February 28, 2008

Horton Hears A Homeschooler and an Uninsured Child

Have you seen the movie trailer? You'll know it when you see it. A snotty mother kangaroo with her hand on her child's head says, "That's why this one is Pouch Schooled (sniff)." And an answering elephant, "Yeah, good luck with that illusion of superiority." Please know, dear schooling people I love, I laugh every time I see this. I think its hilarious and, yes, I see myself. I wince. Do we all sound like such snots?

On a more serious note, I just heard an interesting interview on the NPR radio program "State of the Nation." They were interviewing Tom Maxwell. I know Tom and the rest of his old band, The Squirrel Nut Zippers. They have been successful by nearly any measure. They've gone platinum. They played at President Clinton's Inaugural Ball. They work hard. They are freaks, true. But we're talking about authentic hard working artists who get paid well.

Tom is hosting a benefit this weekend at the Cat's Cradle. He has to. His 5 year old son has leukemia. Tom has health insurance. But then there is the deductible, the co-pay, and the charges for procedures prescribed by doctors that the insurance company (who aren't doctors, mind you) deem "unnecessary." Tom is a good provider, I'm sure. He's doing what any talented Daddy might do to get the bills paid. His son is well cared for. He mentioned during the interview that last year over 200 separate claims were filed to insurance on his son's behalf. That's over 200 times the copay alone.

Over on the Denim Jumper we have been debating health care systems. The debate took an unfortunate turn and, while that is a shame, I am not sorry for the discussion. From that one discussion I have seen so completely clearly how shameful our system of insurance is. Most valuable, have been the women who chime in from Canada about universal health. And I see now that what we have created here in the United States is a health care system with a money mongering profit system sitting between patients and doctors. How small and how sad.

The uninsured? They are like the Whos down in Whoville. I hear them. I really hear them. They really exist and they really do need some help. The way I see it, the only people profiting off our current system are the people who have set themselves up FOR PROFIT. How much clearer does that have to get?

5 comments:

Maria said...

Count me as a Who.

Great post! I still haven't found that part in the trailer you were speaking of...but I love it!

Anonymous said...

Other Who here with no insurance.

candyn said...

I was a Who for two years. Now we can afford a bare bones policy that doesn't seem to leave any extra cash to actually visit the doctor, let alone anything major.

Something needs to change. It is such a big crisis for the nation and I can't understand how people just don't see that.

Your post says it all very well.

Fourmother said...

To continue along the Seuss vein... The insurance industry is like The Grinch Who Stole Healthcare.

K said...

OUCH!