Health Care Reform and Polices: Just Be Fair

Persons without medical insurance suffer. They do not receive the same treatments or care as those with medical coverage and are turned out early from hospitals or not seen by private doctors. Many Americans fall through the crack of not receiving medial coverage. Although the United States offers Medicaid coverage to children and pregnant women, an adult with the ability to work would have to be almost homeless in order to receive any type of health care coverage. When one receives disability it takes two years to receive Medicare coverage, in the meantime one has to make it on their own. Does health care reform allow everyone to receive the same benefits as others?

I have worked in the medical field for over 15 years and I have seen just what medical coverage can do and not do. Working in hospice I saw the terminally ill be denied coverage by private insurance because they did not die soon enough. In the mental health community I witness clients unable to afford medications that would allow them to function normally because of lack of health care insurance. Something needs to be done and as soon.

My personal experience with private and public insurance is one of mixed feelings. The cost of health insurance began at around 200 dollars a month and when it stopped it was close to 500.00 dollars a month with a decrease in benefits. My family has been covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield for over 17 years until I lost my job this past year. Now my child receives Medicaid through the state, I receive nothing because Cobra was over eight hundred dollars a month, living on unemployment, one can not afford this amount. When covered by Blue Cross, my co-payments were 30 dollars for doctors' visits, 100 dollars for emergency rooms visits, my prescriptions were 10 to 40 dollars, and dental was very limited, no eye coverage and a it only paid 80% of the cost. These amounts were on top of the 400.00 dollars a month for premiums. The coverage was the same for everyone in my family, no exceptions. Now that my daughter is on Medicaid from the state, all of her dental needs have been met; she has been to the emergency room, given prescriptions and has had a physical for school all at no cost to me. Can a health care reform allow everyone to benefit from the medial system?

The government stepping in and providing coverage for everyone can not be a bad thing. With preventative care being accessed by all persons the need for emergency room visits would decrease, the need for radical treatment for advanced stages of disease would be lowered and the normal yearly checkups would be able to be obtained by all.

Providing private insurance competition would allow all insurance companies to compete for individuals instead of the public trying to get in their doors the insurance companies would be knocking at ours.

One has to wonder what all would really be covered under Health care reform. Would families be allowed to work when they have a sick family member at home? Would a mother be able to go to school and work because a nurse would be provided for her child that is ill? Would a child be able to allow their elderly parent to stay at home because of in home care? Would nursing homes be built, would more doctors and nurses be needed because everyone in America would need care? It would only simulate the economy by allowing all persons, regardless of age, receive medical treatment and care.