Health Care and Christianity: Where is the Line?
I did not go into adulthood being unable to be insured by myself. My father lost his job when I was diagnosed with cancer at age 9. Because he was unable and unwilling to buy Cobra insurance for me to be covered, I lost my insurance. When a person is diagnosed with cancer, he or she will be denied insurance for ten years. Ten years is generally accepted as the cure date and laws are in place to be certain when one reaches that point he or she cannot be denied insurance.
Are laws in place where insurance has to pay for medical procedures on those survivors? No. As a matter of fact, prior to being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, we actively searched for health insurance on me and companies laughed in our faces. One man was nice and told us I could be insured but we would be responsible for everything because so many of my systems had been affected by the cancer, cancer treatment, and Cowden Syndrome that everything could be written down as preexistent. The loopholes you hear so much about? Here is their loophole in regard to cancer survivors being insured post-diagnosis.
This type of belief system I can follow in regard to the general population. It is a "survival of the fittest" scenario out there. As Christians, are we not entitled to be different? Are we not asked to be compassionate and do what Jesus would do? I do not believe many of my Christian brothers and sisters understand our country's health care system. When I told a friend my mastectomy surgery alone cost $40,000 she about fainted. Those who are not considered disabled and not SSI/Medicaid fall into a gap where they cannot receive adequate health care due to being unable to afford it. Perhaps you are thinking it is that person's problem to not be able to afford it but in the county where I live $40,000 is the equivalent of an average family's two year income. I use only the one surgery as an example. Had I underwent chemotherapy that cost would have been factored in as well as many other cost.
I write this article in an attempt to understand other people's points of view on this issue. As human beings, we are slaves to our own experiences so perhaps there is something I am missing. Why are people who have preexistent conditions such as cancer excluded from insurance? Because it drives up insurance premiums for those who do not? How is that Christian? Christ told us to take care of the needy. Regardless of how it may seem, most of the people in my category of preexistent conditions are not people who refuse to work and want everything handed over to them. We are people given a very rough deal because society sees us as less than deserving.
So I ask specifically those of you who are Christians and who do not believe healthcare is a universal right what your reasoning is. I also ask if you or anyone in your family has experienced losing insurance and if that has affected your opinion. I am very curious about this topic. I know it will bring some not so happy comments to my comments section but I do not care. I want to know where the line is. When is it ok that a man waits so long to go to the doctor to be checked for cancer (due to no medical insurance from preexistent conditions) that it is too late when he gets there and he loses his life? Please reconcile this difference to me and my political views may do a 180 degree turn.
Published by Andrea Rowe
Born in NE Arkansas six miles from where my dad s family lived as long ago as 1820. College grad in psychology field. My children and I have a very rare genetic disease that seriously impacts our lives. I... View profile
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10 Comments
Post a CommentI agree there needs to be some changes in the health care system.....and I don't think it's right that those with pre-existing conditions are left out in the cold. However, I agree with Melissa that the federal government should stay out of it. That is not an arena the government belongs in, and everytime they get involved in something it just costs even more. There are no easy answers to this situation, but one party ramming through what they want for the people (yet they don't choose to be under it themselves) is NOT it.
I agree that health care and insurance need an overhaul, but I don't think it's the federal government's place to do it. It should be left to states and individuals. There are many Christian health care co-ops, and they would become illegal if mandatory health insurance passes. It's a very Christian approach to the rising costs of health care, and it works, so why punish people who have come up with a solution on their own? We have a lot of fund raisers and things like that for people who have run into unexpected health care costs, and that leaves the giving up to the individual. If the government takes over, then it's us who will lose out on choices and opportunities to give and serve, and bankrupt out whole country in the process.
I agree completely. And CJ, the use of religion isn't to inspire guilt. Some of us just read our experiences with our religion as telling us that those who can not take care of themselves should not be left behind to struggle in pain, or even die. That, for Andrea -- and myself, includes healthcare. To express that is not "wrong," and she has done a wonderful job expressing it.
Thanks for sharing your perspective!
Very well written.
Very well expressedd. Something has to give in this country when it comes to health care. There has to be somekind of bipartison compremise plan out there just waiting to be passed. As long as they fight over it, people will die or go bankrupt. You are right, Jesus never refused healing to anyone, regardless of socio-economic status. In fact, He focused on healing the less forunate poor.
When my father was in a car accident, he noticed that he was bleeding in his man area and the police sent him to the hospital thinking it was related to the accident. Turns out he had cancer. My parents had just a few weeks earlier signed up with a new insurance company and the insurance company refused to cover the treatment because they said it had to be "pre-existing". The surgeon who operated on him even tried calling adn writing a letter to the insurance company explaining that he could not have known but it didn't help. Luckily, my father was at retirement age so he swallowed his pride and officially "retired" so he could get Medicare. Millions of dollars my parents didn't have. And of course, you remember my story on how I couldn't get a doctor when I was pregnant. It's awful, but no system is perfect. No matter what anyone does, there is always going to be someone left out in the cold. I'm not sure what the right thing to do is.
It is a system that is very broken. Every single human being in need of health care should have it. It should have nothing to do with whether you have a preexisting condition or not. You need help.... you should get it! period.
I dont think healthcare and religion have anything what so ever to do with each other. When you use religion or being a christian as a way to inspire or guilt others into change it is just wrong.
I dont think healthcare and religion have anything what so ever to do with each other. When you use religion or being a christian as a way to inspire or guilt others into change it is just wrong.