We All Need It, Don’t We

Health insurance America’s nightmare

Can We Afford It

Let’s talk about health insurance.  We all need it don’t we?  The different plans, the cost, and the deductibles can all be a bit confusing.  My husband and I are both retired, so we went through Marketplace for our health insurance.  We discussed different plans; low deductibles mean you pay more upfront.  With high deductibles, we spend more in the long run.  Equally important was staying with a doctor we know.  For more information on health insurance click on this link.   In any event, my husband and I thought we had a good plan until we started using it.

Seventh Month Journey

My husband started his medical journey ( I call it that because that is what the billing department called it when I spoke with them) at the end of one year, and it continued into the following year.  It was a seven-month process, and at the end of it, we knew no more than the day we started.

Daily Discomfort

Blood in his stool, constant pain in his stomach and side, waking up in the morning not feeling well, and going to bed at night feeling the same.  Frustrated at being unable to be diagnosed, my husband gave up and stopped going to the doctor.

Oh My The Bills

The bills started coming in the mail shortly after. The doctors he met with had him going for a CT scan, a stomach scope, x-rays, and blood work at the lab; you name it, my husband had it done. Our final bill was well over ten thousand dollars.

To say we were displeased is an understatement. Contacting the billing department by mail; a letter was written by me describing what Gary had gone through. Our thoughts were all the expensive tests they performed on him were unnecessary. Furthermore, we felt they should review the bill and remove some expenses.

We received a call from the billing department and spoke with someone who said, unfortunately, this was Gary’s medical journey. The doctors needed to utilize all resources and eliminate everything before coming forth with a diagnosis.  What diagnosis?

The hospital removed $600.00 from our bill, which we appreciated, but when you have an account well over ten thousand dollars, that doesn’t even make a dent.

The entire process was frustrating for my husband as well as me. He does not feel well, and we now have a massive medical debt.

What Is The Solution

What is the answer?  We all need it don’t we?  It isn’t something families should struggle with.  But they do, many go without insurance because they cannot afford it.  We see it in our city; we talk to people.  We hear the same story time after time.  Families have no health insurance, or if they do have it, their deductible is very high, so essentially the insurance is worthless.

We all watch the news and see the people in Congress, who we voted in argue back and forth without coming to any plausible solution regarding anything.  Perhaps they should spend less time on Twitter and more time trying to help their constituents.

Every single person living in this country of ours should have health insurance, good health insurance.  For those with diabetes, insulin prices are sky-high, heart medication is off the charts, and people are generally afraid to go to the doctor because they do not want the expense. Good health is important, as we age.  Keeping our minds and bodies busy is a good place to start.  Running and reading works both.  

In any event, my husband and I will continue to pay our bills because that is what we do. We may think twice the next time one of us has to go to the doctor. That in itself is a shame.