The Health Care Missing Link: Relief for the Middle Class

$1200 a month is a mortgage payment, right? In my house, it's how much we pay for "peace of mind". You know, that thing we're supposed to have in case there's a medical emergency, so we can go to the doctor worry-free. I'm here to tell you there's no escaping the stress of health insurance. If you're self-employed like me and my husband, and make a decent but by no means wealthy living, then you worry about how expensive it is to insure a family of four. And if you don't have it, then you live in guilt and fear as Jessica did.

No one's arguing that 40 million plus Americans uninsured is a travesty. But what about the middle class? You know the average working guy or gal. We've been forgotten in this plan. Enough straddling us with taxes to pay for the poor and give to the wealthy. The buck literally needs to stop here. Something has to give with this system. As Erin, a.k.a Queen of Spain, said "is it that hard for us to have a civilized debate about an issue around here." I don't care if you're republican or democrat, you're just plain insane if you think the system we have doesn't need some fixing. The money I'm spending could be going into a college fund for my children, not funneled into a for-profit health care system where administrators make medical decisions instead of the doctors. On this I speak from experience.

I've spent hours talking to HIP representatives regarding bills I keep getting for the kids' vaccinations. The people on the phone even scratch their heads in wonder over why these routine shots, required for daycare and public school are being processed as a "pre-existing condition" by the claims department. During one call when I requested to speak with someone in charge of claims, I was told "there is no number to call". 

Then I came across this article in the Sunday New York Times magazine section by Sara Paretsky. I could sum it up, but you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't read it. Bottom line is, no health care system is perfect but there are a lot doing a better job at controlling consumer costs. Our's is not one of them.

Jennifer lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and two daughters. You'll also find her serving up some good eats at In Jennie's Kitchen.

Photo by Teri Francis and courtesy of Dreamstime.com.