no clue what's going on.
Hopefully, we here at Tome can help fill this gap and provide a little reality to the debate.
So, please submit and tell others to submit, read and spread these stories. We Gen Xers are entering our 40s and that huge Baby Boom generation is already in its 60s. We have a huge demographic crunch coming way too soon. I fear that this health care debate is probably THE MOST important question our country has faced in years. We need to stop having these politicians (I mean, have you seen how much Max Baucus is getting in "donations" from the health care industry?), Big PHRMA, and insurance companies telling us what we want.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Health Care Stories: America
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9 comments:
I haven't been to the doctor's or a hospital since 1983 when I had my last physical (under my parent's insurance). I'd go for yearly check-ups if I had insurance, but I can't afford insurance. I've got a friend on medicaid since his income falls within the guidelines, but since i make more a year than he, I'm not eligible. I've been very fortunate with my health, I'm truly blessed. But as I get closer to 50 I can't help but be a bit apprehensive about what the future might hold.
Back to my friend on medicaid, he's a diabetic, and his insulin alone is $1,300 a month. Medicaid pays for it all except for a $10 co-pay. If he didn't have medicaid, he'd probably be dead right now.
I'm sad that health care depends on buying insurance or being completely poverty stricken. From first hand experience, medicaid provides excellent care, but why should the mid level earners suffer so much when they have no health insurance.
Yes I'd like to see it subsidized by government and overseen by them too. No system will be perfect - I just want better for all of us.
Michael Moore's "sicko" has done a lot to help spread the word. Still, I know a nurse practitioner who spent 10 years professionally in the Netherlands where she was born. A very close friend of hers developed sarcoma and because they thought it was "only a rash" the problem was neglected too long. The nurse practitioner told me this story in response to my concerns about the working poor who are uninsured. Every system will have its ills as DubbleX says. I am seeking a more equitable system for health care - not based on paid insurance policies.
It's bad out there, real bad. My family has decent coverage, but during a recent trip to the hospital I experienced how completely overwhelmed our ER system has become. We need reform and now, but I fear we won't get it due to shopworn idealogical differences.
I have been fortunate, thus far, with being able to access quality healthcare via my employer, and being able to obtain the sort of care when and to the extent I have needed it. However, it would be great if every US citizen were able to access and receive the same. The healthcare system needs to be reformed. However, the present situation at these town hall meetings is very frightening. Comparing President Obama to Adolf Hitler, and the healthcare reform movement to Nazi socialism is out-of-hand. I am afraid that serious violence will break out, and I don't mean a man being pushed out of his wheelchair. Anyway, my story isn't sexy, but, it is what it is. I realize that it won't always be the way it is for me, which is why the system needs reform.
Thank you for doing what you are doing. :)
Mr. Sandwich and I are fortunate enough to have good insurance and easy access to medical care. We're in the middle of a health care experience right now, but maybe when it's over, I'll send you our story (depends on how he feels about it, because really it's his story).
Healthcare reform that contributes thousands of people to the insurance market will have associated expenses. It is difficult to think about change being budget-neutral. Time will be the key aspect in perseverance of success for change. Some factors have confirmed effective in other nations as well as problems associated with worldwide medical care.
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