As I sit here and just think about things, I just always thought things would be better than how they turned out for me. This isn't just about Marion's condition. I just thought there was more to life than *this*. I'm really an optimist at heart and have always followed what I felt were my dreams. When I was 25, I went back to college to follow a dream. While that three year experiment could have went so much better, I am glad I did it (and honestly am a better person for doing all of it).
It's just I always thought that hard work and dedication would be rewarded. I realize now that a lot of luck goes into that as well. You need a break or two along the way and I have never had especially good luck. But, that's the way life goes.
Anyway, I was also thinking about the state in this country about health care. Being in a situation where you don't have insurance and you have a really high cost disease like cancer makes you feel helpless. But, why, when you live in a country as great as America does something like that happen? I mean, countries like Canada, Great Britain, and France, the people don't have to worry about these things. Health care is accepted as being the cornerstone of a great country. Why the hell in America do we have people that don't get preventative care, or worse don't seek out a doctor when they need to see one?
When this whole thing with Marion started, we didn't want to go to the hospital because of the cost of seeing a doctor. What kind of world is that? What kind of thinking pattern is it where you would risk your health because of the costs associated with this very basic need? At the time of her first ER trip, Marion had abnormal bleeding for about two months. It wasn't heavy bleeding as of yet, but it was still a concern. When it became heavy bleeding, that's when we *had* to go to the hospital. Still, why did we wait? Because of the immense cost associated with stepping foot into the health care system.
It was actually a question that was asked of us more than once. During the admission process at the first ER trip, Marion was asked why she didn't get this checked out before. I looked at this guy and said, "Because we don't have insurance, and coming here is really expensive." She was asked that question a few more times, and the response I gave was the same as before.
HMOs were one of Nixon's greatest legacies. He signed into law the HMO Act of 1973 that required employers to offer HMOs if they 25 or more employees. Yet, the main reason they were created was to make Health Care in America more of a cash cow as it already was. It was created for the money to roll in, and for the rich to get richer.
Maybe I just don't fathom the costs of health care. But, when I look at the bills, does it really cost 500 or so dollars to read a Cat Scan? Does it cost twenty dollars for a Percocet? Does a trip to the ER (not including the associated Doctor cost) really cost 1700 dollars? I mean, seriously? Why are these costs so inflated? Maybe it has something to do with the doctors trying to pay back 8 years worth of student loans? Or, maybe it has something to do with inflated operating costs? I really can't say as I'm not an economist; I'm just a guy who wants Marion to be okay.
Which brings me to the fact that I feel while the health care reform that went through last year was a step in the right direction, it still didn't address the real issue of having universal health care for everyone. I'm not taking away from the sweeping changes in the system at all. Health care has been an issue for Presidents since FDR, and Obama finally got something started. Well, he got things more than started. But, there is still work to do for sure. People shouldn't neglect their health when faced with the high costs. When you're sick, you should seek out help and be given treatments, medicine, etc. I don't get how people can have any type of stance against health care.
Anyway, at this point we're just waiting back on a few things. Marion should be fully covered by Medicade by the end of the week. On the horizon are some tests that need to be done so we can come up with a treatment plan. I'm thankful for finding the NJ CEEDS program. I'm thankful things are moving along. I just wish that health care in the best country in the world was something that everyone really had access to.
No comments:
Post a Comment