I'm kneeling in front of my 5 year old, putting his braces on him. It's part of the morning routine when you have a child with cerebral palsy. That's when he looks at me and asks, "Daddy, how many more times will I see Miss Betsy?"
Miss Betsy is his physical therapist. He adores Miss Betsy. I realize how much the little guy has been listening as Miss Betsy explained to me that we had nearly used up the visits allowed by our insurance carrier for physical therapy.
A 5 year old's introduction to private, rationed health care after the jump.
The cerebral palsy causes my son to walk on his tip toes, in a crouched position, knees inward. Braces help, but physical therapy stretches and strengthens him with visible improvement that also heads off long term damage.
Miss Betsy, the therapist, believes he needs two sessions a week.
Our insurance company only allows 30 a year.
I'm self employed and pay no less than $14,000 a year for my families coverage. It's the second largest expense we have, after our mortgage. But we do it. Yes, I feel fortunate that we can afford it for now, and understand how many would be forced to go without coverage at that price point.
With that as background, I called our carrier to ask for more PT sessions. As the odyssey played out, I began to have visions of Republican after Republican denouncing the prospect of a public health care option. "Rationed health care" with "a bureaucrat between you and your doctor" they all say. Rationed health care? What do you think I have now? An insurance company has unilaterally decided my son-- all our sons and daughters-- need no more than 30 physical therapy sessions a year. The opinion of a medical expert be damned.
And bureaucracy? One call yields a promise of a call back, which never comes. Another call from me, another promise of a call back. But it's what this last case worker, a nurse, told me that drove me to this rant. Her advice? While they review our case, perhaps we should start looking into Medicaid.
Medicaid. State run Medicaid.
So when the profit margin from our $14,000 a year account with them gets squeezed, they hand us off to the kind of state run healthcare their lobbyists are currently battling.
As I mentioned, I have my own business. I'm just imagining a world where a client of mine calls up asking for extra service, and I'm able to get away with saying "Sorry. We're done. The government will do it for you now."
Friends, this health care debate is not a financial issue. It is a moral issue. We need to hammer that point home to our lawmakers. He who frames the argument has it half-won, and the other side is framing this issue with numbers.
I wish they could have been in my kitchen as my little boy asked his question.