Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Medical Insurance

I'm fortunate enough to have a good, stable job (albeit boring, mundane and unchallenging) that has good medical insurance. Granted, the pension and benefits before I hired in were better, but I live in the now not wonder about what could have been if only.

Sometimes, I take things for granted. Clearly medical insurance is one of them. I watched the documentary/movie Sicko, I really did find it enlightening and captivating. My dad is seriously ill, and forgoes medical treatment and medication due to cost as Medicare doesn't cover certain things. I look at other countries, specifically Canada to our north and wonder why. Of course those of us in the US are use to all the emails about the insurance and money we provide to illegal citizens every day here in the US. Makes me wonder about our own.

Pool boy works two jobs. He doesn't have insurance and I think would prefer to make a higher wage than have an employer insure him. He seems to always be getting hurt, but that seems to be his dare devil personality more than immaturity - or maybe some of both. Last week he had sliced his hand and did a regular needle stitch and gave himself five or six stitches. It actually healed pretty well. A month ago he had poison oak and ended up taking a razor blade to get out the infection and then used some topical ointments. His latest, he broke his ankle at work on Friday. His cousin is a Pediatrician so he saved a few hundred dollars and was told it needed to be reset. He said he partially reset it himself as it became too painful.

I just can't imagine. I can't imagine not having insurance. I suppose it's just a way of life for many. I'm just glad it isn't a way of life for my son and I.

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