The United States Has The Best Health Care In The World

I wonder how many people you would have to ask before you got somebody to say that they had a positive experience with their health insurance provider. I know my mother has. She is about as militant about health insurance as she is about anything else-- which is to say, she will raise her voice in defense of the health insurance system. She's had positive experiences with them, and she's not afraid to tell me about it. And she feels that she would not be able to have the kind of care she received were it not for her health insurance. She feels taken care of.

So if I exclude my mother, I wonder how many people have had positive experiences with their health insurance provider.

Here are some of my personal stories regarding health insurance. When my wife had a sudden onset of crippling stomach/side/back pain, our insurance company told us to drive 30 miles to an emergency room, rather than drive the 3 blocks to the hospital emergency room in our backyard. Once we drove the 30 miles (about 30 minutes), we waited in the waiting room for almost six hours before we were seen. My wife endured pain that prevented her from standing straight for six hours without explanation. Once she was seen, she was given pain killers almost immediately, then she had pictures taken of the painful area on her body. The doctors suspected a kidney stone, and they wanted films to prove the existence of the kidney stones. The first picture they took, they screwed up in taking (somebody moved, or something like that), so they had to take a second picture. The second picture was not covered by our insurance, as only one picture was needed to prove the existence of kidney stones. That one extra picture which was not covered by our insurance company and in no way was the fault of my wife: $300. This represents about two weeks worth of food for my family. And we didn't have a choice about spending that money. On our tight budget, the hospital and health insurance company made that decision for us. My wife got on a payment plan, and over a year later, paid the hospital bill, allowing my two boys, my wife and myself to eat. If they screw up your pictures when they develop them at Rite Aid, they pay for the pictures. They don't make you pay for pictures that were developed incorrectly. That would be laughable. But, in our world, what's laughable at Rite Aid is Good Business for our Great American Health Insurance Companies.

How about this latest story: my mother offered to have her shrink take a look at the doctors my health insurance company covers to make a recommendation as to who might be able to give me the best coverage. This service is NOT provided by the health insurance provider, even though it would be a very helpful service, as it would help the sick get to the doctors who could best provide care for them. But I'm certain this service would decrease profits, which would increase health insurance premiums, and you don't want your health insurance premiums to increase, do you?? I didn't think so, says the voice of Big Brother. So I look up mental health care providers covered by my health insurance company. Turns out, if I want that kind of specialized treatment-- you know, a mental health counselor-- I would have to drive to another city about 3 hours away from my home. So my choices are to not receive care or to clear my schedule of at least 6 hours, as that's the drive time there and back. This six hour clearing doesn't include the actual appointment, which, no doubt, will start right on time and end right on time. No waiting, no fuss-- oh, wait. It will be my first time there, so there will have to be paperwork filled out. That's another hour, at least. So 7 hours, and I haven't even been seen by a doctor yet. So we're talking a missed day of work, which is providing for this health care, so if I miss too much work, I won't have a job providing health insurance anymore.

I wonder why we believe this system is the best we can do? I have to believe it's out of fear. Fearful that she would not be provided the positive experiences she's already received or that her level of care would fall, my mother wants to remain the same in regards to our current health insurance system. And I don't think anyone can blame her. If it's not broke, don't fix it, right?

In my head, though, it is broke. It's really, really broke. Think about a family road trip in a really large passenger bus. There is one seat on the bus that gets adequate temperature control and has cushioned seats, making the road trip bearable, maybe even nice. Every other seat on the bus, however, has loose springs sticking out, broken air conditioner vents, windows that won't roll down, and you're sitting next to Big Fat Bobby Bo Jim, who just ate a jalapeno burger and hasn't showered since 1983. And everyone on the bus is sitting next to Big Fat Bobby Bo Jim. He's just that fat. Would you consider that to be a working, functional bus? If you had another choice, would you take it?

Is it possible that our health care system is broken? Is it possible there is something better? Is it possible that we could ALL get care for our health? As if, say, that were a national value-- the health and maintenance of that health for all members of the nation? That all members of our country could be cared for by the country that we love and care and pay for? Is it possible that we're not doing something because we're afraid to? Is it possible that other people are trying to stop this kind of change because they are sitting in that one good seat on the bus?

Is it possible to change?