There was a time when I would've considered the ACA unnecessary. That I would've been annoyed by it. This was also a time where I had little to no interest in politics. It's funny how life has a way of humbling a person and teaching them something new about themselves on a regular basis. This is a story about how I ended up needing the help in order to make myself better.
"Well why didn't you just get a new inhaler?" I felt a sinking pit in my stomach. I was at a follow up visit to my doctor after ending up in the ER a few weeks before because bronchitis had made my asthma worse and I couldn't breathe. The first thing my doctor asked me was where my inhaler was when this had happened. After all, that was in my plan. I tried to explain to her that I only had one inhaler and it had been stolen the week before when I was riding the bus. Somehow, despite my explanation she didn't understand that since I was uninsured at the time, I just couldn't afford a new one. It was only after the ER trip that a friend of mine had pity on me and bought the inhaler for me.
I lost my insurance in April 2012 because I had been working at a call center that had outsourced its customer service department overseas. This was my fourth lay off in about six years. The whole time I had been trying to go back to school but in playing musical jobs I had never managed to do so. I decided to make school my focus and work secondary and deal with it.
Because I have asthma, I've never been able to get insurance without going through my work before. COBRA would've cost me over six hundred a month, and while my state had opened a high risk pool, it was still too expensive. My NP was awesome and made sure I got refills of my medication before I lost my insurance and gave me a list of community services for when I did lose it, because she knew I wouldn't be able to come back afterwards.
I did everything I could to make sure I would be taken care of. I signed up for a prescription plan at a local pharmacy, I found local clinic that was free, run on community donations. Still there are things that free clinics couldn't handle. Waiting all week to see a doctor because you got sick on Sunday and the free clinic is only open on Saturday isn't helpful when you're so sick you can't breathe. The doctors are volunteers so there's no guarantee of continuous care. In fact, the push is to get you into a local public health or community clinic, but they often were not taking new adult patients or were an hour drive away.
It was about a month after I lost my insurance when I found a lump on my right side, along the edge of the breast tissue. The free clinic provided me a referral but when I called the places they suggested I was turned away. I was told I was too young, that the office no longer provided services, or that they were out of funds for the year. I continued to fight to find a way to access services, but without a referral from a PCP I was getting nowhere. I finally took the time to bus out to one of the few clinics taking patients. They contacted a local imaging center attached to a public hospital to get me in. This started in June, I was finally in for imaging in October. In November I would get a biopsy and find out it was benign. It took me six months from start to finish to find out what was there.
It would be another year before I would get insurance again. In that time I ended up in the ER enough times the doctors started to recognize me. There really wasn't anything either of us could do. I couldn't manage my health without being able to afford regular doctor's visits and medication and they couldn't make a solution appear out of thin air. My wisdom teeth got infected and had to be removed but had to wait two months for a dentist who would help. I was on antibiotics so long I ended up with a GI infection. Bronchitis, allergic reaction, a set of second degree burns from how bad at cooking I can be. They got to deal with it all, despite the fact that most of these things were preventable.
All if this changed in January of last year. I live in one of the states that approved the Medicaid expansion and set up their own healthcare exchange. I was there on day one to shake hands with the Governor, tell him my story, and sign up. I stood up with him to others to encourage them to use the exchange as well. It is the only day of class I've missed since I started back.
Because of the Affordable Care Act I was able to get needed blood work that I had not been able to afford. Reliable access to medication. The first thing my PCP did, remembering how just a few months earlier I had ended up in the ER because I didn't have an inhaler was make sure to get me a prescription for one so I had a backup. One thing I know is I appreciate the opportunity more than I could ever express.
I know there are naysayers out there who will tell me that those things are not really free and that someone has to pay for them. One day I'll graduate and that person will be me. I seriously hope that I am paying to make sure someone gets the care they need with the money I pay into the system. It's saner than paying for what happens when they can't. The system we have isn't perfect, but it can only get better if we put effort into it.
It's early days still, but I'm happy to see momentum towards universal coverage. I'd like to see us move closer to the Swiss system: individual mandate; centralized, well-regulated marketplace; BUT all the private insurers must be non-profits! I'm sick of the business model of health care -- it should be treated like a public utility, which we already contract with private entities to provide in some cases (think gas and electric). A healthy nation is a happy and productive nation.
It's funny when people balk at the idea of universal coverage. Universal coverage only means the everyone has insurance, not that there is single-payer or state owned system like the UK's NHS. Tax-credits, consumer protections, and opt-in Medicaid expansion on a state by state basis is a faaaaaar cry from the socialism the right won't stop bleating about.
I am glad that you don't let the KFF think for you, I wouldn't consider letting them think for me either.
Is there some rule which does not allow you to read such publications and consider the data they have compiled? I ask because you didn't comment on the article itself, rather you suggested something not very flattering about me personally which is, of course, a violation of the TOS.
Perhaps you haven't read the TOS.
If you're referring to this:
"Our first priority is to the members that have come here because of the flame-free atmosphere we provide. There is a zero-tolerance policy here against personal attacks. We will not tolerate anyone insulting other's opinion nor name calling."
1) I didn't call you any name that I'm aware of.
2) If you took my post as an insult, I truly apologize. I only meant that (as a response to your quoting of my earlier post) that I don't hold any stock in anything KFF says. Was it sarcastic? Yes. Was it directed towards you? Only because your post contained the link to KFF's faulty (IMO) research. Meaning, it was really directed at KFF.
As long as we live in a free country where doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies can decide what forms of payment they accept, there is no universal health care. Obamacare doesn't control healthcare costs. Obamacare doesn't guarantee healthcare access. Obamacare doesn't even guarantee affordable health insurance.
I wonder what it says about the American public as a whole right now that even nonpartisan and moderate groups are contributing to the democratic party.
I believe that it says research and think tank groups that say they are non-partisan, are, in essence, not.
Plenty of people dislike eating broccoli. Doesn't mean that broccoli is a bad thing. Part of being part of society is we get benefits from it. Roads, police, EMS, public utilities and all these things we could not manage all alone. To get these benefits we all agree to pay taxes. If you don't want to pay them there's no law saying you can't renounce your citizenship and leave, but you no longer get to access the benefits of the society. That is the societal contract. It is called being an adult. Do all the benefits benefit you directly, no, but at the same time could you afford to provide yourself all the benefits you use or does it make sense to chip in together with neighbors?
Listen up, karl. Only 50% of Americans pay fed taxes so stop acting like everyone does. And don't tell me to leave. You probably pay very few taxes.
I wonder what it says about the American public as a whole right now that even nonpartisan and moderate groups are contributing to the democratic party. I like a lot of Republican ideas, but the party as a whole seems to be going more and more conservative. I personally find it hard to identify with the extremists and they have an iron grip on the party right now.
Lol. Name some Republican ideas that you agree with
I wonder what it says about the American public when there is so much rancor concerning the passage of this bill. This thread has more posts than any other I've read lately. One has to wonder why.
For instance, I wonder why the overwhelming majority of people on this thread think the ACA is the answer. There have been way more arguments "for" it than "against" it on this thread.
Yet, the country as a whole appears very closely split down the middle. And in every instance that this particular piece of statistic is brought up, conservatives are blamed for being the "squeaky wheel holding up progress (in conservative states that didn't accept Medicaid expansion).
If half the country is conservative, shouldn't half the posts be? But if the majority of the posters on this thread are left-leaning, liberal, or moderates, does this indicate most nurses are? Just a ponder....
Listen up, karl. Only 50% of Americans pay fed taxes so stop acting like everyone does. And don't tell me to leave. You probably pay very few taxes.
You're right, I currently pay lower income tax than most Americans do. Then again, I live pretty close to the federal poverty line. This does not mean I've never paid taxes. I've worked full time since I was 17 except for going back to school. I don't understand why people feel is okay to judge someone because they pay less taxes than they do. Things happen.
I never told you to leave, I said no one was forcing you to stay. By staying, you agree to the rules.
Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
If you're referring to this:
"Our first priority is to the members that have come here because of the flame-free atmosphere we provide. There is a zero-tolerance policy here against personal attacks. We will not tolerate anyone insulting other's opinion nor name calling."
1) I didn't call you any name that I'm aware of.
2) If you took my post as an insult, I truly apologize. I only meant that (as a response to your quoting of my earlier post) that I don't hold any stock in anything KFF says. Was it sarcastic? Yes. Was it directed towards you? Only because your post contained the link to KFF's faulty (IMO) research. Meaning, it was really directed at KFF.
hm
alrighty then
so what portion of the KFF article do you disagree with? now that we have established that you do your own thinking and so do I.
BTW, you didn't offend me but you were walking a very thin line relative to TOS. Please feel free to be sarcastic about the article or the KFF without suggesting that they think for me or anyone else and you will be fine. Did you offend me, heck no. But one good snark deserves another ya know so if you don't want it returned don't dish it out.
You're right, I currently pay low income tax than most Americans do. Then again, I live pretty close to the federal poverty line. This does not mean I've never paid taxes. I've worked full time since I was 17 except for going back to school. I don't understand why people feel is okay to judge someone because they pay less taxes than they do. Things happen.
I never told you to leave, I said no one was forcing you to stay. By staying, you agree to the rules.
That's exactly why you love obamacare. You pay very little in taxes while getting thousands of dollars in freebies.
I wonder what it says about the American public when there is so much rancor concerning the passage of this bill. This thread has more posts than any other I've read lately. One has to wonder why.
For instance, I wonder why the overwhelming majority of people on this thread think the ACA is the answer. There have been way more arguments "for" it than "against" it on this thread.
Yet, the country as a whole appears very closely split down the middle. And in every instance that this particular piece of statistic is brought up, conservatives are blamed for being the "squeaky wheel holding up progress (in conservative states that didn't accept Medicaid expansion).
If half the country is conservative, shouldn't half the posts be? But if the majority of the posters on this thread are left-leaning, liberal, or moderates, does this indicate most nurses are? Just a ponder....
There's only a handful of posters in this thread. the sample size is too small for a poll. And the moderator likes obamacare which creates a bias on this thread.
yowheez
32 Posts
It's early days still, but I'm happy to see momentum towards universal coverage. I'd like to see us move closer to the Swiss system: individual mandate; centralized, well-regulated marketplace; BUT all the private insurers must be non-profits! I'm sick of the business model of health care -- it should be treated like a public utility, which we already contract with private entities to provide in some cases (think gas and electric). A healthy nation is a happy and productive nation.
It's funny when people balk at the idea of universal coverage. Universal coverage only means the everyone has insurance, not that there is single-payer or state owned system like the UK's NHS. Tax-credits, consumer protections, and opt-in Medicaid expansion on a state by state basis is a faaaaaar cry from the socialism the right won't stop bleating about.