Here is yet another reason why we should have a national health care program. We are already struggling to pay for prescriptions for Vicki as she has no insurance (thanks to Walker changing the rules on my insurance).
Friday she had a sore throat. Saturday and Sunday she ran a fever and progressively got worse feeling each day. Monday I called the doctor’s office to see what it would cost to get her in with no insurance and how much they needed. The answer – $97 but we didn’t have to pay before she saw the doctor.
She tried to say she was fine and didn’t need to go. I ignored her and insisted we go. She has strep, pneumonia, and ear infections in both ears. She got a prescription which cost us $55. Fortunately the doctor looked in her ears before he insisted on the swab of her throat because otherwise we would have had to pay for that test as well.
She doesn’t have $150 to cover these medical costs. She is unemployed. If I hadn’t insisted on her going to the doctor what would have happened? I’ll take the $150 over a hospital bill any day.
We asked about reducing the fees and were given the name and number of a person in the clinic to call. I talked to her today. They take the full household income. Never mind that Vicki is an individual. If I threw her butt out of my house she could get assistance. But because we love our daughter and don’t want her living on the street we now have to pay for these medical expenses.
She’s upset because she knows it will stress me out to juggle bills to pay for this. I’m upset because the system is broken and needs fixing but the moment someone takes the first steps they are bashed for it.
I don’t care what anyone else says a National Health Plan is essential. Call it socialism or welfare or whatever you want, there are people like my daughter who are trying to get jobs and trying to live on their own and support themselves but get beat up by the system when they are sick. Perhaps we should cut back on benefits for representatives (the few) and refine this plan so that everyone can go to a doctor when they need to rather than waiting until it is so bad they nearly die from it.
I hate to quote Star Trek but really the good of the many (in this case) outweighs the good of the few. Quality healthcare shouldn’t be for only the rich or working. It should be for everyone.
Your case illustrates the need perfectly. It's not the very poor, who can get assistance, or the very rich, who don't need assistance, but those of us in the middle, who earn too much to qualify for assistance but not enough to afford healthcare, who are getting shafted.
Exactly! It is really straining our budget and security of keeping our heads above water. Now if we were to throw our kid out and make her be homeless she could get healthcare. How dare we support her – right?