Our Healthcare Problem

It was just serendipity that we had an appointment with our insurance gal the same week that a well-heeled young man, who may or may not have been experiencing a mental health crisis, gunned down the CEO of one of the nation’s largest healthcare corporations. The young man is handsome, educated, connected to the Republican party and comes from wealthy family. All reasons, I suppose, for the exploited American masses to lift him up as a folk hero of sorts.

Hell yeah, that CEO deserved to be killed, many said. Just look at how many Americans are dying because of being denied medications, surgeries, life-saving treatments because the company this rich CEO ran continually denied people medical care. Or preventive care. The common refrain was: I don’t feel one bit sorry for him or his family.

Every news host began reporting on this story with the caveat that “violence is never an option.” And while yes, that should be true, that’s hard to reconcile with a nation obsessed with guns, or an incoming administration that tries repeatedly to defend the violent actions of Jan. 6th. And it is equally intolerable to justify every report on the killing of the United Healthcare CEO with the caveat about violence, when every single day people are dying across this country because of the callousness of Congressional leaders who have failed repeatedly to take steps to protect the American public’s health. Instead the incoming administration wants to put in charge of our healthcare system a man who is not only a smoker but who wants to convince us that immunizations are harmful. A man so unqualified for the role that his appointment would most assuredly cause more people to die, many of them women and children.

I think every news story about Congress, or RFK Jr., or the incoming administration should begin with the same caveat applied to this week’s front page killer: “Violence is never acceptable, yet, RFK Jr. is taking steps towards killing thousands of Americans” or “Violence is never acceptable, but incoming President Donald Trump supports the killing of millions with his concept of a healthcare plan.”

When Tim and I qualified for Medicare, we, like millions of American retirees, signed up for an Advantage plan. It has worked well for us. We, of course, have the co-pay for Medicare which runs our household nearly $400 a month. But the advantage plan we had covered most of our needs and took a preventative approach that we appreciated. We’ve been fortunate over the years to be in relatively good health, with little issues. Of course the plan didn’t cover dental or drugs. That’s out-of-pocket expense for most retirees. But then the advantage plan mixed things up for next year causing us to reconsider whether we should stay on that plan or go for straight Medicare with supplemental. We decided to do the latter, which is why we had the appointment with our insurance gal.

There is no such thing as free healthcare in any nation. Somebody pays for it. Americans pay more for healthcare than any other wealthy country. We pay over twice per capita than the UK does. We do this because of the narrative we’ve been taught all our lives – that federally mandated universal healthcare is bad and corporate healthcare is good. We believe this until we actually get to the age or place in our lives when we need quality healthcare and realize how unaffordable it is.

What many do not realize until they reach retirement age the average cost for Medicare with a supplemental will cost somewhere around $700 a month for a household of two. And that’s the cost for healthy people with no additional medical bills to pay. The costs go up as you age or as health deteriorates. I always said if you live long enough you begin to regret it. Your pocketbook certainly will.

We pay more than any other wealthy country for healthcare, yet it is estimated that nearly forty-four percent of Americans are carrying medical debt. The wealthier you are, the better medical options you have in this country where money is King and exploitation is the name of the game.

We are at fault, of course, because we continue to buy into the propaganda that universal healthcare is a bad idea, and that a healthcare system that rewards CEOs with obscene wealth for denying coverage to the masses is the only good choice. So, we keep electing people who believe the only violence is one in which rich CEOs are gunned down. They have a concept of a plan to fix all of this, though. You only have to trust them enough to keep putting them in office. Or trust them enough that you don’t bother to vote at all.

I’m sure that concept of a plan will make Americans healthy & wealthy again. Very soon. Just you wait.

Karen Spears Zacharias is an author, not a folk hero. Check out her books @karenzach.com

Karen Spears Zacharias

Author/Journalist/Educator. Gold Star Daughter.

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