You have likely heard the statistics; there are 46 million uninsured people in America. I am one of those uninsured people. I am not without insurance by choice mind you; I simply just can not afford health insurance. My husbands work offers health insurance, for a wintry 600 dollars a month. There’s also a 5000 dollar deductible, and 20 percent co-pay after the deductible is met.
I haven’t always been without insurance either. I had insurance as recent as 2001 but my insurance company dropped me after being diagnosed with a massive pulmonary embolism in both lungs. I spent two weeks in the hospital and almost died. My insurance company’s last good deed was to camouflage all the expenses of those two weeks. The total racked up was well into six figures, so for that I am blessed.
However, soon after I was discharged from the hospital I was informed by my doctor that it was very likely that I had a blood disorder. He could see no other reason for a 21 year old to suffer such a massive and deadly health dilemma. The disorder he believed I had is extremely rare though, and testing for it would cost a fortune.
I was told that I would have to hold Coumadin for the remainder of my life because of the potential danger of a blood clot reoccurring. I also would have to have at least weekly blood tests to make sure my blood was not clotting too rapidly.
After one week of being on Coumadin and 3 blood tests to accumulate the dosage just, I set up my appointment for the testing to be done. Sadly, when I went to my next appointment for blood testing, I was informed that my insurance card was not working. I immediately went home and called them. Their message was simple; we dropped you because your health problems are costing us too much.
I tried to fight it, tooth and nail. The outcomes were not in my favor however. I couldn’t afford to pay for the Coumadin and weekly blood tests out of pocket so I applied for Medicaid. Medicaid denied my application because I could not provide documentation that it was a life long condition. I couldn’t afford the test for the blood disorder so I was out of luck.
I have applied for other health care, but I get the same message, due to pre-existing conditions I am denied. I also have other health problems such as kidney stones, frequent infections, a severe case of tmdd that requires surgery, and the list goes on.
It has become clear that health care is a major issue with candidates of the 2008 presidential election. Everyone has their own ideas on how to approach the issue, but instead of ideas, we urgently need action. One professor at Princeton University even said that being uninsured is an excuse to mooch of the government.
These types of attitudes appall me, as well as other insured and uninsured Americans.
While there are many people who simply refuse to see a physician and are uninsured by choice, most of the medically uninsured Americans simply can not afford health insurance.
Healthcare has become an exclusive privilege of the upper class. Even most people who qualify for state Medicaid have complained that they feel they are being treated inferior, and are provided a lower quality of care than those who have private health insurance.
According to The Keiser Family Foundation, the quantity of uninsured Americans has risen steadily over the last decade and continues to rise. Two-thirds of the uninsured people in America near from low income families, at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line. The Keiser Family Foundation also states that 81 percent of the uninsured people in America come from working households.
Many people are upset that the uninsured clog up hospitals with easily treated conditions. These people often also fail to be able to pay the bill, leading to poorer quality of clinics and hospitals. The dilemma is then made worse by hospitals and clinics overcharging the uninsured. Health Affairs reported that many hospitals charged uninsured and other self-pay patients 2.5 times higher rates than those with private insurance.
Many states have taken measures and/or sought to beat the rising problem of being an uninsured American. Massachusetts for example passed a bill that requires all residents to have health insurance by July 1, 2007. Residents of Massachusetts are required to provide documentation of insurance when they file their taxes in 2008. Those who do not provide the details could face penalties.
Many people find these tactics confusing and don’t eye them as viable. Deciding who meets the need for subsidized care is a daunting task, especially when a family’s long term debt to income ratio is not taken into consideration. There is also the matter of what to do long term about those who calm can not afford subsidized health insurance and can not also afford the fines for not having health insurance.
With the federal poverty line for 2007 for a household of four being only $20,650 for 48 out of the 50 states, it doesn’t leave much room for those fair slightly above it who are still considered low income. Many states who offer Medicaid do not offer it to those at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty line either. Pennsylvania for example only offers Medicaid for adults with a family of four with a net income below 514 dollars unless you are pregnant or have a life debilitating condition that renders you unable to care for yourself.
This begs the question that if your income is below 514 dollars a month, would your first concern be healthcare? It would probably lie with housing and food, seeing as it is doubtful that you can afford these things with a meager 514 dollars monthly.
Many people would simply say to visit a free or reduced brand clinic for care, but these can be few and far between. The county I live in for example does not have a free or reduced clinic and the surrounding counties that do, do not accept residents from other counties.
The proposal of free universal health care makes some people cringe. Many of these programs have their downfalls like long waiting periods to be seen for a condition. I say, why can’t we have both?
I would be more than willing to patiently wait in a long line if it meant my health could be taken care of, and I didn’t have to suffer because I can not pay the bills. For those would aren’t, why can’t they obtain their own healthcare, at their own cost, and visit private physicians?
The epidemic of being uninsured in America is only going to continue to rise. The United States is going to have to continually pour more money into the health care net due to the long term effects of being uninsured. With the expense of health care rising at nearly double the rise of economic growth and wages, determining a realistic solution is critical to the health and welfare of our country.
Sources: Project Hope “From ‘Soak The Rich’ To ‘Soak The Poor’: Recent Trends In Hospital Pricing” Health Affairs http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/26/3/780? ijkey=L6moAROSh5koY&keytype=ref&siteid=healthaff
Kaiser Family Foundation “THE UNINSURED AND THEIR ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE” The Kaiser Family Foundation http://www.kff.org/uninsured/upload/The-Uninsured-and-Their-Access-to-Health-Care-Fact-Sheet-6.pdf
David A. Fahrenthold “Mass. Bill Requires Health Coverage, State Set to Use Auto Insurance As a Model” WashingtonPost