Roger was smart.
He was a planner.
He had a job.
Thus he had health insurance.
I was lucky.
I did not have to think about health insurance after the accident.
I did not have to worry how much the daily CT scan was costing us.
Costing me.
I did not have to worry about how much the respiratory therapist who came in every few hours to check the ventilator was costing.
Or about the nurse giving him his bath and a shave.
Or worry if Roger really needed the mannitol.
Or the Ensure supplement to make sure he was nourished.
I did not have to worry.
I had to worry about a lot of things.
But the last thing I had to worry about was insurance.
It is the last thing any wife or husband should have to worry about.
Roger was cut out of the car.
He was rushed to the hospial.
Roger broke his femur.
He broke his humerus into a billion pieces.
He broke his radius and elbow.
He broke some facial bones.
He broke the back of his head.
He broke some ribs.
He broke his spleen.
I knew it was costing about $50,000 a day.
I knew from my past life how much critical care cost.
But what if.
What if Roger was out of a job.
What if Roger elected not to have health insurance coverage.
What if I was not so lucky...
Yeah, he would have still died.
Yeah, I would have still survived.
And yeah, I would have eventually started to heal.
But... I might have not had a home.
I might have had to evict my renters.
I might have not been in counseling like I needed.
I would be back at my horrid job.
I would not be finishing school.
I would have a roommate or two.
I would be wrestling with creditors.
I would be dealing with even more stress on top of grief.
I would owe over $225,000.
Just for Roger.
Instead I paid about $2500.
A small price for my wonderful husband's care.
No one deserves to have to think about health insurance as their spouse lays dying.
No one.
No one deserves to make the choice between money and their spouse's health.
No one.
Everyone deserves health insurance.
3 comments:
YOu are absolutely right. Not ONE PERSON deserves to have to think about things like that in the midst of crisis. We have enough to think about.
Visit me anytime http://www.theboitsons.info We're exactly 6 months apart in our loss. Take care...
I've been reading your blog...but never commented. I mean, I truly have no idea, and well none of my comments seemed all that uplifting or helpful or anything. So I didn't. Anyway, based on this post I am curious as to how you feel about the current passing of the health care bill. I don't know if you even care to answer, I know you are hurting, I don't mean to be glib, but I wanted to comment. To let you know I'm reading...and caring. And sorry.
I've been reading your blog...but never commented. I mean, I truly have no idea, and well none of my comments seemed all that uplifting or helpful or anything. So I didn't. Anyway, based on this post I am curious as to how you feel about the current passing of the health care bill. I don't know if you even care to answer, I know you are hurting, I don't mean to be glib, but I wanted to comment. To let you know I'm reading...and caring. And sorry.
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