I have to admit; the whole "debate" about health care has me puzzled.
In February of this year, I flipped an ATV in the desert. I do have health insurance, so they were good enough to fly me to the hospital in an emergency helicopter. I spent five days in the ICU doped up on morphine. I lost sensation in my legs, below the knees. I also, for some odd reason, don't have feeling in my fingertips.
My bill came out to around $75,000 and they discharged me without a real diagnosis. It's a long story, but I have nerve damage and there is a possibility that I could end up in a wheelchair, but they aren't sure why. The scans didn't reveal a broken neck, as they initially thought.
A couple of months ago-- in July I think-- I tripped and fell while walking my dogs. I actually fall down often, because of the problem with the loss of feeling in my legs.
Anyway, I dislocated my shoulder when I fell. It was incredibly painful, but it was about to get a whole lot worse.
Because I know how insurance companies work, I was smart enough to call my insurer before I went to the emergency room. And this was definitely an emergency room situation.
When I called my insurance company, the customer service person almost started laughing. She said:
"Mr. George-- you used up your entire emergency benefit for the year this past February!"
"So now what?" I asked-- genuinely, because I really didn't know what I was supposed to do at this point.
"You'll have to pay cash."
I hung up the phone very depressed. A dislocated shoulder requires that you be anesthetized so the doctor can pop it back in. I knew I was looking at thousands and thousands of dollars.
So, like so many people without insurance, I made the decision to avoid the hospital bill. I can't afford it right now. I just don't have the money, period.
But I do "have insurance!" And I do live in the country with the "greatest medical care in the world!"
I've got a friend who told me we could pop it in by leaning against a wall. So I leaned and my buddy gave me a hard shove.
My vision went black for a second and I almost passed out from the pain. I might have screamed like a little girl, but I won't admit that. My friend laughed hysterically.
Of course, my friend is an idiot, and I am an idiot for listening, but again: What am I supposed to do?
Shockingly enough, my arm didn't heal correctly and I can't lift it above shoulder height. This makes putting on deodorant or changing my shirt very arduous tasks. I have to put my arms on the bathroom counter, take a couple of steps backward, sort of hunched over and stretched out, and very gently apply the deodorant with my good arm.
If my arm doesn't get better-- if I screwed it up permanently-- I'll never be able to do manual labor again. I am reminded of John McCain's shoulder injuries and the fact that he can't lift his arms above his shoulders to this day. He can't even comb his own hair. This terrifies me.
Of course, I have no idea what the damage is, because I can't afford to see a doctor about it until next January, when a new insurance year starts.
So this is why I am so puzzled. I don't understand how my fellow Americans can look me in the eye and tell me "tough luck." Why don't conservatives want me to get my arm fixed? Do I really deserve to be in pain and only have full use of one arm? I'm an American Citizen for goodness sakes.
What do we do with poor people who hurt themselves? Tough luck for them?
I can't even believe that this is an issue. It is truly beyond my comprehension.
Because if you think you have health insurance: Just wait until you have a real problem.
My wife had cancer and I owe the Mayo Clinic $630,000. And that was with an insurance company that was contracted with Mayo. That's what I owe after all of the B.S. denial-of-coverage letters that we received. They wore me down. After fighting them for several years and exchanging HUNDREDS of phone calls and letters, I finally just gave up.
But that's not all I owe. I also maxed out all of my credit cards paying for cancer treatments that weren't authorized by my insurance company. For example, my wife needed a PET scan and I had to pay $5000 that day, before the scan. Because of the cancer, I also have about $80,000 in credit card debt. All in all, I owe more than $700,000 in medical expenses.
So which one of you teabaggers likes the idea of maximum lifetime limits on your insurance policy? Because you've got 'em. Yes indeed you do.
And yes, you will eventually get "dropped" if you acquire enough medical bills. Even patriots. God help you.
Which one of you teabaggers has $700,000 in case your wife gets cancer?
I know. Tough luck for me and anybody else who is struggling financially. That must be the compassionate conservatism I so enjoy reading about.
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Hi Mike, I sent a flag to have this post featured. Don't know if it will be featured or not, but to me this is the very reason our country needs a better health care system. I personally have health care already (which I pay for monthly). I do not expect that to change in the future.
However, the scenario you just wrote about (both scenarios) are happening daily to fellow Americans. This is a HOT topic and people are very vocal about both sides. I am curious as to the answers you may get to your question, so I would like to park here. And good luck to you. I would say, just go get it checked and add it to the bill you already have. At this point you need to put yourself first.