Well,Tommorrows the day for my Hip replacement surgery so at 6:30am I'll be in the hospital and begin my 10 days of no Kos(unless I can rent a laptop in the hospital,lol) so GBCW doesn't really fit here but it was a great hook for what I want to talk about today.
HEALTH INSURANCE
I attended a pre-op course with 25 other people who are having Joint replacement Surgery(1 knee or both) or hip (1 or both) and we spent over 60% of the time with questions on,you guessed it,Insurance.
No 2 people in the room had the exact same plan and the entire experience was eyepopping.The Heathcare Providers were experts on getting around the insurance companies and in many instances told people not to "act" like you were doing to well or your care will cut short and the thearapy that you need for the best chance at a full recovery will be denied.
Our entire health care system is now exactly like our criminal justice system.We have set it up as an adverserial system where health care professionals and insurance professionals now work against each other.Your care,and outcome,depends more on the advocacy of your nurse and physical therapist than your ability to heal.
If you choose not to go to a Rehab Facility you will be punished by only getting therapy 3 times a week instead of twice a day.
I wanted to come home after the 4 day hospital stay but my wife,who is a PT and the major breadwinner, would have to miss at least a full week of work with no reimbursement possible.
Blue Cross/Blue sheild uses between 22-25% of premiums for administive costs and after a long illness in which I spent many mamy hrs in doctors offices I'm certain another 20% minimum goes to administrtive costs in their offices.
This system is unsustainable and in noones interest and although my own chances of a great outcome are good we need dramatic change or it will collapse.Universal healthcare needs to be a major plank in every Dem platform,Period.