These stories come from the real people who live with a broken health care system. Some have health insurance and some do not. Many of these stories suggest potential solutions* that lead to quality, affordable health care we can count on. One thing we all agree on is that the we cannot trust the insurance industry to fix themselves. To learn more about what Health Care for America Now stands for read our Statement of Common Purpose.
We wanted to give you a chance to speak for yourself, in your own voice, about the need for Health Care for America Now. Do you have something to say? Tell us your story.
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Cara
Peoria, IL
I have a very average, but frustrating story. I've been lucky to hold jobs with good insurance plans since the birth of my children.
But anymore, even the little things are killing our finances. Over the past few years, our family members (me, my husband, the two boys) have had a few hospital stays - short, non-emergency, but necessary medical procedures). My youngest had his gall bladder removed. My oldest had a pre-auricular fistula (a hole sort of thing in the skin by his ear that kept getting infected and needed surgery to remove the whole thing). I had a fatty lump removed from my shoulder. My husband just had his knees replaced (osteo-arthritis, very necessary).
Now, with insurance, I know we are paying just a fraction of the total costs. So I can't complain too much. But the deductibles that hit us still kill our income (what there is of it). For example, when my son Gabriel had his gall bladder out - I had to (still am actually) pay a $200 co-pay for the hospital itself. And a $200 co-pay for the pediatric surgeon's services. And a $200 co-pay for the pediatric gastroentorologist's services. And a $200 co-pay for the hematologist's services. All during his one week stay. That's $800. Add to that the smaller co-pays I got hit with for the ansethesiologist, his pediatrician's visits, the visits from the hospital based pediatrician who covered on the day there was a snowstorm and the regular pediatrician couldn't make it in. The bills totaled over $1000. Three months later, my older son had surgery on that fistula thing I mentioned, to drain it for the first time. Another $400 (hospital and surgeon's copays).
Note: my husband and I work at the same place. He pays for our coverage out of his paycheck. He also makes about $10,000 more per month than I do - BUT our paychecks hit our bank account at very close to the same amount after deductions. So we're already paying around $10,000 annually for health insurance. The co-pays listed above are in addition to the monthly payment (just over $800) we already make.
We also get dental coverage and vision coverage, but as most of you probably know, this coverage is terrible and pays only a fraction. I'm the big dental problem in our family. Having the two boys did something to my teeth, because despite good brushing habits, from the time when my oldest (7) was born, until just last year, I have one by one had a root canal needed, then crown placed, on every single one of my molars. Prior to pregnancy, I had the occasional cavity.
I also have the worst eyesight. I can't afford a Lasix procedure yet (it's not covered by insurance at all). So I have to wear contacts or glasses all the time. If I didn't get the thinner hyperindex lenses, I'd be the girl with the coke-bottle glasses. Last October, the store where I get my eyes checked was having a three for one sale on frames - and at the same time I was submitting my flex spending plan at work. So I signed up to have $45 a month taken out of my paycheck - and went and got three pair of glasses and enough contact lenses for two years (monthly disposable).
Now, all of this said, I'd like to do a quick accounting of how much money I'm currently paying for medical, dental and vision - NOT including the payment deducted from my husband's paycheck. None of these have any interest, luckily.
$45 vision
$51 old hospital bills from youngest son (collections company for the hospital)
$20 younger son's gastroenterologist (still paying him off)
$75 dental (we owe our dentist a ton for mine and other family members regular work, no cosmetic stuff here)
$20 some kind of check up/recheck visit with some doctor (there's at least one that hits every month)
That's another $211 a month, another $2500+ for the year.
Now, the old hospital bills, the gastroenterologist and the vision bills will all be paid off by August and October, respectively. The dentist will probably take till next year to pay off (I pray we don't have any expensive stuff needed between now and then). But we haven't gotten any co-pay bills for my husband's knee surgery yet, as he just had this in June. SO soon enough, another bill will replace the ones we're paying off.
I'm paying about $12,500 a year for health, vision, dental - out of an approximately $80,000 income total - that's about 15% of our total income. Almost as much as my mortgage, and a bit more than daycare, percentage wise. The three together represent about 42% of our total income. Then we have all the regular bills, electricity, phone, garbage, gas. Not much is left for any kind of extras, let me tell you.
Now, this is no horror story by any means. I'm pretty lucky, and comfortable enough. We don't have any luxuries, but that's okay, comfortable is just fine.
The thing that frustrates me the most is that I know I don't have to be paying 15% of my annual income for health costs. I saw the recent PBS Frontline special on health care in other countries - where citizens are paying 2-5% of their annual incomes for health care. The PBS highlighted some Asian countries, Japan and Taiwan, Germany and England, and others. The care those people are receiving is completely comparable to US standards. As a matter of fact, I remember that in either Japan or Taiwan, the majority of people visit their general practitioner once a month, even for tiny stuff. And they still pay less than we do. By a huge margin. Thousands of dollars less.
So why, if America is the leader in so many other ways, do we have the least efficient health care system in ANY industrialized modern nation on the planet? IMHO - greed. It's time the government did something about it. Whether they take over the health care system or intervene to regulate everything, I'm not sure what the answer is - but honestly, things can't get any worse than they are now.
Actually, let me rephrase - the only thing that will change if we don't change healthcare in the US is that prices will go up and up and up indefinitely. So they can, and will, get worse.
WE MUST UNDERTAKE MASSIVE CHANGE IN OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM - to benefit everyone, not just the CEOs and Presidents!
*Health Care for America Now is not responsible for the content of these stories. These stories are submitted by individuals in the online audience and have been edited in some cases. Health Care For America Now does not endorse any of the solutions or policy positions suggested in the content of these stories. Health Care for America Now is a coalition of organizations that agree to the Statement of Common Purpose.
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Read the Statement of Common Purpose.
