Health Insurance and Our Broken Health Care System

I recently saw Michael Moore’s movie SICKO. He brought up a lot of issues about health care in the US. I know that there are different camps on whether or not Moore exaggerated the condition of health care and health insurance in this country, but I have to say I’m in favor of Universal Health Care. Even before I knew I had heart disease, I was in favor of Universal Health Care. Now that I know I will have health problems for the rest of my life, it is even more critical that something be done.

I’ve talked with several of my friends and family about issues related to health insurance and there seems to be several distinct groups: a) Married friends with or without heart disease covered under group policies; b) single friends with or without heart disease covered under group policies through their employer; c) single friends who have health problems and have no health insurance and no job.

From some of my previous blog posts I’ve come to the conclusion that many women who have heart disease and frequent Women Heart are married. I can’t speak to whether or not you all have health insurance, but for the purposes of this discussion, let’s say that you have. We are extremely fortunate in that regard, but I can imagine that many of you, at some point has had some medical claim denied.

What irks me the most, is that I am a true believer in the healing powers of alternative medicines and my insurance company would rather pay for doctor visits and support the pharmaceutical industry than cover alternative treatments. I’m talking about acupuncture, massage, biofeedback, acupressure, healing touch, yoga, music therapy, and other similar treatments, holistic medicine, and herbs. I have an HMO which has very good coverage in comparison to others, yet for some reason, they don’t believe in the power of the mind to heal the body when in some cases it was the mind that contributed to the body getting sick in the first place. I've heard other stories of major procedures being denied for one obscure reason or another. The insurance companies are happy to take your premiums, but when the going gets tough, it seems they decide to pick and choose what they want to pay out. Go figure.

I was told that if I were single, I wouldn’t be able to get health insurance, or the premiums would be too high to be able to afford it. It took months for a single friend, sixty years of age, to find health insurance coverage, and she is a relatively healthy individual. Another single friend found it necessary to become a real estate broker to get health insurance through the Real Estate Association’s group policy because he has heart disease and couldn’t get insurance coverage on his own. A married friend with unstable angina can’t work. His wife had to close her personal physical therapy practice and find a job working for a large company in order to get health insurance. Another friend is still wading through the health insurance jungle. And these are all people who CAN afford health insurance. I am sure all these people have had claims denied as well. What are the people in this country doing who don't have any health insurance?

I truly support and cheer on all my fellow heart sisters who have been able to navigate through the murky waters of applying for disability, but I’ve also heard horror stories of claims being denied for disability insurance too. But what I’m talking about here is basic health insurance coverage.

Let’s face it. Our current system of health care in the US is broken. I hope and pray that in our lifetime we find some politician who will stand up for the American people and do something to fix it. In the meantime, more people will die because of lack of health insurance and lack of proper medical care.

Have you had similar experiences? Is there some organization out in cyberspace that is helping to advance the cause of Universal Health Care?