In late July, 1999, on a day when I was supposed to be apartment hunting in Tucson, Arizona, for my future temp position at University of Arizona, I had to instead spend a few hours on the phone calling people. I got a disturbing voice mail from a representative from my insurance company, Blue Cross, letting me know that I was currently under investigation for an emergency hospital visit I had in January, 1999, where an argument was being made that a pre-existing condition I had that was approved, could have had other issues during the month and a half I was not insured when my previous insurance at a graduate student at UCLA Medical Center, had lapsed. If whoever on that board that was making this determination was successful, I would have had to pay a debt of over $70,000 plus interest and instead of becoming a first time home owner, as I became a month ago, I would still probably be paying that debt right now. Can you imagine what's going through my mind during this health care debate? Can you imagine what's going through other's mind are they paying debts like this right now?!!!
Ten years ago I was a recently graduated student with two Masters Degrees, the most recent being in Library Science. I was working as a part-time librarian at California State University, Northridge, and I was simply transitioning between insurance companies. With Christmas Vacation and all, I put in my application for Blue Cross PPO (note: Blue Cross was once upon a time a Co-Op) in early January, 1999. In late January, 1999, my stomach was in serious, serious pain. While at first I was treating it as IBS (which I've been diagnosed having since 1993), none of it was working. I was staying at my father's, my father called his doctor, and I was advised to go to Sherman Oaks Hospital Emergency, immediately.
During that day, they ran all sorts of tests, mainly trying to determine if I had appendicitis. They took my blood three times (one of the nurse's aides didn't even know how to do it right, and I needed extra care for a wound, they ran a CAT scan and did all sorts of tests, and kept having me monitored in between. This visit lasted about eight hours.
Their final diagnosis, by the way, was that I had a real bad case of IBS, as everything came out "normal." One of the things they asked if I was insured. I had no insurance number, but fortunately put the company, my agent's contact number, let them know I applied three weeks before, and went on my way.
After that, the true nightmare began, when because I had no insurance company number, I started to receive all the paper work from that visit. The bills (with suggested payment plans for each), almost always totalled in over $2,000 each. There was this lab, and that lab, and another lab with bills. Then when it all got associated with the insurance companies, I got all of those statements, and updates. In the end, I received paperwork that filled four boxes!
Then, while there were still a few remaining bills to be paid by Blue Cross in July, I got the voice mail message. I wish I had kept it. I wish I had written down exactly what that insurance agent representative said. But apparently since it was a little over a month that technically I was insured, they were determining that I would get NO coverage from that emergency visit and that I would owe them IMMEDIAATELY all they had covered up to that time, which was in the TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!
On that day, I had just visited the Library and spoke to Librarians I was going to work with at the University of Arizona. I was excited as it was the first full-time academic librarian position I had gotten since my degree. It was a temp position, but included an all benefits package and retirement with TIAA-CREF, etc., and while it was for only seven months (later it was stretched to ten months), I knew it was a tremendous opportunity which would open more doors for me (which it did. I interviewed at over twenty institutions during my ten months, and got a California Community College librarian position). But that's easy to say in hind sight, when on this particular day, I heard this voice mail message letting me know a certain executive board was meeting to discuss my case, they were investigating me, and for now, they were determined to deny me any coverage for that Emergency Day visit. Their reasoning: during those five weeks, something could have happened, that adds to the already IBS condition (which I stated), and therefore whatever happened during that period before the day of my visit (which I guess was already approved), would NOT be covered, and therefore the visit could not be covered.
I got on the phone with my insurance agent, my stepdad (who is one of their most respectable clients and I knew would light fires), and others, while I spent most of my time talking to people with Blue Cross PPO, and the insanity and apathy I got from them. I couldn't believe it!
When I was offered the full-time librarian position at Chabot Las Positas Community College in July, 2000, I was offered the choice of three health insurance options: Kaiser HMO, Blue Cross HMO, and Blue Cross PPO. I picked Kaiser and still am insured with Kaiser, in spite of issues of experiences I had with Arizona Intergroup HMO at University of Arizona. My first year, in fact, I threw away $600 on Flexible Spending Accounts, because I remembered after all that was settled with Blue Cross, I finally with a $40 co-pay, paid over $2200 out of my own pocket! And I was seriously concerned of what Kaiser would cover during my first year. I was getting sort of that "dream" coverage (at the time no co-pay at all) which is something all should AT LEAST have and didn't even know it.
Oh, and when the panel met again (I think I'll call the Board a panel--after all when an insurance board members meet, don't they sort of meet on a panel), fortunately they determined that there was no grounds for their claim that I was either hiding something or even that five week gap was justification to deny me coverage (which could have still happened as Blue Cross was taking forever to approve me--it was over three weeks when I had my emergency visit!)
And so, I'm now I guess upper middle class, with money from family, etc. and protected and I could care less.
But when I heard last Sunday that the Public Option may be dropped, and the co-op plan Grassley was proposing could be the "best case scenario." I was livid. Remember, Blue Cross/Blue Shield were ONCE CO-OPs. And seeing how they behaved TEN YEARS AGO (I can only imagine now), it is clear they have been "co-opted" by the absolute sheer greed of insurance companies.
Imagine. What if I had sent my app in the day before instead of three weeks before where it was at least already somewhat processed? What if I had seen a doctor some time in between? What if even with all this, the panel decided finally to deny me coverage for an emergency visit, which involved a stomach where I was in the most serious pain and agony I have ever been in my life?!!
And to add to this, my aunt's boyfriend died last year. His condition (which included serious obesity diabetes) may have been treated but he was DENIED health insurance coverage. Therefore, he hardly ever saw a doctor. Likewise, my Dad's girlfriend's sister, a first generation Korean Immigrant (Green Card), working as a deal at a Las Vegas casino, but for some reason did not have health care coverage (I don't know the details but I assume legitimate), therefore she could have seen a doctor when she first was not feeling well, but didn't out of fear of the health care costs. She was diagnosed with cancer at a stage where it was too late to treat her. She died within two weeks of diagnosis.
I am sorry, but there MUST be a public option in the Health Care plan. If there isn't, I can guarantee you, in the long term NOTHING CHANGES. And people will continue to be in DEBT and/or DEAD thanks to the fucking profit seeking insurance companies who is putting their profits before the American people's health.
Don't let health care reform be CO-OPTED. I repeat. Don't let health care reform be CO-OPTED.
That's all I have to say.