health insurance (Fred)

[Fred Sturm]

--On Thursday, August 5, 2004 2:29 PM -0700 Susan Kline <skline@peak.org> 
wrote:

> Fred, is there something here which I've missed? Are you particularly
> unhealthy? Are you a heavy user of medical services?
>
> You have obviously suffered great inconvenience, anxiety, expense, and
> frustration getting yourself health coverage. Is there some reason you
> couldn't just stuff some money into an account toward medical costs,
> instead of fighting one uncaring bureaucracy after another?

Hi Susan,
	Nope, not chronically ill. ALmost never seen a doctor. My total health 
bill  for my entire life is well under $5000. Adult life, under $500. 
(Dental is another story). However, I do know many, many people who have 
suddenly found themselves in a health situation: sister-in-law who has had 
repeated cancerous tumors in bladder and kidney; close friends who have 
come down with MS; etc. And when I did a cholesterol test last year, on 
hitting 50, I found that I have real high numbers - very easily could have 
had a heart attack like a somewhat younger colleague. Very easily could 
still, though I have done a great deal to avoid that (mostly in the form of 
aerobic exercise - I was not overweight, nor did I eat unhealthy food).
	I am very sympathetic (on an emotional level) with the rugged 
individualist, go it alone philosophy. But as I have grown older, and, I 
think, wiser, I have realized that there is really no such thing as alone. 
We are connected whether we want to be or not - and not just on a spiritual 
level, but in very practical ways. Suppose you are uninsured, and you are 
the one diagnosed with cancer, completely out of the blue. You end up with 
easily (very optimistic case scenario) $250,000 in bills. Who pays? Well, 
first your assets are liquidated. Then family and friends are called on. 
But in the end, either the hospital absorbs it (meaning we all pay in 
higher costs), or you are bankrupt and on Medicaid, and we all pay in taxes.
	IOW, the non-insured route is an irresponsible one. It's like the person 
who rides the motorcycle without the helmet, saying "Hey, it's my neck that 
would get broken." But that paraplegic will be a public charge for the rest 
of his/her life: we all pay.
	That's where I am coming from. I say we should all pitch in and do it 
together, rather than this hodge podge system we have (where we end up all 
paying anyway). The days of the private practice physician are over. You're 
either in a system, or you're out on the street. Why not a public, 
non-profit system?
Regards,
Fred