The Health Care Hussle

The state of our nation’s health care has been critiqued, debated, and weighing heavily on our collective consciousness. Embarrassed, I must admit, I have not been following the issue as carefully as perhaps an uninsured woman should. My last run in with a TV show, I saw Jon Stewart on the Daily Show trying to decipher some stipulation on page 400-and-something of the new, massive health bill to one of his guests. The sheer size of the document/book made me suspect and I frustratingly turned my attention to painting flowers on the wall.

When things and concepts are so bulky, with so many pieces, they become unmanageable, at least to me. Let’s think about it from a human perspective though. We are humans, aren’t we? (I now ask myself, what exactly does that mean?). For just a second, let’s look at our system in a few basic clumps. Currently, those of us who can afford it, due to whatever evolutionary trait or profitable talent, decide to pay a company (a company I repeat!) to reimburse hospitals and doctors for health care provided to us. Those of us who can’t afford this company sponsored health insurance must, suck it up until we hit the emergency room when all other home remedy and voodoo magic proves unfruitful, only to be charged exorbitant, unaffordable prices.

So what’s better? Having the government take care of us? My uninsured father’s experience with our Veteran’s Hospital, incapable of diagnosing his prostate cancer, tells me this is not necessarily a better idea. Are we left with choosing between a system that lies in the middle of privatized greed and socialized incompetency?

I don’t have these answers, only more questions. And like nearly 50 million other Americans, I am without any health care whatsoever. It doesn’t matter that I work two jobs, exceeding 40hr/wk; apparently it’s not enough. Businesses have a way of sidestepping paying the high prices demanded by insurance companies to insure their employees. Hell, I can’t afford it either. I wonder sometimes, what this will all mean for me as I, like all the rest of us, age and come closer to finding out.

(pictured above, my late, great grandmother. because one day, if i'm lucky, it will be me under that baileys hat.)