The Gift of Healthcare

On Monday I happened to see an old episode of 30 Days, Morgan Spurlock's (Super Size Me) show on FX about living life as a different person for one month, the topic was minimum wage.

He and his fiancee lived in Columbus, Ohio for 30 days on nothing but what their minimum wage jobs could get them and as you can well assume it was not much. In the episode both he and his girlfriend have a medical issue that is not serious but needs attention. With no insurance you can again imagine what happens next. Long waits at the hospital, middle of the night bus rides to an all night pharmacy and at the end an invoice totalling hundreds of dollars that their salary was never going to cover. It is the story we all know and have heard before.

Well, funny thing happened to me this week - I collided with the show. The same minor medical condition that sent his fiancee to the hospital emergency room effected me but my experience with it was very different. After one night of being uncomfortable I called my doctor's office and got a same day appointment. I waited all of 45 minutes (she was slipping me in between already established appointments but I enjoyed the 45 minutes to catch up on my US magazine reading anyway) and then was seen by her directly and she apologized for keeping me waiting. She confirmed my issue, gave me a prescription and some friendly chit chat and I was on my way. The next stop was the pharmacy - one block away. I used my insurance card and without a dime coming out of my pocket was out the door within ten minutes. Two hours later with the medicine already taking effect I was feeling better.

I thought about my experience and how easy it was for me and how hard it was for her. I was back at work and fine while she was still making her way to the pharmacy. I didn't pay a dime and got a personal experience. Her bill was hundreds of dollars and she had to deal with strangers. My prescription was part of my plan and cost me nothing, she had to pay cash for hers.

This same week I was having a discussion with a friend about health care and whether or not it is a "right" for every person. I would have said it was, she disagreed and said it was not. I am going to agree with her after this experience. Having health care coverage is not a right. After I thought about it, I agree it is not like the pursuit of happiness, or life and liberty. But what it should be is a gift. I think every person deserves the gift of health care from every other person. You may not be "entitled" to it but I want you to have it anyway. It is the least I can do with my tax dollar for every other American whether I know you or like you. Isn't that something you want your fellow human beings to have? The gift of knowing that if they sprain their arm or need a heart operation their fellow Americans are going to make sure they get it. It may not be perfect, it may not always be functional but the mental gift of knowing you can get help if you need it I think will keep people healthier.

So as the debate wars on in Washington I hope they decide that a persons health is not a political tactic and Iwant to let them know I am happy to pay a little more to gift every American some peace of mind.