Health Insurance
So, I’m back from a long day down in Albuquerque. The best parts of the day were lunch with Daniel Abraham and Walter Jon Williams, and coffee with Victor Milan, but in-between the two pleasant events was a stop at the dentist’s for a routine teeth cleaning, and the annual mammogram. I bring this up not because routine medical and dental proceedures are interesting, but because of the stress level engendered from these appointments. You see, for years I’ve been covered with the excellent insurance provided by the Writer’s Guild of America, but that coverage is ending the end of March. So, I’m frantically trying to get as many medical tests out of the way before March 31st, and when Blue Cross Blue Shield kicks in on April 1st. (Something symbolic there).
I’m a screenwriter. I manage a natural gas and oil company (yes, really, and I’ll post about that some other time). I have a few dimes to rub together, and I’m sick to my stomach, and find myself waking up at 3:00 am to walk the floors and worry about health insurance. So, how does a family of four working low end jobs that don’t provide health coverage manage? I expect not well. And it makes me crazy. We’re the wealthiest country in the world, but we spend more on health care than any other industrialized nation. Our major companies are staggering under the burden of providing health care or in some cases just reneging on the promise they made to their workers. It’s a crises, folks, and it’s getting worse. And just to add to the fun I have a friend who works at a hospital, and she says no insurance is actually better then shitty insurance. Of course if you own anything you’re going to get wiped out before the state will step in and help you out.
I’m hoping the Dems will tackle this issue, and I think we have a chance for the Democrats to be seen as supporting business. I want national health care and I want it yesterday. As for all the scare tactics used to argue against a single payor system — you won’t get to pick your own doctor. Heck, I don’t get to pick my own doctor _now_. You’ll have to wait for service. Really? I have to wait months for an appointment _now_.
Whew. Okay. I’m back now. So, tomorrow I get to ride my horse, and think about my books, and that will be a lot more fun.
Melinda
March 15th, 2007 at 5:02 am
Health care is a crisis… Especially for self-employed folks like writers. If you don’t have a spouse who works and has a decent health insurance plan to cover you and your family, you’re stuck with either horrendously expense insurance with mediocre coverage or catastrophic-only coverage, or none at all.
March 15th, 2007 at 7:42 am
I’ve picked up your feed at LiveJournal thanks to Steve. I’ve found the entries so far very interesting and I’m looking forward to more.
You’ve hit on one of my hot topics with this post. See, I live with a woman with chronic health issues. We’ve lived together for 19 years come Saturday. We would be married by now but doing that would kill her. Because I make a decent living, my income would get her kicked off Medical Assistance. To cover her on my insurance would mean sucking it up during the “pre-existing condition” period. Her healthcare bills are so large that, without insurance, we’d be making decisions like whether to get her medicine or pay the mortgage this month.
So, yeah, let’s get some real health care in this country. The sooner the better.
August 4th, 2007 at 8:54 am
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