Cost of Batman

I just read the detailed story of a young woman, age 24, who suddenly and unexpectedly contracted severe leukemia. Needless to say, her life is now in a shambles. With intensive medical care, including treatments like chemo and radiation, she may survive. What caught my attention was the cost of her treatment. The cost will exceed $1 million, and even with her father's insurance plan covering her (thank God), the co-pays, deductibles, and lifetime limit already requires payment of tens of thousands of dollars. What she will do in two years when she turns 26 and is no longer eligible under her Dad's policy is too scary to contemplate.

What particularly caught my attention was her comment about lack of coverage for costly services provided by doctors not participating in her plan. As she noted, she is often groggy or in pain, lying in her hospital bed, when doctor(s) enter her room and provide some service. Bills constantly arrive from them for payment, and only then do she and her parents learn that these particular caregivers are "out-of-network" and thus must be paid in full. What a horrible and outrageous system ! The typical American is doomed to bankruptcy, death, or both with this system in operation until they reach 65. Paul Ryan is trying to close off that escape route for younger people like her as I write.

My "favorite" horror story is the poor man who went to see the opening of the new Batman flick at his mall theatre in Colorado. He had no idea what that movie would cost him. First, he was gunned down by the crazy shooter who had no trouble obtaining weapons under lenient state gun laws. Once transported to the hospital, his troubles multiplied. Not only could he no longer earn a living, due to his wounds, but impossible to pay medical bills started rolling in. From being a self-supporting independent Westerner with a job, a house, and a family, he was now permanently transformed into a bankrupt invalid owing over $1 million and counting in medical bills.

These are the results of just two programs strongly supported by your right-wing Republican candidates-- no gun control and reduced medical coverage for Americans. There are already 50 million Americans living without any health insurance. In Europe, everyone has coverage, the cost is half what we spend per capita, and their medical results are as good or better than ours. If just 2% of our 50 million uninsured get seriously ill like the two above, that's 1 million doomed people. Wake up America ! The life you save may be your own.