No Health Insurance. The 47,000,000 Left Behind November 1, 2008
Posted by voolavex in Uncategorized.Tags: $5, 000, biopsy, blue cross, cancer, condition, disease, doctor, health insurance, healthy, insurance companies, pinko, pre-existing, socialist
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I have no health insurance. Period. I have an untreatable disease that ideally should be monitored about twice a year and biopsied about every five years. My last biopsy – in 2003 was under insurance and cost $10,000. It came out better than hoped for and so I dodged a bullet. I should have another one but I don’t have the money. Even if I did, I have the “pre-existing condition” that no one even looked for 16 years ago. I could (not will , but I might ) cost some insurance company a lot of money in the future and they are not in the business of healthcare they are in the business of mismanaging funds and saying “no”. I am a bad risk.
I am fortunate to live in a city where a serious, full time Free Clinic, treats anyone – not anything – but enough to get you through the year. It is supported by endowments, donations (large and small) and the time and energy of real doctors who do at least a rotation there. Philanthropists and humanitarians. I get blood work once a year to let me know if I am about to need major surgery or if I have developed a worse condition known as cancer. So far I have been lucky. Waiting in the clinic is not a hardship nor is being assembly lined through. The fact is that the care is more personal and considerate than the average doctor visit. I am going for this year’s blood test next week. My feeling is that it will be okay. If not, it doesn’t matter because I can’t afford to treat it or try to fix it or do anything but have it become worse. So maybe I am a tiny bit concerned.
This is not a cry for sympathy – it is what 47 million Americans, including myself) face every day. It is a result of managed care which should be in the hands of doctors not number crunchers. I should get the same care as a Senator who technically is my employee. One should not have to work to get the benefit of insurance. I wonder – is it really your employer’s job to care for your health? I am not informed enough to say. I can’t fathom who is greedier, Blue Cross (and its ilk) or Doctor Somebody and his malpractice insurance payments or the government who things it is pinko to have healthy citizens. I do know that $5000 a year tax credit is a dirty joke coming from a man with millions. The older you get the more you need care. Starting at about fifty. The ludicrousness of shopping for insurance is insulting. The only person you should be concerned with choosing is your doctor. Insurance companies decide who gets what treatment and they don’t use common sense or kindness to do it. We are the only developed country that does not insure their citizen’s health. This makes us underdeveloped in a very basic way. Does a nation of healthy people make us socialists? Okay – call me names. I still would rather be a healthy American than dead at an early age because of nomenclature and labels.
Voolavex 
I am so sick of American ignorance when it comes to the word Socialism or even Communism. First off we have all been BRAINWASHED to fear such WORDS. I say words because I believe the majority of US citizens (not all for christ’s sake) don’t even know what the concept of Socialism or Communism is. We have been brainwashed to believe that Socialism (the “word” I will address from here on in) means you relinquish your rights to some state of ruler. Hence, one of stupid Sarah Palins comments lately. To go along with this argument I also want Americans to KNOW that they are NOT the only people on the planet that VOTE! This bullshit about our troops fighting somewhere to protect our right to vote is the biggest BULLSHIT CONCEPT I HAVE HEARD.
Back to Socialism. England (even though influenced my a monarchy – and what is up with that shit? Why do we deal with a monarchy?), Sweden, Finland, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Italy, France, to mention a few are all Socialistically based countries. And guess what people? They all vote from the City Council position all the way up to their “president” know as head of Parliament!! So for once and for all, let’s get off of this paranoid, ill informed fear of Socialism. A country can have many Socialistic programs and still retain a Democracy. The big fear US and world citizens should have is the tyrany of a now Capitalistic Democracy that the US has become!
Corporations rule the US Democracy, spread Depotism, control Propoganda (oh sorry, it is called “public relations” ever since Edward Bernays coined the term back in 1910 or so and really started all the brainwashing of US consummers), own the media, control public schools and its content, and so on and so on. The power of corporations today should scare all of us and not a system like Socialism. Let’s face it, the paranoia instilled in us about Socialism or any for of it has been given to us by THE CORPORATIONS!! Why? Because Socialism would then hold corporations accountable for some of the social programs in a country and maybe, just maybe, some resources might be nationalized! Help, where all going to die!!!!!
Corpoarations used the 14 Amendment, and amendment disigned for freed slaves, to claim themselves as individuals. Corporationsw then gained the right as individual citizens with all the rights of them! See how sneaky the bastards are?
Anyway, all this scare of socialized medicine and the “horror” stories that accompany them are all due to a stron “public relations” campaign pushed by corporations and the media they own! My Family and I have experienced socialized medicine for the past 27 years and all I can tell yo is that it works and is not inadequate. In fact, it might even be better as the motivation behind a doctor in a socialized system is not money but, the profession and ethics of the medical community! Once money becomes the main motivational facto in perorming ones profession a systematic decline in morals and ethics corrode its purpose.
It is indisputibaly scandolous a a true failure upon the American people to behave in the manner they behave supporting the current medical system they choose to live. I guess it is part of the “American Dream.” All for me and none for you!
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Very interesting post. Well…here’s my take. As a 28-year veteran in the business, I know that Universal Healthcare is NOT the answer. Oh, it has its advantages, but just drive North to Canada to see how well it really works.
My alternative is a combination of a government-sponsered catastrophic medical plan (for only those that need it) coupled with increased usage of HSAs (Health Savings Accounts).
I don’t want to get too technical, but when you look at the numbers…it is worth considering.
Just my opinion…
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