Dollars and Sense

We got the bill for our trip to the ER.
Wow.

We have health insurance - which I have always been grateful for.
With this latest bill, I am reminded of just how grateful I am.

Although the ER trip was a three and one half hour experience, time spent with a doctor or nurse was under 15 minutes total.
We used one lavage syringe and saline, one needle and syringe and one dose of analgesic, one staple gun (reusable?), three staples and were issued one staple remover.
The stapling took place on a gurney - in the corridor.

The cost for this - $1006.89.
ONE THOUSAND AND SIX DOLLARS. It bears writing twice.

What if we weren't insured?

I appreciate the skill of the medical staff, I appreciate that we have a modern healthcare facility nearby.
I don't appreciate that the bill for this service was over ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS.

Parenting is stressful enough. What if, when my child tore her head open playing, I had to try and put a band aid on it and pray that it would heal and not get infected. How would I have felt as a mother if the wound was too painful to sleep on or kept bleeding?
We live in one of the richest nations in the world. How is it possible that money even enters the discussion when a child is hurt?

ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS.
The co-pay is a fraction of this but still would have bought us a weekly shop.

Regardless of politics - we need to find a way to fix this health insurance fiasco.
How much of that $1k went to a shareholder?
Politics aside - healthcare should NEVER be for profit.
A parent should never have to choose between food and healthcare for their child.

Now I get to look forward to the bill for the staple removal.
A car payment perhaps?

You know what would be really cool? If reading this made you want to drop an email to your local senator asking them to work in a bi-partisan way, to get a workable solution to the health insurance crisis in this country.

I'm jumping down from my soap box now - thanks for listening!