While sitting outside, sipping Starbucks, I had an eye-opening conversation with my dear friend
Evie, who just happens to be an HR professional. Even though it's been a month or so, her comments about shopping around her company's
healthcare insurance have really stuck with me.
Why?
Because they made me feel bad and greedy and dirty and demanding. And I don't like that. Not one bit.
She was discussing the reason for higher rates, no specific names or issues discussed of course, just a lesson in why people with medical conditions can really mess things up for the rest of the insured.
That's when it hit me -
PKU is not only a huge pain in the rear. It's also a massive liability. My son contributes to the
bottom line cost of our company's
healthcare plan. We depend upon a family/families with no medical issues to help cover the cost of our top-notch genetics team. Don't ask me why that thought never occurred to me before then, but for some reason, in that moment, my perspective changed.
Gone was my sense of indignation that even though we pay a pretty penny, my husband's employer is self-funded and therefore can skip any state-mandated coverage (at the moment,
PKU mandated coverage is state by state, but there is a movement for Federal mandates - I wonder the future of that now), in came my relief and appreciation that they agree to pay for
any of
Youngest's treatments and formula at all, because in reality, they don't
have to.
I felt horrible for all the bitching and moaning I've done - "they'll cover everything to actually get you a baby - Viagra,
IVF, surrogacy, foreign adoption, etc. - but you're S.O.L. if that kid has an issue...blah, blah, blah." This
healthcare reform nightmare now makes me want to sleep with my
Aetna card hidden under my pillow, because honest to goodness, I'm pretty thankful for what we have, and thankful that my husband puts up with the corporate world in order for us to keep it.
Recently, that thanks has started morphing into paranoia though - I'm scared because I don't believe we'll get to keep our private coverage (sorry, I don't) and that there won't be room for
PKU management in the future of health insurance once the government starts offering "
choice and competition."
"Choice and Competition!?"
(Great, now I need to retrain my thinking of two more words. And just after I've finally mastered the true meaning of Hope and Change.)
But, boy do I feel like a hypocrite even worrying that his coverage might disappear. It's not our right to have it, I truly believe that - so why don't I drop his
PKU coverage from our insurance plan? Because if he has no history of it under our plan, he will have no chance of ever getting coverage (and this diet ain't cheap or an option) once out in the real world. At least as things stand now. But I'm pretty sure preexisting conditions acceptance will not be part of the final bill. And I don't really blame them. Who would pay for coverage until they really need it if that loophole was there? Oh yeah, the fine.
Whatever.
In this debate of "free" insurance for all, does anyone really think that the government won't/can't tell you "no" when you request coverage for a specific ailment? And when the government tells you "no," because they will, who do you go to for help? I'm assuming that private insurers won't eventually be run out of the business. Bad assumption? Do supporters think that there's a pit of money under the Capitol Building? What is going to have to "give?" - public education system, infrastructure, national security - because we cannot have it all - we cannot afford it. Are all doctors just going to roll over and accept government coverage because it's the "right" thing to do -
hmm, Medicare/Medicaid anyone? Or will there eventually be a clause that doctors
have to accept government coverage? What happens when all the "good" doctors move to private, cash only transactions? Is there anything stopping them from doing that? What happens if you chose to have another child after you already know the risk of that child carrying a bum gene? Will that be considered bad behavior and a reason for cancellation? Come to think of it, can your coverage be cancelled because the government is making it mandatory to carry coverage - if they pull the plug so to speak, where do you go?
Do you see the can of worms that is being opened here?
I hate the thought of some other family having to pay more for their premiums because of our lousy roll of the dice. Hate. Hate. Hate it. Just as much as I hate the thought of my premiums being jacked to fund someone
else's gastric bypass or Betty Ford visit. But I swallow it because it's how it works, because if we reach our breaking point we can choose to leave, and because we're really a corporate team, and surely, anyone who works for the corporation wouldn't take advantage of the system?
Right?
So why do I have such little faith in the American public to not milk this Plan for all it's worth?
And riddle me this
leftish leaners, how are you going to feel about all this when it's the Republicans calling the shots? Let me get you good and thinking - the Patriot Act.
But it's late and my head hurts from all this worry, so my confession must end. Excuse me while I go lay my cold insurance card on my forehead.
In my absence, go visit
Patterico's Pontifications and enjoy the debate over making Health Insurance more like Car Insurance.
More
personal responsibility and choices? Sign me up.
(Important to note - my friend had no idea that what she was telling me was making me feel guilty. She was just unloading her worries, which I totally welcome. And this insurance perspective is just from little ole me and my
PKU experience. It should in no way be
extrapolated to mean that I think kids with special needs should not be covered. It's the adults that make unwise choices that make me steam. Per usual.)
"Friday's Food for Thought" is just an excuse for me to shoot my mouth off on whatever hot button topic happens to be rattling around in my head. Please don't click away mad if I touched a nerve. Call me out if you think I'm full of it. I always enjoy a respectful rebuttal. For F.F.F.T. only, I will post answers in the comment section in order to keep the dialogue open. Peace.
(I'm continuing to welcome anonymous comments - besides you NavyWife. If you're a regular reader, but hesitate to expose your political thoughts, please feel free to leave a comment without your name. Do know that I will be watching though, and will delete anything that's ugly or a personal attack. Let's just be nice though, shall we - I really don't have time for that crap.)
