In the past five years since living in Seattle I’ve been hit on my bicycle several times by drivers who pay more attention to their mobile calls than traffic. Fortunately for me, many of these drivers own luxury cars which means their insurance plans will cover my hospital bills and any necessary repairs to my bicycle. This, unfortunately, is my health insurance plan.
The last time I had health insurance I was a full-time art director in 2005, but I wasn’t able to use my plan because I hadn’t any health insurance since my last full-time job in 2002. The insurance company placed me on probation to exclude any pre-existing medical conditions during my lapse of continued health coverage. Working in a freelance capacity doesn’t prevent me from owning health insurance, however so many insurance plans have premiums that, honestly, are exorbitant for an individual.
If I have health issues or concerns, I am able to see doctors at Swedish Medical Center in Downtown Seattle who accept cash payments at a lower cost than individuals with health insurance. I assume the difference in cost is due to lack of red tape that come with insurance providers, nonetheless I am able to have my medical needs addressed without monthly premiums.
Now if I were to fall deathly ill, I’d be screwed because I don’t have health insurance. The only insurance I can own is making a sign of the cross, stitching sacred symbols on my underwear, and keeping pictures of Jesus Christ, Vishnu, and Ganapati in my wallet at all times. And always riding my bicycle alongside owners of luxury vehicles.
With the United States hotly debating national healthcare, I have a strong fear of how the government will proceed with drafting said national healthcare plan. In Seattle, our local government flushes money down the drain with constant analyses and studies prepared by third-party consultants. We seem to tax the hell out of everything but still come up short for properly running and managing public education and social welfare programs. I see a similar waste in Washington – regardless of political affiliation – and I have to wonder if we’re better off just dropping the plan altogether until we can remove insurance companies and their lobbyists from the right seat of the government.
As my friend Heather says, you know you’re getting older when you start to agree with Camille Paglia. Still, I don’t think the goal of national healthcare is so outrageous that we can’t all come together and find a rational, practical solution to making sure every American citizen has access to affordable, quality healthcare.