The Trouble with Health Insurance…

By Bethany “BST2” Armstrong

I pay $200 a week for health insurance for my family (Around $10,000 a year). It covers approved medications (it won’t cover certain diabetic supplies for my son) and doctor visits and medical emergencies when they are “true” emergencies (I.e., life or death). I went to the urgent care in March because my blood pressure was 188/128 and I had a headache. They sent me to the ER where they performed scans and gave me a prescription for blood pressure meds. Because I wasn’t having a stroke or a heart attack, it was considered a non-emergency. Now I’m paying $`133 a month for the next 30 months to cover that visit.

Among the 11 most wealthy countries in the world, The Guardian reports that America is dead last. The rankings were evaluated across five areas: access to care, care process, administrative efficiency, equity and healthcare outcomes. What America ranks highest on is infant, maternal, and avoidable mortalities.

Reports of young diabetics shorting themselves insulin to try to make it stretch are rampant. The average price to combat cancer in the US is $150,000. The cost of a hospital stay in America is around $2,600 per day. The average price for generic EpiPens is almost $200. Our insurances are picky about what they pay for and what they stick you with. Even a “well” insured person can quickly wind up in medical debt.

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