This will be a response to question #3 on Pg. 555.
The current even that I chose to use it actually quite current. I’m sure most of you are aware that President Obama gave a speech to congress last night. In the speech he discussed healthcare. As you know we are in the middle of shaking up the status-quo. Let me first answer the question posed by the text. I believe this fits in with theme of the section because like most of the other pieces, this too is a call to action. This is a chance for average people to stand up and be heard. Like Dr. King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was a call to action by those sitting in silence as the atrocities of the civil rights movement raged on. Like Elie Weisel's speech denouncing indifference. Condemning it as thought it was as if you had personally pulled the trigger. I feel this was the same sentiment as in President Obama's speech last night.
Obama's speech last night was a call to throw out the status-quo and make a change. We all know that there is a problem with our healthcare system, though many Americans turn a blind eye. We have upwards of 47 million people living in the United States. The status-quo says just leave it. Let these people suffer without the ability to get quality medical care. Let them go bankrupt because their medical bills drown them. Let them be denied because of their "pre-existing" condition. What then is healthcare for? The healthy? The status-quo must be changed according to President Obama.
The long term effects of this speech will hopefully be a healthcare system with a public option. We will no longer be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. We will hold healthcare companies responsible for their actions. Out of pocket expenses will go down. Hopefully healthcare will be for everyone, not just for the healthy or the wealthy.
I have personally been a victim of the horrendous "healthcare" system that the United States has. I will give you a synopsis of my story. I had just turned 22 years old; I was going to be dropped from my parent’s coverage. It was time for me to get my own healthcare plan. So I did what most people would do, re apply with the insurer that you had previously. I applied with Kaiser. I went through all their questions. Then came the dreaded "BMI". For those who don't know BMI stands for Body Mass Index. What it basically does lumps everyone in to categories decided by how their weight and height match up. I lift weights, I eat very well, I do not smoke, and only vary rarely have a drink. I was denied stating that I was far too over weight and had a pre existing condition, high blood pressure. I am five foot eight and one-hundred and ninety pounds. I am 8% body fat, but, yet by their standards I am obese. I was denied coverage. So, when it comes to the healthcare debate I am very passionate. I am not indifferent and I will not remain on the sidelines. This will affect everyone, and we should all have a say. Albeit something factual and educated please no town hall outbursts.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
How did you counteract the rejection? You obviously filled in a questionnaire detailing your healthy lifestyle, wasn’t there a section to explain the height to weight ratio? Wasn’t there a pre-screening physical to be given as a means to determine eligibility? Most important, why do you need health insurance if you are not likely to get sick or injured? The reason for insurance is to cover those cost you can not cover yourself, and if you are very healthy, then you would not be expecting to have very many medical bills. In much the same way, does it make sense to get full coverage on a 15 year old car worth $1500? It would be better to save the monthly premium in case it was needed, not pay it without expecting a return.
ReplyDeleteI am also curious why an insurance company who already has your medical history would deny you. They know what you cost already.
The problem is Kaiser did not want you because you were not going to pay enough to cover the administrative cost necessary to maintain your policy, in affect you would be a loss for the business even though you never went to the doctor. Try another company like Blue Cross or Aetna.
I disagree with public health insurance because it does nothing to reduce cost, only transfer the administration to the federal government, to be run as efficiently as every other program they run. No one can be fired for poor performance, no one has to make a profit, no one has to reduce cost, therefore no one has to care whether you live or die, because if you live they get your money and if you die they do not have to do any more work for you. Either way, they win.
Most important, no politician has addressed the real issue which is medical professional like to get paid, but not everyone pays them. Insurance companies always pay, that is why insurance premiums are so high, the insured already pay for the uninsured. The uninsured know how to game the system and get medical treatment where they can not be turned away (emergency rooms) and not at lower cost places (Doctor Offices) where payment is required first. Giving these people won’t solve the problem; just inject more money into a system with considerably more demand than supply.
I completely agree with what you said, we need change in the health care system. It's pathetic to see people complain about "how much everything costs". BIG DEAL, you can't put a price tag on people's lives. I think we should take it a step futher and have universal health care. There's no reason people should have to pay to live. If your sick you should be able to get care. America has become so greedy, it's all about money. While I don't hate the idea of for-profit business, I just don't see why people should pay to live.
ReplyDeleteLike you stated about being denied coverage because you were considered to be obese because of your height to weight ratio. How can we deny people a right to care based off of a chart. Even if you were actually obese, are you supposed to just go without care for the rest of your life? It's not right.
The people who are healthy and have coverage are the same ones who want to stick to the status quo. Not everyone is able to get a job and afford health care, especially with the shape the economy is in. Unemployment is at 10%, even worse is certain states, it's not like people don't want to work; their's no work out there. So with no jobs and no income and the expensive cost of health care insurance, how is one suppose to get care?
We have to do something to fix the status quo and the rising cost of healthcare, because again their should never be a price on someones life.
Eric, I enjoyed reading your passionate presentation of the health care debate. Your personal experience definitely added insight and strength to your argument. I agree with the need for a public health care option as part of both a civic and a moral obligation. I know that we are a nation made great by our freedom of choice, and that many people are frustrated because they feel their choice is being taken away and they are being forced to spend their hard earned money to care for those who are too lazy or selfish to take care of themselves. It is easy to fall into that mentality, in fact I find myself drawn toward that attitude more than I care to admit. But the fact is our health care system is broken; lack of regulation has allowed the insurance companies and the health care system to get away with extortion and murder. Those are dramatic words I know, but there is so much greed, corruption and cold-heartedness in that industry that it aggravates me.
ReplyDeleteI have the best insurance my company offers, Blue Cross Premium PPO, so I thought should anything happen, I would be taken care of. Then one day my infant had to be taken by ambulance from Rosamond to Lancaster. Parents – and really anyone who has had a loved one in need of help- know, that in the moments of fear and concern for your child’s well being you don’t think to ask the ambulance drivers if they contract with your insurance. Nor do you have much patience for the clerk who barges into your room in the ER to try to collect your copay. Thankfully, my baby was fine and although I I knew I would have to pay my share of the costs for the ambulance and hospital care, I was still just thankful for the medical care and attention. Then I got a bill for 2800.00 from the ambulance company – keep in mind they didn’t do more than drive him there and put him on fluids. When I called to find out why my insurance hadn’t been billed I was informed they don’t contract with Blue Cross. Well, I asked, then who do you contract with? No one I was told, because it was not ‘cost efficient’. Of course it wasn’t! No insurance company would pay 2800.00, yet here I was stuck with the bill.
I’m not a huge fan of big brother standing over me, and I understand everyone’s concerns about more government involvement and oversight, but something has to change. People are quick to spread fear about the harm Obama’s actions towards the auto industry and now health care reform – but look at where the auto industry was heading, the jobs lost and the companies bankrupt with no concern fgor their employees. The health care industry has the same greed and corruption eating away at its foundation; if more regulation isn’t the answer then what is?
Man, I agree with you on so many levels, I loved when you said, ‘’so who is the healthcare for the healthy?” That’s exactly right; it’s only for the wealthy, or for those who have well paying jobs. And most of time people who have medical insurance don’t even use it, because it’s much too expensive to even use. I am fortunate enough to still be under my mother’s insurance, because I am young enough to be, but even so, I never go to the doctors because the visits still add up, you still have to pay a co-payment which is high, and plus the medicine which is too expensive also. It’s simply not affordable for the lower to middle class. It often worries me about if I going to be able to get my own insurance in 2 years, because like you, I will be 22 and will have to get my own.
ReplyDeleteI think that’s crazy that Kaiser wouldn’t insure you. It’s ridiculous, it’s like they only want the extremely healthy, so they’ll never need care and they can just keep taking their money. Be it’s even more odd because you weren’t a risk at all, so it was just a lame excuse to deny you.