Thoughts on Health Care Reform

It's cold and snowy here in the Northeast, and I find myself pondering the health care debate. I have no idea whether or not the current plan under consideration in Washington is any good, nor do I doubt its complexities and hidden perks for various groups. I've tried to see various sides, and one thing is certain: there is no consensus out there, not among the medical profession, not among insurance companies, and not among family and friends.

But I do know what I would like to see:

• Guaranteed coverage for pre-existing conditions. DD17 hopefully will be out in the world in a few years, and she comes with medical baggage. Through no fault of her own, she will need monitoring and expensive tests and many more medical appointments than the average young adult. Other than relapse, my worst fear is astronomical medical bills due to weak or no coverage. In 2004 alone, it cost $250,000 to save her life and then keep her alive. We have great insurance...but it was not completely free. The nickel and diming was still expensive.


• The freedom to choose a physician and hospital. Once you enter the world of illness, control is an illusion. But it's important to feel you have a choice in the person and place helping you fight the battle.


• And I want the physician to make the decisions, not the insurance company. At one point during treatment, the oncologist said if we ever had any worries about possible symptoms (even triggered by a bad dream), she would run whatever tests we needed to put our fears to rest. That's what I want to hear from a doctor, especially one treating my child.
  

Finally, wouldn't it be great if there was a thoughtful approach towards health care? An approach that supported healthy choices before pharmaceutical solutions are necessary, one that encouraged proactive health management instead of reactive? Personal responsibility plays into this for sure, but support and encouragement from clinicians is important, too. Coincidentally, or not I guess, Andrew Weil's new book touches on these issues. I haven't read it yet, but plan to.

Well, that's one mother's vision, born of experience and worry. Walk a mile in my shoes, and you might feel the same way, too.