My last blog post got very few comments. I'm not really sure why. Healthcare is a topic that most feel strongly about one way or the other. Whether you agree or disagree with creating a Universal healthcare plan I hope you will consider the information posted here, keep an open mind, and leave a comment so that I know that people are reading and thinking deeply about this topic. Although the subject matter is heavy, we cannot afford to turn a blind eye or a deaf ear. My intention is not to be morbid or to depress readers, but to inform, empower, and motivate everyone to become active in their political process. This truly is a life and death matter and although it is not easy to look at or to tackle logistically, there is hope for the future. Sometimes things get worse just before they get better, and together each of us can contribute an important piece that will make a difference for the better if we keep our eyes on the prize. It is worth the effort and the struggle to emerge victorious on the other side of heartbreak even when it would be easier to do nothing and leave the hard work to the law-makers. Never under-estimate the power you have when you join hands with others around you.
This woman was about to give up fighting her insurance company for life-saving treatment but at the last minute tried approaching something a little differently and it worked! Her method may help somebody out there who keeps hitting a brick wall. You never know exactly what might make an impression on someone on the other end of the phone. Keep in mind that even with regulations underwritten by insurance companies there is always a certain amount of discretionary power that decision-makers have at their disposal when reviewing your claim;
Anne (brain tumor)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUrf2aL1aDs
I hope I have made the information I share interesting and relevant and that it helps make the world at least a little better, and to those currently suffering with health-related issues that you feel some comfort in knowing that you're not alone. Although not being alone is both a blessing and a curse in this instance, take comfort in knowing that people are beginning to mount a revolution of sorts.
No matter how small or how poor or how young or how ill you are your story is important and transformative. It is never insignificant, never weak, never self-indulgent. It speaks a truth that holds alot of personal power. They say that the personal is political and the political, personal. Some fear and avoid talk of politics, but all politics really is is the process of living with others around us and it just boils down to planning how we operate and interact in the world, the roles that each plays, and how we participate in life. To avoid that is to avoid being fully present and engaged in the process of living. Staying with difficult topics may be overwhelming at times, but if we hang in there for the duration we come out on the other side richer for having stayed in until the final bell.
This video is about a Special Education Aide in Wisconsin who is uninsured. You might be surprised that not all school systems provide health insurance to all their teachers/employees and when I first viewed this one I was shocked that a relatively progressive state like Wisconsin would allow someone working full time to fall through the cracks, but this woman continued to put one foot in front of the other despite incredible barriers affecting herself and her family. Pre-existing conditions locked her out of rights that everyone should have;
Without Insurance (A Special Education Aide struggles to pay for healthcare for her family)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdGCT9dBK10
Do you think doctors don't have this problem? The answer to that question might surprise you.
The Need for a Public Option for All, Dr Manisha Sharma's Story 20090821http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZIytK-qDe8
Part of the problem is that in large systems rules and regulations begin to take precedence over people. In healthcare that can be fatal. The rats who place such policy over individuals have become so brainwashed by their profession that ludicrous and arbitrary limits become reasonable in their twisted way of thinking. Such practices as only offering certain treatments to those who have three or less tumors, for instance are common in the insurance industry. Even the individual patient's doctor may fail to move those reviewing a given claim although that physician knows this is the best treatment for the patient given her set of variables.
BlueShield Bureaucrats Override Doctor's Treatment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGdOBs-9a1w
Will you or somebody that you love be denied treatment for the Swine Flu (H1N1 virus)? This article about triage outlines those individuals who will likely not receive treatment. The national guidelines actually violate some federal laws and the hypocratic oath;
Triage! Will You Be Denied Treatment for Swine Flu?
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/triage-will-you-be-denied-treatment-for-swine-flu-907246.html
Continue to write the President with your suggestions for improving our healthcare system. Get involved in the political process. Your vote does count even though the problem seems insurmountable at times.
Please feel free to post here and tell me how you are addressing these problems. If you have a personal story you'd like to share please contact me either on Etsy or in the comment section here on this blog and give me an e-mail address where I can reach you so that you can send me the whole story and I will feature you in an upcoming blog post! Maybe others can learn from your experience. If you have had any victories in this area please elaborate on what you did that removed some healthcare barriers in your instance. If you have created videos on this topic please send me the link to them and I may use those in future articles too.
I plan on covering this topic for awhile.
1 comment:
Hi Pip
Hmmm, interesting indeed. However keep in mind all have to be careful of what is not being said out to the public regarding this universal plan that Congress is trying to stoke up. A lot of times insurance companies will go to great lengths to deny you certain coverage, say your bill costs 300 dollars whereas the insurance company will go to the person who they pay 600 dollars to deny you the coverage. Its all about money all about profit and all about under the table agreements between the insurers and the drug manufacturers. Now there is a program by the drug manufacturers that if you cannot get the Rx that you need, the drug companies have some forms that you can fill out and they can supply you with the needed medications free provided that you also submit to them the results of your treatment so they can document it.
Ahh, a lot of people miss that one.
The bottom line is even tho you have a political voice, trust me it will not be heard because the lobbists and the drug companies and the insurance companies are putting millions to get what they want, not what you want, and your messages ahem well lets see its filed someplace etc.
Why waste your time dealing with that BS? Take it straight to Court and have a Judge rule on the issue in your favor, PROVIDED, you can prove to the Judge it is needed and necessary and its true. The mere basis of conclusive evidence should be sufficient to win your case. Most of those who have been denied usually will get it approved in the legal channels, not some dimwit dumb blonde insurance woman who happens to be on a monthly cycle of moods etc, playing games with you and deciding what to do with your claim etc.
Anyway Pip I am always around for ya, so hang in there OK. My comments here is serious so worth mentioning.
Daveyo
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