ProgressOhio

Michael Carano’s post “SEIU UNITED HEALTHCARE WORKERS WEST "STRONGLY" SUPPORTS HR 676” reminded me that I am angry.  So many good things happened today that I forgot that I am angry.  But Michael’s good news brought it all back to me.  As an aside, I saw a staggering statistic that over half of the bankruptcy filings in Ohio in 2004 were as a result of medical bills.  These bankruptcy filings were not just attributable to the uninsured, but were also due to being underinsured or participating in plans with high personal deductibles.  But that is not what made me angry. 

I work for the government.  The pay really is not commensurate with what others in my profession make in the private sector, but with three kids and a spouse that works in the airline industry, I am fortunate that the job provides me with security.  Health insurance security.  The advantage of working for the government vis-à-vis health insurance security is that the government has huge negotiating power that an individual insurance subscriber does not have.  That became abundantly clear to me this morning.

 

My 14 year old son recently had a minor medical issue that due to parental ignorance (and the three doctors that saw him who did not “educate” this parental unit) almost resulted in the amputation of his toe and sepsis- excuse me for digressing from the source of my anger for a little wallowing in parental guilt.  Anyway, I received an e-mail this morning from my insurance company indicating that a “claim” was pending, so I headed over to the insurance website to take a look.

 

I saw a pending claim for “Lab Corp” in the amount of $263.00.  I about fell out of my chair because I knew that there were only two relatively simple tests performed- one for infection in a blood sample and one a culture of the infection.    Then I looked closer and went a little “SICKO”.  The insurance company’s contracted rate for the two tests was $12.15.  My responsibility for the two tests, just $2.42 cents.  

ARE THEY KIDDING?  Because I have an employer that has negotiating power, my premiums are far less than lesser coverage that I could obtain as a private subscriber.  And because that insurance company has such negotiating power in this market, they are able to contract for two lab tests for an amount close to the cost of a few latte grandes?  And if I am uninsured, these tests cost $263.00-more than my two week grocery bill for my family of five?

In a recent article http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/05/08/1058/ published by Reuters, it was reported that U.S. hospitals charge uninsured patients about two and a half times more than those with health insurance. Obviously, Lab Corp was a bit outside the spread.  But two and a half times is nonetheless unconscionable.  I would think that the uninsured are largely those that are already on the economic edge- those that cannot afford insurance but do not qualify for Medicaid- the working poor- the people in my old neighborhood that work three part time jobs to provide for their family.   These are the people who will be charged $263.00 for two lab tests that cost me $12.15.  These are the people who will have their credit ruined by the late payments to Lab Corp or as these bills pile up declare bankruptcy.  I am angry. 

 

The time for ALL Americans to have access to affordable health insurance is now. The time for leveling the playing field- requiring the charging of reasonable fees to the uninsured is past due.