An Earache My Eye

So I spent the day with the most horrific earache I have ever had. It felt like a shotgun blast to the side of my head. Which got me to thinking, if we get universal health care, will I be able to call my doctor and see him immediately? I didn't do that today, but had I wanted to, I would have been seen right away. That is part of the greatest health care system in the world that I would definitely miss.

I do know a little about health care for everyone. I was working when I became ill, but since I had to quit my job immediately, I was not able to pay for my COBRA. When I was finally diagnosed and told that I would not be able to return to work, my COBRA was picked up by the county I lived in. Unfortunately, the numbskull that worked for the county let my insurance lapse the day of my open-chest operation, but I still got the surgury that I needed, plus all other required care until I received Social Security disability. Of course that SSD took 2 1/2 years, two denials and the hiring of a Social Security advocate to get what everyone agreed should have been approved immediately, but there was in fact a safety net that was in place to protect me and others in need. Yes I had to file for bankruptcy because of this, but that is just another safety net in the system. Thems the breaks. I am not OWED a perfect life by anyone. The U.S. Constitution affords me the right to the pursuit of happiness, not happiness itself.

Does our health care system need an overhaul? The answer is partially yes, but mostly no. Let people buy insurance across state lines, require drug companies to charge no more here than they do in other countries, and have people with preexisting conditions go into a subsidized pool that will cover them for expenses related to the past ailment, coupled with a regular insurance policy to cover everything else. This would solve 90% of the perceived problems in our system, but just like people, the system will never be perfect.

I am grateful for all of the programs that have helped me stay alive and be able to live a reasonably comfortable life. If these supports hadn't existed, I probably would have died. That is how it was in the old days, and could be now if we hadn't all agreed to have compassion for others. I hope that someday I will be a productive member of society again, so I don't want the government to start a massive entitlement that will keep me trapped in it's clutches. But you never know what you will get when you let the folks in Washington have too much power.