the bottom line

I have been talking about my health insurance problems for months. MONTHS. And tonight it came up again around the table at supper. And the folks at the table what happened in the end. I told them the bill my parents just paid for a cobra plan since all of our other plans failed and the school never came through.

$6400 for a year

A gasp went up througout the table. And a unexpected person spoke up for the first time. A medical student who has previously always brushed me off when i tried to talk about it. And is always very outspoken in our debates in health policy class about how health care is not a right. Said, “But it doesn’t cost that much to provide you with health care for a year…there is no way. That’s not right”

I explained (as I have been for months) why I don’t qualify for medicaid, why the school’s policy won’t work and why I can’t have a lapse. I talked about  power of the pre-existing condition label. This insane cobra plan is the only way for me to stay insured and be insurable in the future.

The medical student was unusually quiet. I could see the conflict in their eyes. I could see that I had just rocked her world a little. Part of my heart went out to them because I know how hard it is when your views are challenged by reality but another part of my heart the selfish part wanted to scream: “Am I bottom line to you? You didn’t care all these six months while I fought so hard, while I was terrified. But then I gave you a number, a monetary value.  Is that what your patients are? Is that what your friends are? Is that what people are?”

But I held back. And left the topic with one final thought: “I am not crazy about entirely socialized health care (I have chronically ill friends in UK and elsewhere who have their own horror stories) but I am all for fighting for a system that didn’t discriminate against sick people especially those of us who didn’t have any choice in being sick.”

And they were silent.  And I couldn’t help but laugh to myself and think well at least I am getting the most out of my parents money.  Perhaps I win this battle one health professional at a time.

6399 to go.