The last few years have been rough...I started a business while attending graduate school. When the housing market collapsed, we lost 50% of our revenue - most of our advertisers were developers here in Miami.
I was fine with that. We were underfunded and still we lasted about two years. Before the housing bubble popped, we were on our way to being in the black by our third issue. Once the revenue streams dried up, we struggled to stay afloat until it was clear that sustaining the business was not a viable option.
Still, my primary focus was school and now I have much more time to study. I even invested in a health care plan.
Sadly, I have a pre-existing condition - nothing serious, but a few times a year I need some antibiotics to treat a fairly minor skin condition that if left untreated could lead to bacterial blood poisoning. Before I had health insurance I spent a ton of money on doctor visits. I looked into alternative and holistic treatments and have removed the need for antibiotics. Hint: tea tree oil is great for skin conditions!!!
So with that problem solved, I wanted a plan to protect myself against a medical emergency. I purchased a plan that cost me roughly $200 a month. The deductible was $5,000. I felt myself coming down with bronchitis and must have coughed so hard that I pulled a muscle or pinched a nerve. I couldn't breathe and my chest heart like hell. I was 32 at the time (now 33) and when I went to the doctor, my physician immediately gave me an EKG. I told him that I run regularly and I'm in good shape - I doubted I was having a cardiological event. I asked him to run the test again, that I didn't mind paying for it. The nurse who ran the first test, for some reason, did not inspire my confidence...I told him that some antibiotics and a decongestant would have me right as rain in a few days...He didn't bite...
He told me I had to go to the hospital. He sent me to a private hospital where the admissions officer was familiar with his name. 12 hours later, 2 more EKG's, IV lines, and blood tests I had a bill of $4,280.
The medical system is broken and it needs to be fixed. I didn't have $4,280 to spare for a doctor's mistake. Nor did I have an extra $4,280 instead of $20 worth of antibiotics.
I will be done with my doctorate in a year or two, and I will be in position to make a good living. I'll have a lot of options and if somehow, I end up making a ton of money, I feel it would be patriotic and totally American to pay a smidge more in taxes to help someone in my situation.
When tonight's debate turned to health care - which is not my #1 issue in this campaign (green economy) - I remembered Obama's reflections on his mother's last moments fighting with insurance companies. I looked at McCain's face, savaged by cancer, and thought about how easy it was for him to get GOVERNMENT paid for health care. I thought about Dick Cheney's heart and how much taxpayer money has helped it keep beating.
When we can afford to provide the best health care for the people responsible for bringing this country to its knees in so many areas, but are unwilling to make health care affordable and practical for Joe Sixpack, I think we need to look at ourselves and wonder what kind of future we really want...