Last week my co-workers sat around trying to figure out our new medical and dental benefits. Fortunately the Vision benefits weren’t that hard to figure out. I guess when it comes to vision insurance you either need glasses or you don’t. Unless you have been under a rock, you shouldn’t be surprised why medical and dental benefits needed to be scrutinized. I have to be honest and say that the experience was horrendous. I wish I could find a better word to describe it but I can’t. It was as if we were answering questions to a calculus test. Why is understanding health insurance the equivalent to understanding Wall Street derivatives? My head hurt as co-pay, coinsurance, and deductibles danced around in my head. I know we have deductibles in auto and home insurance but why medical? My company told us that they want us to be cognizant of the cost of our health insurance. WTH?? I wonder do businesses in Switzerland say that to their employees?My wife pays $10 - $15 dollars when she wants to see the doctor (i.e. co-pay). When I want to see the doctor I have to pay $300 - $500 dollars (i.e. deductible) before my coinsurance kicks in (about 20% of the amount). This doesn’t include the drugs that will be prescribed to us after the visit. Because what is a doctor’s visit without drugs?? My wife will again use co-Pay while I will pay coinsurance. Sounds like my wife is getting the better end of the deal right? It’s probably a good thing that I don’t get sick that often. While I watched my co-workers wrestle over life changing decisions that could have long lasting ramifications. I thought about all those members of Congress that are arguing over “our” health insurance. People were literally sweating bullets on their healthcare selections. Meanwhile the public option keeps going in and out like a bad television set. I bet Congress doesn’t worry about health care like a single mother or a family of a child with chronic illness does?
When I was in the military we had Government Healthcare provide by the…….Government!!! Yes!! That is correct America. The same medical system that the Republicans rail about is being practiced by our Armed Forces. I guess they don’t see it from all of the camouflage that we wear? I miss being able to go to the doctor without having to worry about getting a huge bill afterwards. And so did my fellow servicemen and women. Parents with children didn’t have to worry about losing their homes because of medical bills. Single mothers didn’t have to make judgment calls on whether to pay for the light bill or their child’s prescriptions. Hospital stays weren’t like trying to get a room at the Bellagio. Everyone was taking care of the best way possible. Now I don’t want to paint a pretty picture because we had our medical mishaps. But for every person that has had an issue you will find one that didn’t. Ah the memories!!!! It’s probably a good thing that I don’t get sick that often.
