Healthcare in crisis: Nursing a broken system back to health
by Amberlee Miller
While visiting Pennsylvania recently, I became extremely ill. I could barely move out of bed, was peeing blood, and could not stop puking. The pain in my lower right back was unbearable; something was seriously wrong. I was in pain, scared, and alone. I had been hesitant to go to the doctor or hospital for the past couple days because I did not have insurance. I could not wait anymore; I had to call 9-1-1. An ambulance arrived, strapped me to a stretcher, and took me to the nearest hospital. In the hospital, nurses hooked me up to fluids, pain reliever, and antibiotics. When the pain medicine finally hit me, I was in a lucid state of heaven. After awhile, a nurse came in and asked for my insurance card. I didn’t have one.
When I was released from the hospital my prescriptions were a couple hundred dollars and my hospital bill a couple thousand. What made the situation even more unfortunate was a week later I was accepted for MassHealth, a free health care provider for Massachusetts residence. I tried applying for medical assistance through the hospital in Pennsylvania to cover my large bill, but because I was not a resident of that state, they denied me assistance. I tried getting medical assistance through my new insurance, but they could not help me because I did not have the insurance at the time of my hospitalization. Since I was a full time student, and worked very little, I began making monthly payments of $25. After missing one month’s payment, the hospital put me in a collection agency.
There is something seriously wrong with our health care system. Even though I have insurance now, it is only good in the state of Massachusetts, or emergency room visits in other states. Since I did not have insurance for three years, the state of Massachusetts is fining me. Once I did get accepted for MassHealth, I continuously got kicked off because I denied the insurance GMC offered me. When the state saw my social security number being used in jobs, I would get sent paperwork questioning how many hours I worked, how long I worked there, and if the job offered insurance.
The Health Care Reform Law was passed in Massachusetts in 2006, requiring all residents to have healthcare. For people who can not afford insurance, they may qualify for free healthcare provided by the state through MassHealth. MassHealth’s mission statement is, “To help the financially needy obtain high-quality health care that is affordable, promotes independence, and provides customer satisfaction.” They provide members with affordable prescriptions and little or no cover charge. The downside to this free healthcare is that not all medical facilities in the state accept it. As of out-of-state coverage, MassHealth covers certain emergency treatments. Don’t get me wrong, I love MassHealth. This insurance allows me to go to the doctor and dentist for free, which I didn’t have before. My prescriptions are either a couple of dollars or free.
When Republican Scott Brown was elected into Senate for the state of Massachusetts, the universal healthcare plan took an unexpected turn. Brown states that, “All Americans deserve health care coverage, but I am opposed to the health care legislation that is under consideration in Congress and will vote against it. It will raise taxes, increase government spending and lower the quality of care, especially for elders on Medicare. I support strengthening the existing private market system with policies that will drive down costs and make it easier for people to purchase affordable insurance.”
U.S. Senator for Vermont, Bernie Sanders, has strong views when it comes to universal healthcare. “Regardless of what happened in Massachusetts, the reality remains that out health care system is distinguishing,” Sanders stated to the Burlington Free Press. He went on to state, “It is unacceptable that 45,000 Americans die every year because they don’t get to a doctor on time.”
Should Americans be forced to have healthcare? Using my own experience as an example, I would have to say no. The whole reason why I was uninsured for three years was because my mom could not afford the cost of me being on her insurance, which was taken out of her weekly paycheck. My situation is not unlike many others. I went three years with no insurance and am in debt due to multiple medical bills and fines from the state. I barely qualify for free healthcare and have to fight to sustain it, but I don’t think anyone should be forced to have healthcare. The cost of healthcare is high, which some people can’t afford; it just seems like an unhealthy relationship between the citizens and the government.
Short URL: http://www.themountaineer.org/?p=1166
Posted by Amberlee Miller
on Jan 29, 2010 Filed under Health & Well-Being.
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