My Story
By Cres Vellucci
I have been very healthy most of my life. It all came crashing down in February of this year when I found myself in the hospital without healthcare insurance.
Like tens of millions of Americans—the government says 48 million are uninsured but how long can that figure remain the same with millions of people losing their jobs and benefits?—I did not have health care because I could not find it at a reasonable price.
I did receive care, but was left with a $40,000 bill for four days of treatment.
Although I was aware of the health care crisis in this country, my unexpected stay in the hospital gave me a whole new perspective. It gave me a glimpse of what people can do if they find themselves in a similar predicament. In short, not all is lost.
First, seek treatment for an emergency situation whether you can afford it or not. Hospital emergency rooms cannot deny you care, and your life could depend on receiving that care. You can deal with the circumstances of the bills later. I waited two days to go to the emergency room. It did not cost me my life, but it easily could have—I suffered a small stroke, and left untreated even for a mere few hours can lead to death or permanent paralysis.
Second, don’t worry about paying the bill. Your health comes first. Hospitals have what they call "charity" payment plans that can allow you to pay at a reduced amount, or they can forgive the debt in its entirety.
There’s also the County of Sacramento Medically Indigent Services Program (CMISP)—all counties have similar programs, largely paid for via Medi-Cal, that can pay medical bills, and afford you after-care.
This program is largely unadvertised, as is the charity program at hospitals. It’s not by accident. People might easily seek care in increasing numbers if they knew this "universal" coverage was available.
CMISP can pay for your bills without any co-pay/deductible if you earn something far below the poverty line—in 1984. Apparently, according to staff I spoke with, the figures representing cost-of-living have not been updated for 25 years which unfairly skews it so you have to be below "dirt poor" to escape a co-pay/deductible. However, the co-pay can be very low, and certainly nothing compared to thousands, or tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills. And the county will give you time to pay.
Third, investigate other options. As a Vietnam veteran (I was drafted), I discovered, thanks to a hospital worker who mentioned it, that I qualify for health care through the Veterans Administration. Again, they may have a co-pay, but it is low.
None of this would be necessary, and people would not be unnecessarily dying, if we had universal, single-payer health care in place in this state, or country.
But don’t hold your breath.
As was said on Bill Moyers Journal on PBS in May (
www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/05222009/watch2.html) , once upon a time Senator Obama said he supported universal single-payer health care, and that after the Democratic Party retook Congress and the Presidency (which they have) it would be ours.Fast-forward six years, and now President Obama, under a full press of the insurance lobby, is saying single-payer, universal heath care is "impossible." We all know why—the same HMOs, insurance and drug companies who killed the health care plan in the Carter and Clinton administrations are about to do it again.
The consequence will be millions of Americans not receiving desperately needed urgent health care. We’re not talking about losing a chance to go to the doctor with the sniffles (never a good idea whether you have insurance or not). We’re talking about the kind of care one should receive as a basic human right—to prevent or treat a major disease or ailment.
"What we’re up against, essentially, is the health insurance industry…the people who are on top, who could have an enormous amount of influence, are too afraid of the health insurance industry. And in some serious ways, they are as in bed with them as Wall Street and the banks were in bed with the Congress and have gotten their way, with their kind of bailout," said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, acting president of the non-partisan group Public Citizen, as heard on the Bill Moyers Journal on PBS.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, more than $46 million in 2008 was given by the insurance industry to the campaigns of Democrats and Republicans to maintain the industry’s control over health care (
www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=F09 ).The Green Party is the only national political party to support full universal single-payer healthcare.
It’s a real shame.
Single-payer would cover every American regardless of employment, income, ability to pay, age, and prior medical condition. Everyone could enjoy guaranteed quality health care, including prescriptions, and no American would face financial ruin because of illness or injury. Everyone could choose his or her own physician, health care provider, and health care facility. It would cut national health care costs by as much as a third and reduce what working Americans pay for health coverage.
Medicare (which would be made universal under Single-Payer) has three percent administrative costs, which is highly efficient compared to the 15-30 percent administrative costs (profits, paperwork, CEO salaries, etc.) of for-profit insurance. Plus, it covers everyone. Private HMOs and health insurance companies increase their profits by denying treatment to people with medical emergencies and by denying coverage to those they consider "high-risk."
Finally, single-payer would boost the ailing US economy and provide relief for businesses, since it would cancel the high expense and burden of employer-based health care benefits.
It seems Americans understand. Polls show popular support for a national health care program that guarantees universal coverage (
www.wpasinglepayer.org/PollResults.html ).I understand. I’m recovering from my stroke, and my eyes are wide-open to the need to push for universal, single-payer health care now, before even more people die on the altar of insurance company profits.
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