Guaranteed Healthcare

I just want to list all the people around me in the last six months who have needed healthcare, but been worried about the costs or been uninsured.

Fletch, my roommate, who had a very bad case of influenza. He didn't have insurance (or an income) and did not seek treatment, instead resting at home. It took so long to recover from the flu that he ended up with pneumonia. The pneumonia led to chronic coughing that resulted in a cracked rib. This series of sicknesses and injuries prevented him from finding any work involving manual labor.

Naomi, my friend who visited me while between jobs. She is an RN and delivers excellent care in her ER, but is not covered herself since her insurance was tied to her job that she quit two weeks earlier. She broke her leg while learning to ski, resulting in a costly evacuation by ambulance from the ski area to the hospital, surgery to set the bone, and several days of hospital stay before being released but disabled (on crutches) and medications for at least six weeks. Her ability to pursue re-employment is also adversely affected.

Lam, the daughter of a family friend, who punctured her ear when she fell against the corner of the table at our house. Since they were visiting, we had to find a doctor or clinic for her in our area, but one that would take her PPO insurance. With her bleeding little girl screaming on her lap, her mother had to ask the question "what's my insurance?" Lam was treated and released, but her ordeal happens all the time and every one of these incidents involved someone who needed healthcare having to calculate whether or not they could afford it.

Myself, who contracted MRSA through a scrape on my knee while visiting Naomi in San Francisco. The knee swelled overnight, and spread to the whole lower leg by the next day. I had to go to the ER, but still hesitated because I knew I only had minimal coverage with a $1000 deductible. I ended up getting admitted to the hospital overnight and administered two rounds of IV antibiotics with p/o Keflex afterwards.

A diabetic bus driver in Jackson who couldn't get insurance because the symptoms prevented him from working 35 hours a week. Never mind that it would have been a pre-existing condition. The church and community held a fundraiser dinner to help him with the medical costs, but he still needs assistance.

My boss, the owner of a company that grosses over a million dollars a year and has more than 50 employees, was hit by a snowboarder and broke her left thumb. While not terribly debilitating, she needed surgery and wore a cast for 8 weeks. She too thought twice about making a claim because her deductible is very high. She is a successful businesswoman and does not have adequate health insurance. She chooses not to offer health insurance to her employees because of the high cost and so every time one of them is sick or injured, they are gone for an extended period of time, resulting in lost productivity. This also affects her bottom line, but not as much as paying for health insurance. This means that the insurance is a failure. You're supposed to get insured because, for a small premium, you are protected against a really big accident that you hope won't happen, but wouldn't be able to afford, so you insure against it.

These are just six examples of the untreated and/or uninsured carnage I have seen this year, wreaking havoc on peoples lives and finances. Is this going to continue for the rest of our lives? Why don't we do the most sensible thing to end healthcare hardship: pass HR 676?